Vocaloid's singing synthesis（日语） technology is generally categorized into the concatenative synthesis（英语：Concatenative_synthesis）[1][2] in the frequency domain, which splices and processes the vocal fragments extracted from human singing voices, in the forms of time-frequency representation（英语：Time-frequency_representation）. The Vocaloid system can produce the realistic voices by adding vocal expressions like the vibrato on the score information.[3] Initially, Vocaloid's synthesis technology was called "Frequency-domain Singing Articulation Splicing and Shaping"（周波数ドメイン歌唱アーティキュレーション接続法，Shūhasū-domain Kashō Articulation Setsuzoku-hō） on the release of Vocaloid 1（英语：Vocaloid_1） in 2004,[4][5][6] although Yamaha no longer uses this name since the release of VOCALOID in 2007.[7] "Singing Articulation" is explained as "vocal expressions" such as vibrato and vocal fragments necessary for singing. The Vocaloid and Vocaloid 2 synthesis engines are designed for singing, not reading text aloud,[8] though software such as Vocaloid-flex and Voiceroid have been developed for that. They cannot naturally replicate singing expressions like hoarse voices or shouts.[9]
2009年9月，3个与初音未来密切相关的雕像被载上了美国内华达州黑岩石沙漠（英语：Black Rock Desert）的火箭，但它没能抵达外层空间。[17][18]2009年11月下旬，Started by Hatsune Miku fan Sumio Morioka that goes by chodenzi-P, this project received the backing of Dr. Seiichi Sakamoto of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).[19] The website of the petition written in Japanese was translated into other languages such as English, Russian, Chinese and Korean, and, the petition exceeded the needed 10,000 signatures necessary to have the plates made on December 22, 2009.[20]2010年5月21日06:58:22（日本标准时间），日本首个金星探测器破晓号（日语：あかつき）在H-IIA运载火箭的帮助下从日本的种子岛宇宙中心发射，探测器内载有3个描绘初音未来的金属板。[21][22]
The Vocaloid software has also had a great influence on the character Black Rock Shooter, which looks like Hatsune Miku but is not linked to her by design. The character was made famous by the song "Black Rock Shooter",[23] and a number of figurines have been made. An original video animation made by Ordet was streamed for free as part of a promotional campaign running from June 25 to August 31, 2010.[24] The virtual idols "Meaw" have also been released aimed at the Vocaloid culture. The twin Thai virtual idols released two singles, "Meaw Left ver." and "Meaw Right ver.", sung in Japanese.[25][26]
A cafe for one day only was opened in Tokyo based on Hatsune Miku on August 31, 2010.[27] A second event was arranged for all Japanese Vocaloids.[28] "Snow Miku" was also featured on an event as a part of the 62nd Sapporo Snow Festival in February 2011.[29] A Vocaloid-themed TV show on the Japanese Vocaloids called Vocalo Revolution began airing on Kyoto Broadcasting System on January 3, 2011.[30][31] The show is part of a bid to make the Vocaloid culture more widely accepted and features a mascot known as "Cul", also mascot of the "Cul Project".[32] The show's first success story is a joint collaboration between Vocalo Revolution and the school fashion line "Cecil McBee" Music x Fashion x Dance.[33][34] Piapro also held a competition with famous fashion brands with the winners seeing their Lolita-based designs reproduced for sale by the company Putumayo.[35] A radio station set up a 1-hour program containing nothing but Vocaloid-based music.[36]
The Vocaloid software had a great influence on the development of the freeware Utau.[37] Several products were produced for the Macne series（英语：Macne series）（Mac音シリーズ） for intended use for the programs Reason 4 and GarageBand. These products were sold by Act2 and by converting their file format, were able to also work with the Utau program.[38] The program Maidloid, developed for the character Acme Iku（阿久女イク）, was also developed, which works in a similar way to Vocaloid, except produces erotic sounds rather than an actual singing voice.[39] Other than Vocaloid, AH Software also developed Tsukuyomi Ai and Shouta for the software Voiceroid, and the sale of their Vocaloids gave AH software the chance to promote Voiceroid at the same time. The software is aimed for speaking rather than singing. Both AH Software's Vocaloids and Voiceroids went on sale on December 4, 2009.[40] Crypton Future Media has been reported to openly welcome these additional software developments as it expands the market for synthesized voices.
在2011年東日本大地震期间，人们生产了许多与Vocaloid有关的献血驱动器。克林普顿未来媒体joined several other companies in a donation drive, with money spent on the sales of music from Crypton Future Media's KarenT label being donated to the Japanese Red Cross.[41] In addition, a special Nendoroid of Hatsune Miku, Nendoroid Hatsune Miku: Support ver., was announced with a donation of 1,000 yen per sale to the Japanese Red Cross.[42]
In 2012, Vocaloid was quoted as one of the contributors to a 10% increase in cosplay related services.[43] In 2013, the Vocaloid 3 software Oliver was used as the voice of Cartoon Hangover（英语：Cartoon Hangover） character Puppycat from their web series Bee and Puppycat.[44][45]
The earliest use of Vocaloid related software used prototypes of Kaito and Meiko and were featured on the album History of Logic System by Hideki Matsutake（英语：Hideki Matsutake） released on July 24, 2003, and sang the song "Ano Subarashii Ai o Mō Ichido". The first album to be released using a full commercial Vocaloid was A Place in the Sun, which used Leon's voice for the vocals singing in both Russian and English.[48] Miriam has also been featured in two albums, Light + Shade（英语：Light + Shade）[49] and Continua.[50] Japanese progressive-electronic artist Susumu Hirasawa used the Lola Vocaloid in the original soundtrack of Paprika by Satoshi Kon.[51][52] The software's biggest asset is its ability to see continued usage even long after its initial release date. Leon was featured in the album 32bit Love by Muzehack and Lola in Operator's Manual by anaROBIK; both were featured in these albums six years after they were released.[53] Even early on in the software's history, the music making progress proved to be a valuable asset to the Vocaloid development as it not only opened up the possibilities of how the software may be applied in practice, but led to the creation of further Vocaloids to fill in the missing roles the software had yet to cover. The album A Place in the Sun was noted to have songs that were designed for a male voice with a rougher timbre than the Vocaloid Leon could provide; this later led to the development of Big Al to fulfill this particular role.[54]
Some of the most popular albums are on the Exit Tunes label, featuring the works of Vocaloid producers in Japan. One of the Vocaloid compilations, Exit Tunes Presents Vocalogenesis feat. Hatsune Miku, debuted at No. 1 on the Japanese weekly Oricon albums chart in May 2010, becoming the first Vocaloid album ever to top the charts.[55] The album sold 23,000 copies in its first week and eventually sold 86,000 copies. The following released album, Exit Tunes Presents Vocalonexus feat. Hatsune Miku, became the second Vocaloid album to top the weekly charts in January 2011.[56] Another album, Supercell, by the group Supercell[57] also features a number of songs using Vocaloids. Upon its release in North America, it became ranked as the second highest album on Amazon's bestselling MP3 album in the international category in the United States and topped the store's bestselling chart for world music on iTunes.[58] Other albums, such as 19's Sound Factory's First Sound Story[59] and Livetune's Re:Repackage, and Re:Mikus[60][61] also feature Miku's voice. Other uses of Miku include the albums Sakura no Ame（桜ノ雨） by Absorb and Miku no Kanzume（みくのかんづめ） by OSTER-project. Kagamine Len and Rin's songs were covered by Asami Shimoda in the album Prism credited to "Kagamine Rin/Len feat. Asami Shimoda".[62] The compilation album Vocarock Collection 2 feat. Hatsune Miku was released by Farm Records on December 15, 2010,[63] and was later featured on the Cool Japan Music iPhone app in February 2011.[64] The record label Balloom became the first label to focus solely on Vocaloid-related works and their first release was Unhappy Refrain by the Vocaloid producer Wowaka.[65][66] Hatsune Miku's North American debut song "World is Mine" ranked at No. 7 in the iTunes world singles ranking in the week of its release.[67] Singer Gackt also challenged Gackpoid users to create a song, with the prize being 10 million yen, stating if the song was to his liking he would sing and include it in his next album.[68] The winning song "Episode 0（英语：Episode.0）" and runner up song "Paranoid Doll" were later released by Gackt on July 13, 2011.[69] In relation to the Good Smiling racing promotions that Crypton Future Media Vocaloids had played part in, the album Hatsune Miku GT Project Theme Song Collection was released in August 2011 as part of a collaboration.[70]
In the month prior to her release, SF-A2 Miki was featured in the album Vocaloids X'mas: Shiroi Yoru wa Seijaku o Mamotteru as part of her promotion. The album featured the Vocaloid singing Christmas songs（英语：Christmas music）.[71] Miki was also featured singing the introduction of the game Hello Kitty to Issho! Block Crash 123!!. A young female prototype used for the "project if..." series was used in Sound Horizon's musical work "Ido e Itaru Mori e Itaru Ido", labeled as the "prologue maxi". The prototype sang alongside Miku for their music and is known only by the name "Junger März_Prototype β".[72][73] For Yamaha's VY1 Vocaloid, an album featuring VY1 was created. The album was released with the deluxe version of the program. It includes various well-known producers from Nico Nico Douga and YouTube and includes covers of various popular and well-known Vocaloid songs using the VY1 product.[74] The first press edition of Nekomura Iroha was released with a CD containing her two sample songs "Tsubasa" and "Abbey Fly", and the install disc（英语：Installation (computer programs)） also contained VSQ files of the two songs for use with her program.[75] A number of Vocaloid related music, including songs starring Hatsune Miku, were featured in the arcade game Music Gun Gun! 2.[76] One of the rare singles with the English speaking Sonika, "Suburban Taxi", was released by Alexander Stein and the German label Volume0dB on March 11, 2010.[77]
To celebrate the release of the Vocaloid 3 software, a compilation album titled The Vocaloids was released. The CD contains 18 songs sung by Vocaloids released in Japan and contains a booklet with information about the Vocaloid characters.[78]Porter Robinson used the Vocaloid Avanna for his studio album Worlds.
^
Hirasawa, Susumu; Tomita, Akihiro. バーチャルな「女性」への欲望とは何か [What is the Desire for a Virtual "Woman"]. Eureka Comprehensive Special Issue ♪ Hatsune Miku — an angel that landed on the net. Vol. 40 no. 15 (Seidosha). December 12, 2008: 60. ISBN 978-4-7917-0187-2（日文）. 引文格式1维护：未识别语文类型 (link)
