Your PC Is An Awesome Singer... If You Let It!

As an amateur songwriter, who struggles with a computer far from powerful enough to run the necessary software to record vocals of good quality, I have looked for good solutions. And I've found a few.

In a short while you will hear songs that are totally computer made ? including the vocals. Yamaha made the technology, and licensed it to various companies. Vocaloid is the name ? remember it if you like music!

I have had the pleasure of testing Leon, the Virtual Soul Vocalist, from www.zero-g.co.uk.

The complexity hid behind the seemingly simplistic interface is astonishing. I hardly had to look at the manual at all while exploring ? quite atypical for music software.

You draw your vocals using the mouse, and then add lyrics on top. Then, add harmonics, vibrato, attack etc. as you want, tweak the phonemes (your words are automatically converted, and you can edit them as you wish using the reference guide in the manual) and go. Record the vocals as WAV and import them into your favourite sequencer to add music, or use the program as a VST plugin.

On their site, Zero-G describes Leon: LEON is a virtual male soul vocalist modelled on a real professional singer, and when he is installed into your PC he will literally allow you to create singing of superb quality and realism. LEON will sing ANY words you ask him to in English - literally anything - be they beautiful lyrics or comical trivialities, Monteverdi madrigals or manic chants. You can create vocal tracks of soulful singing in any lyrics you want. You just type in lyrics, and synthesize. Then add expression to taste. LEON is under your total control, and the really mind-blowing thing is - he can truly sound like a professional singing voice. With very little practice the results you get from LEON will completely fool your friends - they will believe they are listening to a real singer performing. The question you will hear will always be "WHO is that?", and not "What is that?".

I quite agree. Leon is astonishing. You need a powerful PC to run the Vocaloid programs. My 1 Mhz AMD Athlon with 512 Mb RAM had problems. (Windows XP, Pentium 4, 1.7 GHz +, 1 GB of RAM or more is recommended). But still ? I was able to use the program ? and the night I received my copy, I didn't get to bed until 4 am?

You can find a distributor for the Zero-G range at www.zero-g.co.uk. The retail price for both Leon and Lola is $329.95/£199.95/?289. More info on the technology can be found at www.vocaloid.com and a link to raving reviews in various magazines and newspapers (among them one from the New York Times titled Could I Get That Song in Elvis, Please?) are linked to from both sites.

I am now about to enter the vocals for one of my songs using Leon. Gotta go. Drop by www.haakon.nu to listen to the results!

Essential software

Band in a Box is the perfect companion to these plugins. Enter your chords, select the style (from hardrock to soft ballads and classic Mozart) and generate your music. Read more at www.bandinabox.com and buy it for $88 ($249 for the MegaPAK with a multitude of styles). BiaB 2005 also allows you to record vocals and to harmonize them ? in addition to a great variety of other features. If you wish, you can have BiaB 2005 create your whole song.

Haakon Rian Ueland is a former columnist of the Mensa International Journal, where this article was first published. smartsoftware.org is dedicated to various Cellphones and to his column. You can contact him at hueland (at) gmail (dot) com.

---

How to Create Interesting Textures

A lot of new age piano music consists of repeating... Read More

How to Get Past Creative Blocks

When I first began playing the piano and improvising, there... Read More

An Interview with Angus Young of ACDC - Why He Plays a Gibson SG

Steven: Maybe more than any other guitarist ever, you're inextricably... Read More

Music: Uniting Nations, Dividing Generations

Cultures around the world since the beginning of time have... Read More

Throat Singing In Inuit Culture

Originally, Inuit throat singing was a form of entertainment among... Read More

How Many Guitar Chords Do I Need To Know?

Guitar chords, (chords played specifically on a guitar,) differ only... Read More

1959 Stratocaster Vintage Guitars

Mid 1959 Stratocaster vintage guitars have a slab rosewood fingerboard... Read More

How to Make State-of-the-Art Video Singles Cheaply

When it comes to promoting their new music releases, I... Read More

Music Licensing: The Cold Cash Facts About Money for your Music

Where music meets licensing, there's money to be made. How... Read More

Anglican Arrogance: Small-Minded Choirmembers

What is "Episcopal" music?We often hear people express concern about... Read More

Piano Playing is Easier than You Think When You Understand Musical Form

Form is the key that unlocks the musical map of... Read More

The Top 10 Reasons Why You Suck At Playing Guitar

You don't 'need' to play guitar enough.If you desire to... Read More

Art of the Recording Engineer: From Michael Jackson to Mutant Radio, Matt Forger Speaks Out

Interviewed by Scott G (The G-Man)G-Man: When people think of... Read More

How to Create an Original Melody

Here's a method I use that works. First, sit down... Read More

Buying A Guitar

There are many things to consider when buying a new... Read More

Say Something

The music of Rush influences and inspires, at least that's... Read More

Open Position Piano Chords - Perfect for the New Age Style

The Open Position Chord (OPC) allows you to create a... Read More

Review: Audioslave - Out of Exile

Every once in a while a band comes along that... Read More

Effective Band Rehearsal

If your band is in rehearsals, either preparing for gigging,... Read More

Music Making as Spiritual Experience

If you've been playing piano for some time, you may... Read More

Music Mini Course: Learn The Basics Of Reading Music On A Keyboard Instrument

Welcome to the wonderful world of music. As you begin... Read More

Good News for the Musically Untalented

Have you ever been told that you were good at... Read More

To Record or Not To Record - At Home, That Is

I will be honest. I am addicted to music recording.... Read More

How to Download Music From The Internet

Most of you have probably heard of the RIAA's quest... Read More

The Life and Music of Beatle George Harrison

Propelled into fame as one of the Beatles, along with... Read More

How To Play The Violin

This article gives the essential basics for how to play... Read More

How To Write A Song

Did you ever wish that it was your song playing... Read More

Learn To Play The Piano Better By Learning To Arrange Chords & Chord Progressions

Piano arranging is the process by which you take a... Read More

Beginner Guitar Tips: How to Get a Feel

"I don't like to go into the studio with all... Read More

Jazz Yatra

Jazz is arguably the most argumentative form of music (even... Read More

MP3 Music Subscription Services. A Good Deal?

There's a reason Apple Computer dominates the legal 99-cents-a-download digital... Read More

Les Paul Vintage Gibson Guitars

Les Paul vintage Gibson guitars were first produced in 1952.... Read More

Review: The Bled - Pass the Flask

Released in 2003, Pass the Flask turned this little quintet... Read More