VY2 (codename: YUMA) is a Japanese VOCALOID developed and distributed by Bplats, Inc., under the YAMAHA Corporation, and was released in April 2011 for the VOCALOID2 engine. There has since been a second installment developed for the VOCALOID3 engine and dubbed VY2V3, released in deluxe and standard edition. A third installment for the VOCALOID5 engine was released in July 2018.
VY T-02, a speaking vocal based on the concept of VY2, was later released for the A.I.VOICE text-to-speech synthesizer in September 2023 as a part of the "VY Project", in addition to text-to-speech libraries for VY1, known as VY T-01 and VY Nancy, a new addition to the VY Project. VY T-02 is considered to be a separate product to the original VY2 vocal.[1]
The voice provider for VY2 has never been revealed.
Concept[]
VY2, along with its partner vocal VY1, is designed to head YAMAHA based products.
VY2 appears as a member of the A.I.VOICE VY Project, known as VY T-02. He appears as a human, male conceptual character based upon the original concept of the VY2 vocal.
Etymology[]
"VY2" means "VOCALOID YAMAHA 2".[2]
The code name used for the original VY2 package, å馬 ("YÅ«ma"; Yuuma), means "Brave Horse". As with VY1 and its codename of "Mizki", "Yuma" is often used as the name of the VOCALOID or mascot by fans, usually done in error.
Appearance[]
Nagimiso (ćŖććæć) and Kazeno (é¢Øä¹) undertook the illustration for VY2's package. The Wakizashi was by Nagimiso, the illustration on the inside sleeve was by Kazeno, which was Japanese and SF styled with Tenshukaku (天å®é£, Japanese castle tower) and two moons. VY2 was originally going to have other items for its boxart such as clothing. However, it was felt that these items were too personal and would only end up portraying too much of a design concept. Thus, opting for the Wakizashi made the VOCALOID's appearance ambiguous.
VY2 is part of the VY series and has never had an official avatar established. Though the VY2 vocal is masculine their concept is open to allow the producer using the vocal to conceptualize VY2 as any race, age, gender, etc as the producer desires.
Since there is no official avatars for VY series Vocaloids, interpretations vary per example for both VY1 and VY2. During the VesFes contrast a entry called "Roro" was chosen to act as a placeholder design for VY2 in a illustration book. The design featured on vol.4 of the VOCALOID-P data series boxart and in a illustration book. This remains the sole design for VY2 thus far seen in actual use, in contrast VY1 had featured 12 designs by Jan 2015 and is due to VY2's lesser use in Vocaloid related media.
The VY2V3 version of the sword was said to represent the "magma within" and "hot fighting spirit". The gold motifs are based on driftwood and arranged in a ikebana manner.[3]
Despite being considered genderless in the VOCALOID releases, VY2, known as VY T-02 for A.I.VOICE, is classified as a male vocal for the A.I.VOICE VY Project release. The character illustrations were provided in collaboration with the Yamaha Corporation's SoundUD department and offers a conceptual character as an image placeholder. Users were encouraged to freely create characters, names, and settings for their own versions of the vocals, a trait inherited from the original VY2 concept.[4][5]
Information pending.
Information pending.
T-02's design for the VY project is very simplistic. He is depicted as having short black hair and green eyes, and wears a business suit consisting of a white button-down dress shirt, a black blazer, black dress pants, a black necktie, and black loafers. The sword originally designed by nagimiso.SYS of the VOCALOID3 edition of VY2, VY2v3, appears as a brooch worn on the necktie.
Relations[]
- VY1 - A complementary voice bank with feminine vocals.
- CYBER DIVA - A female English VY.
- CYBER SONGMAN - A male English VY.
- VY Nancy - Leader of the VY Project.
History[]
Marketing[]
While VY1 had a standard and Deluxe edition, VY2 did not offer such a choice nor did it have a CD released for it.
Due to the professional design of VY2, the vocal often appears in use for apps and equipment that involves derivative products produced by YAMAHA, either on its own or with VY1. However, unlike VY1, VY2 is often added as an additional vocal or an alternative one and has yet to head a product using their vocals. Furthermore, when VY2 is used, the vocal often is only made for download ā sometimes after the initial release of the product, unlike its counterpart VY1.
Voicebanks[]
- VY2
- The counter-partner vocal to the VY1 series had the same intentions as VY1 but was instead a vocal made with a masculine tone. The Vocal was intended to be free from the ties that come with having a mascot or character representative attached to it, allowing for the ultimate freedom to morph the vocal as the producer pleased. The vocal is of high quality and was meant to act as a standard for Yamaha releases, thus designed to head many variants of the Vocaloid software.
- VY2 (VOCALOID2), April 25, 2011
- VY2V3 (VOCALOID3), October 19, 2012
- VY2V3 SE (VOCALOID3), March 20, 2013
- VY2V3 (VOCALOID NEO), October 2013
- VY2 (VOCALOID5), July 12, 2018
- VY2 (Mobile VOCALOID Editor), April 3, 2015
- VY2 (VOCALOID for Education), Private licensing
- VY2 (VOCALOID NET)
- Misc. versions
- A "lite" version featured in the iVOCALOID app for the iPad and was powered by the VOCALOID2 technology.
- A VY2t ("VY2 tiny") version was planned for the VocaloWitter app, but was never released. This version would be a cut-down version of the normal VY2 voice intended for use with devices of limited specs.
- VY2 Fasletto
- The "Falsetto" vocal is designed to mimic a male falsetto vocal and allows for extreme high notes.
- VY2V3 (VOCALOID3), October 19, 2012
- VY2V3 SE (VOCALOID3)
- VY3v3 (VOCALOID NEO)
- VY T-02
- A speaking vocal based on the concept of the original VY series vocal, VY2. This voice is a new series of voices planned by Yamaha Corporation's SoundUD team, inheriting the "standard" concept of the VOCALOID VY series.
- VY T-02 (A.I.VOICE), September 4 2023
Reputation[]
Reaction[]
VY2 was better received than VY1 because the concept of the VY series had become better understood. The producer who created its demos declared that VY2 was the best Japanese male vocal of the VOCALOIDā¢ series, boasting a quality none of the previous male vocals could reach. |Impact=VY2 and its predecessor vocal "VY1" were developed to head official Yamaha products. While VY1 tends to be used often in this role, VY2 has not been as used for such products quite as often as VY1.
Misc[]
In February 2014, Vocaloid Otaku user "Dessert>desert" decided to run a test to see how many illegal Vocaloid downloads had been made via torrent. At 12,434 downloads, VY2V3 had the highest number of illegal downloads for any released package as a single vocal, the download was only beaten by a couple of other Vocaloid related torrents with several vocals contained within it.[6]
The song Nenchaku-kei Danshi no 15-nen Nechinechi reached 1 million views on niconico.
Trivia[]
- Because of the Wakizashi, VY2 ended up overlapping with Internet Co., Ltd.ā's Gackpoid VOCALOID. Internet co., Ltd joked that the two VOCALOIDs should do battle with each other.
- In the Western fandom, the term "BIG AL's syndrome" got applied to VY2 due to being a late masculine vocal. This was because he was expected in 2010 but ended up being released in 2011 due to delays. However, VY2 did not receive as much fuss as previous "male" VOCALOIDs.
Achievements[]
- Highest quality Japanese masculine vocal for VOCALOID2
- First "Masculine vocal type" of the VY series
- Last VOCALOID2 to be released
- One of the first VOCALOID5 vocals released for the engine
- One of the first Japanese VOCALOID5 vocals released for the engine
- One of the first VOCALOIDs updated to VOCALOID5
- First of the VY series to be released for A.I.VOICE
References[]
External links[]
Articles[]
- VOCALOID Wiki
- A.I.VOICE VY Project Product Page & Demo
- A.I.VOICE VY Project Official Shop Product Page
- A.I.VOICE VY Project SoundUD Character Page
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