VOCALOID vs. Synthesizer V: Which Should You Buy in 2024?

Welcome in! ☕️

In my Vsynth Index post, I listed all the available vocal synthesizers that I could think of, with links to learn more about each one. And all of them are potentially viable for both music production as well as fandom works. But arguably, VOCALOID and Synthesizer V are the most popular vocal synth programs you can get your hands on. If you're wavering between these two, stick around! This article will explore the pros and cons of each one so you can make the best decision for your needs.

But first, let's get one thing out of the way. If you want to buy Hatsune Miku, it's recommended that you use Piapro Studio.

Piapro Studio is a good alternative to certain older versions of VOCALOID because it's accessible and actively being developed. It also comes bundled with a purchase of any of Crypton's V3 or V4X voicebanks. All Crypton's V3 and V4X voicebanks can be used with it, as well as other Vocaloids from VOCALOID 3 and 4 (and some VOCALOID 2 voicebanks, potentially). The only potential downside is that it comes as a plug-in only, so you'll have to use it with a DAW or a VST host program.

Something else you should know—if you want to use Hatsune Miku NT, you can't use it with VOCALOID. You'll have to use Piapro Studio NT. Piapro Studio NT can be used as both a plug-in and as a standalone software.

That's a lot to take in, I know. 😮‍💨️ But with all that aside, let's talk more about VOCALOID. We'll start by listing some pros, then cons.

The Pros✨️ for VOCALOID:

Pro #1: Large library of vocals

There are 6 iterations of VOCALOID. For a long time, YAMAHA was the only real player in the game, and therefore has an extensive library of licensed voicebanks to choose from. However, most of the available voices are in Japanese only. YAMAHA has VOCALOID 6 available to purchase on their website. However, if you want an older version, you'll have to buy second-hand. If you want to buy some of the earliest Vocaloids for VOCALOID 1 and VOCALOID 2, then you don't need to worry about buying the software separately—it comes bundled with those voice libraries.

Pro #2: Iconic characters

If you're into the Vocaloid fandom and want to engage with it in a significant way, then there might not be a way around having to use some version of VOCALOID. Whether you want to make original music, song covers, or fan videos with exclusive characters, you'll probably have to use either a version of VOCALOID or Piapro Studio. And you won't be able to use Piapro Studio if you want to use voicebanks for VOCALOID 1, 5, or 6 (and several VOCALOID 2 voicebanks as well).

Pro #3: The Vocolo Changer plug-in (VOCALOID 6)

One handy thing about the newest iteration of VOCALOID is the Vocolo Changer plug-in. According to YAMAHA, it "converts and reproduces your voice without changing the style or characteristics of your singing." Basically, it can make your work easier when editing vocals in the program. You can import recordings of your voice, somebody else's, or even audio made by another vocal synthesizer. The catch is that you can only use the plug-in with VOCALOID 6's AI voicebanks. Here's an interesting example of Vocalo Changer in action, using the vocals to "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen.

Of course, if you're using Vocolo Changer for commercial music production, then you should only use audio you have the rights to use.

The Cons💢️ for VOCALOID:

Con #1: Expensive

YAMAHA is a big, established brand. Their products come with a price tag. Currently VOCALOID 6 is 225 USD, bundled with 10 AI voices and 4 standard voices. It might seem like you're getting a lot, but the voicebanks it comes with, shall we say... leave something to be desired? Voicebanks on the VOCALOID shop range in price, but typically are about 75-120 USD each. If you want the highly-sought out-of-print VOCALOID 4, prices on Ebay at the time of writing range from $600-$700.

Con #2: Poor AI implementation (VOCALOID 6)

It took Dreamtonics making YAMAHA sweat for YAMAHA to start integrating AI technology into their commercially available version of VOCALOID. The result is... well, different. We have an interesting case of a Vocaloid character who has two different AI voicebanks—one made for VOCALOID 6, the other for Synthesizer V Studio. What makes this interesting is that both voicebanks are supposedly trained with the same dataset (that is, they both were created with the exact same audio recordings). This makes for a good comparison between the AI functionality of VOCALOID 6 vs the AI functionality of Synthesizer V. This video should help you get an idea for the overall sound each software is capable of.

Con #3: Still no direct pitch-bending

While I have not personally used VOCALOID 6 myself (too broke!), many online users have expressed discontent with the lack of this feature. On the official VOCALOID 6 Walkthrough video, @GeneralNuisance00 commented (with more than 100 upvotes):

"(...) You guys need to implement direct pitch editing like what UTAU and SynthV have - it has been a request for YEARS now."

There are workarounds for this, so it may not be a big deal for some. But for others it might feel like there aren't enough options to give vocals the desired sound.

Alright! Those are some pros and cons for VOCALOID. Now let's talk about Synthesizer V!

The Pros✨️ for Synthesizer V:

Pro #1: Large AI voicebank selection

While Synthesizer V is a relatively recent piece of software, it's by no means lacking in features or content. It offers a sizeable selection of AI vocals, all capable of cross-language synthesis in the Pro version. Yes, VOCALOID has cross-language synthesis for its AI voices as well, but given that VOCALOID currently doesn't have many AI voicebanks, it doesn't mean as much.

Pro #2: You can use a free version for as long as you want

Currently, Synthesizer V has two main versions: Basic and Pro. (There's also an early legacy version without AI, which you can still purchase.) The Basic Edition has some restricted features but is still very capable. If you're feeling on the fence about Synthesizer V then you can try the Basic Edition for as much and as long as you want with any voicebank, including some free "Lite" versions. The best that VOCALOID 6 can offer you? A 31-day trial.

Pro #3: Cheaper than VOCALOID

We all like to save money, right? Synthesizer V Studio Pro is only 89 USD before applicable taxes!! It has one free AI voicebank that can be downloaded from the website. Generally Synthesizer V voice databases cost 79 USD each, although some are slightly more. It's true that VOCALOID 6 has a lot more voicebanks out of the box, which might make it a better value for some. But it's really only a better value if you actually get use out of what's provided.

The Cons💢️ of Synthesizer V:

Con #1: Limited star power

While Synthesizer V currently has a couple of big-name cyber divas—Megpoid GUMI and Kasane Teto—most of its other offerings aren't as popular with the VOCALOID community at large. If this is a community that you really want to lean into, you definitely can't do it with Synthesizer V alone.

Con #2: Limited selection of non-AI Voicebanks

The selection of Standard vocals in Synthesizer V is pretty sparse. For many producers this may not be an issue. But if you're looking for that particular robotic, concatenative sound then Synthesizer V might not have as much of what you're looking for.

Con #3: You can't use Miku on it

Honestly, this one is kind of a joke. Because I actually can't think of any other cons to Synthesizer V compared to VOCALOID except that you can't use Hatusne Miku on it. I'm trying really hard to be objective here... 😅️

Welp! That about wraps up my thoughts on VOCALOID and Synthesizer V. So which should you choose?

Really it's up to what you think you need out of a vocal synth. But here are my recommendations...

Try Synthesizer V Basic Edition. It's a great way to see if you like what it has to offer.
Think about the kind of content you want to produce...

Do you want to be a music producer with a focus on realism, texture, and intelligibility in the vocals you use? Or do you just really like Kasane Teto? Then get Synthesizer V Pro.
Do you want to make music for the Vocaloid community exclusively? Or do you want to make talkloid videos and dubbed memes with all your favorite characters? Then get the versions of VOCALOID that suit your interests and/or Piapro Studio.
Finally, do you just really like Megpoid GUMI? Then you better start shelling out those bills for everything. 😤️

Jokes aside, I hope that this article has helped you determine which software will work best for you!✨️ Once you've made a decision, you can check out the links below to make your purchases:

VOCALOID:

VOCALOID shop (to buy voice libraries and bundles)
VOCALOID software (if you buy a bundle with the software included then you don't need to buy it from this link unless you want the "Silhouette Series" of voicebanks)

Other VOCALOID vendors (please note that older VOCALOID software may not run on a modern OS):

Crypton Future Media VOCALOID 1/VOCALOID 2 products (Japanese only sites):

Hatsune Miku

Hatsune Miku Append

Kagamine Rin/Len Act 2 (A slightly updated version of Act 1, which is unavailable)

Kagamine Rin/Len Append (oddly, there's no working purchase link on this page, but you can buy it here)

Megurine Luka
KAITO
MEIKO

Synthesizer V:

Synthesizer V Basic Edition download page
Dreamtonics Store (to buy voice libraries and bundles)
Synthesizer V Pro Edition (if you buy a bundle with the software included then you don't need to buy it from this link)

Other Synthesizer V vendors:

Eclipsed Sounds Shop
Audiologie Voice Databases
Anicute Store
Internet Co.'s Synthesizer V products (Japanese only site)
You can browse all vendors here (scroll to the bottom of the page)

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