VOC3_Manual

2-6. The Mixer Window

The VOCALOID3 Mixer window is a movable floating window that will appear in the display area when the Mixer item in the View menu is checked. The window can be dismissed either by clicking the close box in its upper right corner, or by clicking the Mixer item in the View menu a second time. The Mixer window provides mix controls for each individual vocal sequence and WAV track as well as master level control and effect sends/returns. A numbered track fader module will automatically be created for each track in your VOCALOID3 sequence.

Gain Trim

Adjusts the track’s input level prior to the effects, effect sends, pan, and level controls. The Gain scale ranges from -20dB~ +20dB. Click on the control and drag left and right or up and down to adjust. You can also double-click the value in the center of the control and directly enter a numerical value. Return the control to its default setting (0) by clicking on the control while holding [CTRL].

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(Functions added to the V3.0.3)

If there is an input for a track, a green light is turned on. Clipping turns the light red when there is excessive audio. If “Peak-hold” is set, the Peak Indicator displayed in red (shown below) will stay lit (in Hold status) when audio is clipped. Click the red Peak Indicator to release Hold status.

VST Plug-in

The VST Plug-in section allows VST effects to be selected and directly inserted in the corresponding channel (vocal sequence, WAV (MONO), WAV (STERE0), and Master). Two VST plug-in selectors are provided on each module. To insert an effect click on the arrow in a VST section and select an effect from the menu that

appears. Once an effect has been selected you can click the switch to turn the

plug-in ON or OFF, and click the switch to show or hide the effect’s edit window. Vocal sequence and WAV (MONO) tracks can use MONO IN/ MONO OUT and MONO IN/ STEREO OUT effects. The WAV (STEREO) and Master track can use STEREO IN/ STEREO OUT effects. All effects are inserted pre-fader.

Send

When the Send switch is ON (lit) the signal from that channel can be sent to a VST effect inserted in the Return section of the Master track, for send/return type effects operation. The Send control adjusts the level of the signal sent from the corresponding channel to the Master track Return section. Click on the control and drag left and right or up and down to adjust send level. You can also double-click the value in the center of the control and directly enter a numerical value. The effect sends are post-fader. Return the control to its default setting (- 89.8) by clicking on the control while holding [CTRL].

No send controls are provided in the WAV (STEREO) module.

Pan Control

The pan control for each track is the small horizontal “L-R” slider above the fader.

Drag the slider to the left or right to pan the signal from that track to the corresponding side of the stereo output. The pan position is indicated numerically below the pan control. The pan range is from –64 (full left) through 0 (center) to +64 (full right). You can also set the pan position numerically by double-clicking the current pan value and editing it as required. Return the control to its default setting (0) by clicking on the control while holding [CTRL].

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Mute Button

Click the button above a fader to turn output from that track off. Click again to disengage the MUTE function.

Solo Button

The SOLO function allows “solo monitoring” of individual tracks. If you have created a number of tracks but want to listen to the output of just one, for

example, you can simply engage the button for that track rather than having to individually mute all of the other tracks. When the SOLO function is engaged

the button for that track will be highlighted while the buttons for all other

tracks will be engaged. Click the button a second time to disengage the SOLO function.

Track Fader

Each track fader module includes a linear fader for independent level control of the corresponding track. Drag the fader up or down to adjust the level of the corresponding track. “0.0” in the fader knob indicates normal (nominal) level (0 dB). The fader scale ranges from –89.8 through 0 to +6. The current fader level is always shown in the fader knob. You can also set the fader level numerically by double-clicking in the knob and editing the value as required, or return the fader to its default setting (0.0) by clicking on it while holding [CTRL].

(Functions added to the V3.0.3)

A track’s volume is displayed with a Level Meter. If the setting is “Peak-hold”, an excessive audio input signal is transmitted. When clipped, the Peak Indicator (shown below) which is displayed in red, stays on (in Hold status). Click the red Peak Indicator to release the hold status.

Return Effects and Fader

Although the upper two VST plug-in insertion points in the Master module allow direct insertion of effects in the Master channel, the “return” effect is inserted in the mixer’s send/return loop. This effect is selected and controlled in the same was as the direct-insert VST plug-ins, but it can be applied to multiple input channel by simply activating the sends of the appropriate channels and setting appropriate send levels. The return fader determines how much of the output

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from the return effect is mixed into the Master channel. The return level control is operated in the same was as the other mixer controls.

Master Fader

The Master fader controls the overall output level of all VOCALOID3 tracks. Operation of the master fader is the same as those in the track modules.

Fold Button

Click the arrow to the upper right of the Master fader to “fold” the mixer window, hiding all but the lower controls (pan, mute, solo, and fader). Click the arrow again to “unfold” and show the entire mixer window.

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3. Operation – Making VOCALOID3 Sing

The VOCALOID3 Editor has a more evolved and powerful interface than previous versions, and therefore requires a different workflow. If VOCALOID3 is your first contact with the program, then it should be straightforward to learn. But if you’re used to a previous version you’ll need to keep a few changes in mind until working with them becomes second nature … and then you’ll find that the new interface is more versatile and powerful than ever.

The main difference is that instead of just having a single musical editor window, VOCALOID3 has a Musical Editor window (very similar to the original) plus a new Track Editor window, the functions of which are interdependent. So before we get into actual note and lyric entry, let’s take a closer look at the new Track

Editor.

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3-1. Managing Tracks & Parts in the Track Editor

The Track Editor window is a new feature in VOCALOID3 that makes overall operation easier while providing greater power and flexibility for creating vocal sequences. The VOCALOID3 Track Editor window is where you can:

•Add new tracks to your project, up to a maximum of 16 tracks, and manipulate existing tracks.

•Create “Parts” within the tracks that will contain the vocal sequence data. Parts can be created, deleted, lengthened, shortened, moved, and copied around within the tracks as required. Parts provide an extremely convenient way to create and modify musical arrangements.

•The Track Editor includes a WAV (MONO) track that can be used to add short sound clips or effects to your sequence, and a WAV (STEREO) track that can be used to add high-quality stereo backing tracks to your vocal sequence.

3-1-1. Creating and Managing Tracks

Initial Default Tracks and Part

When a new project is created* the Track Editor window contains one vocaloid sequence track (Track), one WAV (MONO) track, and one WAV (STEREO) track.

A 32-measure Part (3-1. Managing Tracks & Parts in the Track Editor -> 3-1-2. Creating and Managing Parts) is automatically created in the initial, automatically created track. No parts are automatically created in new tracks that you create by selecting the “Add Track” command from the Track menu, so you’ll have to create an appropriate part before you can begin entering notes in a new track.

* When VOCALOID3 is first launched, when the “New” command in the File menu is selected, or when the [Ctrl] + [N] key combination is pressed.

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Selecting a Track

Click in the track header (where the track name is) in the Track Editor Window to select a track.

Adding Tracks

To add a sequence track select the “Add Track” command from the Track menu.

If a track is selected when you do this the new track will be created immediately above the selected track. If no track is selected the new track will be created below the existing track(s).

Only vocaloid sequence tracks can be added. “WAV (MONO)” and “WAV

(STEREO) tracks cannot be added.

Remember, new tracks that you create by selecting the “Add Track” command from the Track menu do not contain any parts, so you’ll have to create an appropriate part before you can begin entering notes in a new track.

Renaming Tracks

New tracks are simply named “Track,” with a color-coded track number to the left of the track name. If you start using multiple tracks you’ll almost certainly want to give them names that more clearly identify the data that they contain.

Select the track to be renamed by clicking in its track header (where the track name is), and select the “Rename Track” command from the Track menu (you can also directly double-click the current track name to activate the name edit mode). You can then enter a new name. Press the [Enter] key on your keyboard when done.

Track names can have a maximum of 256 characters.

The WAV (MONO) and WAV (STERE0) tracks cannot be renamed.

Copying Tracks

You can create a new track that is a full copy of an existing track by first selecting the track to be copied (click in the track header … where the track name is), and then either select the “Copy” command and then the “Paste” command in the Edit menu, or use the keyboard shortcut equivalents: [CTRL] + [C], and then [CTRL] + [V].

Deleting Tracks

Select the track to be deleted by clicking in its track header (where the track name is), then either select the “Delete” command from the Edit menu or press the [DEL] key on your keyboard to delete the track.

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The last remaining track cannot be deleted (there must always be at least one vocaloid sequence track in the Track Editor window), but you can delete any parts it contains.

The WAV (MONO) and WAV (STEREO) tracks cannot be deleted, but you can delete any parts they contain.

3-1-2. Creating and Managing Parts

At least one track and one part must be available before you can begin entering notes via the Musical Editor. A 32-measure default part is automatically created whenever a new project is created. When you enter notes in the Musical Editor, you’re entering those notes into the currently selected Part.

Example: In this project three tracks have been created. The tracks have been renamed “Lead”, “Chorus” and “Chorus 2”. The lighter areas in the tracks are the parts. The “Lead” track contains just one part, while the “Chorus 1” and “Chorus 2” tracks contain shorter parts that have been created to hold some short background vocals.

Note: Parts cannot overlap in the same track! To be more specific, you can position parts so that they overlap, but an error will be displayed when you attempt to play the sequence.

Creating New Parts

There are a couple of ways to do this.

1)Select the track in which you want to create a new part (click in the track header … where the track name is), move the song position marker to the point at which you want the new part to begin (click at the appropriate location in the

Measure ruler), then select “Add Musical Part” from the Part menu. A new 32measure part will be created in the selected track at the specified location.

2)The second method lets you create parts of any length you require. Simply use the pencil tool (2-2. The Tool Bars -> 2-2-1. The Edit Tool Bar) to click-and-drag over the area in the track where you want to create your part, from beginning (left) to end (right).

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In either case the “Musical Part Property” dialog box will appear. However

“Musical Part Property” dialog box will not appear when the only one singer is available in the sequence file.

Here you can enter a name for your new part, add a comment if you like, and select the singer that will be used for that part (more info on selecting singers is provided in “3-2. The Singer”, below).

Selecting a Part for Editing

Whether you’re selecting a part that’s in the same track as a different part that’s being edited, or one that’s in a different track, you’ll need to double-click the part to select it for editing and bring it to the front of the Musical Editor piano-roll window. Notes in non-selected parts will appear in the Piano Roll as thin lines that can not be selected or edited.

Moving Parts

Moving parts around in the Track Editor is easy: simply click and drag with the pointer, pencil, or line tool (the cursor will change to a “pointing hand” when any of these tools are moved over a part in the Track Editor window). The current

“Quantize” setting determines which beats the part will snap to when you move it (2-1. The Menus -> 2-1-9. Settings). Just remember that parts cannot overlap in the same track. You can position parts so that they overlap, but an error will be displayed when you attempt to play the sequence.

You can move multiple parts on the same vocaloid sequence track simultaneously by first selecting them while holding the [SHIFT] key.

And you can also move multiple parts on the different vocaloid sequence tracks simultaneously by first selecting them while holding the [Ctrl] key.

Copying Parts

Copying parts in the Track Editor is much like copying text in a word processor, and there are two ways it can be done.

1) Select the part to be copied (single-click it so that it is highlighted). Select

“Copy” from the Edit menu or use the equivalent key shortcut: [CTRL] + [C].

Place the song position marker at the location where the copied part is to begin.

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You can also select a track if you’re copying the part to a different track (click in the track header). The select “Paste” from the Edit menu or use the equivalent key shortcut: [CTRL] + [V].

2) The more direct and easy way is to simply click and drag the part while holding the [CTRL] key. You can drag the copy to any point within the same track, or any other track. The current “Quantize” setting determines which beats the copied part will snap to (2-1. The Menus -> 2-1-9. Settings).

You can copy multiple parts on the same vocaloid sequence track simultaneously by first selecting them while holding the [SHIFT] key.

Resizing Parts

Move the pointer or pencil tool over the left or right edge of a part so that the red double-headed resize arrow appears, then click and drag to the left or right to resize the part as required.

Please note that you can move the right edge of a part to the left to shorten the part or to the right to lengthen the part, but the left edge can only be moved to the left to lengthen the part.

You can resize multiple parts on the same vocaloid sequence track simultaneously by first selecting them while holding the [SHIFT] key. The selected parts will all be resized in the same direction by the same amount.

(Functions added to the V3.0.3)

You can optimize the length of the part by double clicking the right edge of the part.

Dividing a Part

If, for example, you’d like to move the second half of a part to a new location or track, or make copies of just that second half while leaving the first part as it is, you can simply divide the part so that what was once a single part becomes two independent parts.

However WAV part can’t be divided. You could only divide the musical part.

To divide a part first select the part to be divided (single-click it so that it is highlighted), place the song position marker at the point at which you want to divide the part, then select “Divide Selected Part” from the Part menu. Remember that the song position marker snaps to the currently selected Quantize value (2-1. The Menus -> 2-1-9. Settings), so for really precise positioning you might want to turn Quantize “Off.”

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