Vocal Synthesis and How It Relates to Mental Health
Whether you’ve heard of it or not, vocal synthesis technology has already established itself in the music industry. Producers are turning to programs like VOCALOID, CeVIO, SynthV, and VOICEROID to tailor commercial vocals to their liking for their music. You may think, “How can a fake voice live up to human standards?” or, “We can’t let robots replace real singers!” However, this technology has been available to the public for over a decade and a half, and rather than being a cause for concern, virtual singers are now recognized as community icons for creativity.
No, they will probably never replace human singers, but virtual singers have purposes of their own. Whether you’re popular, small, or just starting out, synthesized vocals are a viable alternative for any digital music producer. They’re available at any time to your convenience, typically only require a one-time purchase for infinite usage, and can be personalized to whatever style you deem fit. From vocals so realistic that they’re mistaken for humans to ones that are robotic to the point it’s charming - there’s a vast array of synthesized sounds out there, it’s simply a matter of finding the right one for you!
Another potential appeal for musicians is the connection between vocal synth and music producer. Instead of taking the spotlight for all your work, virtual singers are seen as representatives for the creators behind them. While mainstream music often credits singers alone for entire songs, the vocal synthesis community has developed over time to acknowledge the songwriters behind their favorite tracks - not just the vocals singing them.
For the audience, there’s a significant distinction between vocal synth and music producer. The same vocal synth is likely to be used by multiple producers, but depending on whose hands they’re in, they can sound completely different. This variance in style, tuning, and genre makes music producers stand out from one another and gives the audience more reason to remember each creator for their unique abilities with their chosen synthesizers.
SCONE, an up-and-coming Western music producer who recently won runner-up as “virtualscones” in the MIKU EXPO 2021 song contest, detailed her relationship to her vocal synths in an interview. “Even though it’s their voice and character, the lyrics are still my own.” They’re the face of her work, but for her, that’s not a bad thing at all. “I see them as my little partners and it’s comfortable to hide behind their voices and designs when I’m not confident in myself.” She went on, using her purchased VOCALOIDs Kagamine Rin and Len as examples. “I primarily use the Kagamines, because their powerful young voices give me lots of ideas for song themes - things kids their ages would be interested [or] involved in. They inspire me to improve constantly.” Finally, she described how her vocal synths represented her. “They’re my Rin and Len and they’re different from another producer’s. I speak through my vocal synths. They are my voice when I don’t have one.”
In the past, SCONE had actually written a song regarding this topic. “speak.” was a piece that represented a producer simulating her emotions through a VOCALOID. That vocal synth copied her faces and sang her tale, but ultimately, he was just a vessel to get the story across. “That’s what I believe VOCALOID should be about,” she finished.
A screenshot of virtualscones’ original song, speak. The piece was released on YouTube in 2018 and uses the VOCALOID3 KAITO English voicebank.
This explains why virtual singers are popular in the first place. While the music producers behind them become known for their talent, the vocal synths themselves become known for their connection with their audience. Whether their voice and design appeals to individuals greatly impacts how they’ll become a medium for the people.
A vocal synth may technically be an instrument for music producers, but the characters attached have much more meaning. The avatars for these virtual idols don’t only represent their voice libraries, but also the entire community behind them. Every individual who has written music for the synth, drawn artwork of the synth, or shared their love for the synth with friends and family - they are all people who have made that synth who it is today.
This is because vocal synthesizers are a medium of expression. They are a vessel in which users can manifest their personal thoughts without having to venture out on their own. Instead, they’re able to establish a connection with an already-existing community that has the same passions as them. They can use them to write songs of their most intimate ideas, and others can listen along and support them. They can use them as inspiration to illustrate beautiful pieces on canvas, which onlookers can fawn over and promote. It is through the works of others that individuals grow a connection with these characters - and the cycle continues.
You see, there is an element that distinguishes virtual idols from other celebrities. That element is personalization. None of the characters these synths are made to be actually exist, so the user can take them and shape them into whoever they desire. Every individual holds their own view of who the idol truly is, and that makes each person’s variation special in its own way. Some project themselves into their perception, some simply view these idols as their work buddies, and others use them as a blank slate to create worlds and characters of their own. There’s no wrong way to use a vocal synth, so as long as you’re not intentionally hurting others, you’re free to experience the phenomenon in your own way.
With this in mind, we can acknowledge that vocal synthesis is actually a creative community filled with producers, artists, and rather passionate fans. It is not only about the technology, but about the people who use it and the people who consume it. In an interview, MioDioDaVinci explained the community they know and contribute to. “At the end of the day, the heart and soul of the vocal synthesis community is music - and it's music that loves the fact that it's vocal synth music, at that. While the vocal synth "fandom" may not have a central creator or team of content makers like most fandoms might have, it does have that vast and exceptionally talented array of producers who've either found their start within this community, or found it along the way and decided to call it home.”
Within the vocal synthesis community, Mio is known for their impressive VOCALOID covers and beautifully illustrated music videos. While they don’t create any original music themselves, they’ve built up a reputation as “the KYO user” and found their place as a creator in it. “As a whole, it's also important to acknowledge that it isn't just music producers who keep this whole train loving - it's that reciprocal relationship fans and producers have with one another. Producers express their love of the community through their music, and the community expresses their love right back at them. Every producer is also a fan! And near every fan is a contributor in some way! It's a big back and forth and all-around relationship tied together by that shared appreciation for these delightful little pieces of tech.”
A screenshot of MioDioDaVinci’s cover of Kenshi Yonezu’s Donut Hole, using ZOLA Project’s VOCALOID KYO. The YouTube video has garnered over 3.9 million views.
They continued to describe the immeasurable ground that every individual in the community contributed towards - music, videos, artwork, writing, and even interactions - everyone plays into vocal synth’s existence. Anyone can be a part of it. “There's just something about knowing that the whole of this phenomenon is driven and powered by every day fans and content creators that lights up a few sparks in my heart. It isn't like the content or community ends whenever one producer stops posting - it's always there, and there's always something new to indulge in.”
For them, the “sheer amount of creative playing field it presents” is comforting in itself. “It's always nice to know that some aspect of the vocal synthesis experience will be there to either help catch me when my mental health starts to take a plunge, or will at least be waiting on the bank for when I need help being pulled out.” This thought is one that many in the community share - taking solace in vocal synthesis isn’t uncommon of a feeling at all. “Overall, VOCALOID has definitely served different purposes for me at different times in my life, and while thankfully I'm out of the headspace where it was practically the only thing keeping me going, being a vocal synth community member and a VOCALOID user is still something that I'd consider pretty central to my sense of self.”
In short, vocal synthesizers are not only tools for music producers, but mediums for their audience as a whole. They’re a voice for individuals to share their stories and ideas. A virtual singer can be shaped into whatever a person, or the community behind them, desires. People can use them for inspiration, for experimentation with their own ideas, as a reason to connect with others, or even as a source of comfort during difficult times. Their true meaning varies between person to person, but ultimately, synthesized vocals exist because of the people and for the people.
Written by Mx. RuK
Edited by Moonstar
Swedish translation by Nega Nexus
Japanese translation by Jamiettt