| "Do we need to cast a voice-over talent for this | | | | ensemble. The Bots have released two CDs, a |
| project?"That's a valid question any producer | | | | 'record deal' with Magnatune, and a second video |
| might ask when creating an advertisement, | | | | in the works. It's been a long and painful ordeal, |
| corporate audio-video presentation, video game, | | | | but I've finally gotten them to the point where |
| etc. Of course, the answer depends on what | | | | they seem as real as any other band out |
| elements the producer and client feel will best | | | | there--except no live concerts."I've Gotta SingAnd |
| communicate with the audience.For a radio ad, a | | | | that's the crux of the matter. The appeal of |
| fully sung jingle with no voice-over could work | | | | virtual entertainers probably will be quite limited--at |
| best. A TV spot or corporate narration might be | | | | least for the foreseeable future--because they |
| most effective using scrolling graphic and text, | | | | can't tour, do drugs, get into fights, sue their |
| again without an announcer. But very soon | | | | record labels, promote world peace, raise money |
| producers could be pondering whether their | | | | for charity, or do anything live flesh and blood |
| productions need a voice over talent for a more | | | | performers can do. We, the audience, love the |
| disturbing reason. Vocal utterances produced by | | | | performer as much as the performer's music. |
| air passing through folds of tissue and formed by | | | | And, in this case, that's a good thing. Tony |
| lips, teeth, and tongue may, simply put, become | | | | Bennett, the White Stripes, Diana Krall, Toby |
| obsolete. Yes, the "virtual voice talent" may very | | | | Keith, Frederica von Stade, and all of the |
| well become a reality.Welcome to the MachineIn | | | | American Idol wannabes are quite safe from |
| the May 2004 issue of Mix Magazine, in two | | | | Vocaloid elimination.Speak Now of Forever Hold |
| separate articles, Stephen St. Croix and Paul D. | | | | Your PeaceBut voice over talents may not be so |
| Lehrman relate their experiences with a new | | | | lucky. Voice talents are not seen. They don't have |
| piece of software ominously named "Vocaloid." | | | | adoring fans, except their moms and, maybe, a |
| This little computer-coded wonder is a speech | | | | few other voice-over talents. They perform in |
| synthesizer that's being used to synthesize | | | | short increments: 30 seconds, 60 seconds, a 30 |
| background vocals on actual recordings that are | | | | minute narration on how to make a million in real |
| being sold to the public--background vocals so | | | | estate. If speech synthesis has reached a point of |
| good, you'd be hard-pressed to recognize they're | | | | sophistication sufficient enough to create virtual |
| fake singers. Now, considering the dubious singing | | | | singers, what's to prevent a software genius |
| talents of many of our current pop stars, maybe | | | | from developing a program to replace voice |
| a Vocaloid virtual diva named Britney isn't too | | | | talent? Write the program.Sample 300 to 500 |
| far-fetched. Audio manipulation, including pitch | | | | voices, male and female, each with unique |
| correction, equalization, compression, reverb, have | | | | characteristics, incorporate them into the |
| been used for decades to save the bacon of | | | | software and, voila, Instant Announcer in a Box. |
| many a pop star's performance in-studio or on | | | | Just load your script text into the program, which |
| stage. Technically, it's just a short step from this | | | | converts the text to perfectly uttered speech. No |
| point to a "singer in a box."In fact, in the letters | | | | retakes. With a few clicks of the mouse to |
| section of the July 2004 issue of Mix Magazine a | | | | tweak inflection, emphasis, pacing, dynamics, etc. |
| person identified only as "BC," referring to the St. | | | | to polish the natural feel of the voice-over and |
| Croix and Lehrman articles, boasted that he's | | | | you're done.Far-fetched? If entertainment's got a |
| created a "band" called The Bots, "...created wholly | | | | virtual band call The Bots, why can't advertising |
| from speech synthesizers and 3-D graphics." BC | | | | and marketing have its own virtual Don |
| further states, "I use Vocaloid among a variety of | | | | Pardo?Well, it seems maybe they can... |
| other speech synths to make it more into an | | | | |