I bought a niche wierdo keyboard!

[Baggypants]

I am the very proud owner of the Yamaha VKB-100 VOCALOID.

 

If you're thinking of buying one, it's not for you. The midi out is usb only and you need to turn the setting back on after every powercycle using an app you can only get from the Google Japanese store. The 13 (Thirteen!) built in instruments sound like they're taken from a PSR series and you can only have one effect in action at a time, from a list of reverb, trem, chorus and distortion.

 

However, I love it. It sings* in Japanese, which is why I wanted it.

 

*The singing is a bit jerky

[16251]

Perfect for those Beatles songs where you want Yoko singing background.

[ElmerJFudd]

I get how vocaloid works.   But how does the keyboard get the words and syllables right?  Are the syllables offset if you improvise on the melody?  Maybe it’s like guitar hero where it ignores wrong keys and wrong timing?  
 

 

 

[lightbg]

When did the Minions form a group?

[PianoMan51]

6 hours ago, 16251 said:

Perfect for those Beatles songs where you want Yoko singing background.

My warped brain immediately countered: “No, for that I would use use a Meowsic through some nasty effects”.

 

Then I found this, which reminds me of Rick Wakeman’s work on Tales of Topographic Oceans…

 

[Baldwin Funster]

8 hours ago, Baggypants said:

 

*The singing is a bit jerky

I might get one of those. I got a corner in my music room with nothing leaning in it...

[Baggypants]

4 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

I get how vocaloid works.   But how does the keyboard get the words and syllables right?  Are the syllables offset if you improvise on the melody?

 

There's a couple of things you can do. There's a loop button which will either lock and play the next phonic sound over and over, or you can set a short start and end in the existing phrase and loop over that. Or you can switch to a hum sound.

 

You also have buttons to reset you back to the start of a phrase, or shift you to the start of the next one.

[stoken6]

11 hours ago, 16251 said:

Perfect for those Beatles songs where you want Yoko singing background.

"And Your Board Can Sing"?

 

Cheers, Mike.

[David Emm]

I had a beer-hound roommate who would pass out on the main couch like a boat anchor. I wish I'd had one of these back then. We could have made a grand show of torturing him in retaliation. We found other ways. That is one disturbing little toy, but also as clever as hell.

[Dave Weiser]

12 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

I get how vocaloid works.   But how does the keyboard get the words and syllables right?  Are the syllables offset if you improvise on the melody?  Maybe it’s like guitar hero where it ignores wrong keys and wrong timing?  
 

 

 

My 8-yr old and I both just peed ourselves while watching this video. 

[AUSSIEKEYS]

11 hours ago, lightbg said:

When did the Minions form a group?

 

Hee hee never thought of them.

 

I instantly thought of Japanese Chipmonks.

 

maybe Im an older Chipmunk generation as I dont think ive heard Minions only seen their images.  hee hee. 

 

Maybe suit chipmunk Anime

 

 

[lightbg]

40 minutes ago, AUSSIEKEYS said:

 

Hee hee never thought of them.

 

I instantly thought of Japanese Chipmonks.

 

maybe Im an older Chipmunk generation as I dont think ive heard Minions only seen their images.  hee hee. 

 

Maybe suit chipmunk Anime

 

 

Now’s your chance……

 

 

[Baggypants]

I do have a theory that a Japanese music exec went to the USA for a holiday in the 60's and his wife saw the Alvin and the Chipmunks on TV and said it was cute. And that's why JPop sounds the way it does.

[Baggypants]

10 hours ago, Dave Weiser said:

My 8-yr old and I both just peed ourselves while watching this video. 

Show them this then.

 

 

[analogika]

58 minutes ago, Baggypants said:

Show them this then.

 

 

 

I so wanted this, but I missed it when it was available, and I don't see myself paying the prices they're calling up in the used market. 

 

But then, I found Plogue's Alter/Ego plugin: 

https://www.plogue.com/products/alter-ego.html

 

Recommended. 🙂