Some UTAU users might want to make a male UTAU voicebank, but are not sure how to do so. Well, look no further. This thread contains numerous tips and tricks on how to make a male voicebank. Here are some essential elements that one should consider when working on one:
1. Age
There are three known age ranges for the male voice I personally like to use: boy, guy, and man; simply stating, is the male UTAU you're working on a child, an older teenager, or an adult? Probably one of the most important things to focus on when recording a male voicebank is to determine the age of the voice, since it serves as the main base for the UTAU's voice, whether the UTAU has a design or not. It's really important to decide on an age range for the voicebank you're working on before you start recording; otherwise, if not taken into consideration, an adult male UTAU might end up having a voice too shrill or if a boy UTAU with a voice too macho.
2. Voice Type
Now when people hear "male" voice, they usually think "deep and manly" or "use g+20 or higher flags". That's obviously not the case! Much like with determining an UTAU's age, there are actually all sorts of voice types that work for a male UTAU. Are you going for a firm voice for your UTAU? Raspy? Gentle? Childlike? Finding the right voice type for your UTAU is usually based on his personality, design, and most important of all, age/physical appearance. Why is age/physical appearance most important, you ask? Well, some UTAU have ages that defy their physical appearance and sometimes this trait contributes to their voice types.
3. Recording Process
Once you've selected the age and type of voice for your UTAU, it's now time to finally put it to the test. Being the hardest of creating any voicebank, here's some advice on maintaining age consistency while recording:
Finding Your Comfortable Range
If you're female and you want to record an older teen or man UTAU, find the lowest comfortable range you can reach. Look for the highest comfortable range if you're a male who wants to voice a boy UTAU. Pay most attention to the "comfortable" part of "highest/lowest comfortable range"; otherwise, you will severely strain your voice if you're unable to stay at that range while recording and that won't be good for your well-being, wouldn't it?
Voice References
Listen to the voices of voice actors from your favorite TV series, video games, movies, etc. and use that as an idea for the voice(s) you're going for. Though the results may not sound similar, voice references also serve as a good base for finding the age range and voice type for your UTAU.
If there are other tips and tricks that should be added to this thread, feel free to share them. It's always nice to hear how others record their male UTAU!
Also, feel free to ask me any questions on making a male UTAU voicebank. Though I solely specialize in boy UTAU, I'm willing to help with all kinds.
1. Age
There are three known age ranges for the male voice I personally like to use: boy, guy, and man; simply stating, is the male UTAU you're working on a child, an older teenager, or an adult? Probably one of the most important things to focus on when recording a male voicebank is to determine the age of the voice, since it serves as the main base for the UTAU's voice, whether the UTAU has a design or not. It's really important to decide on an age range for the voicebank you're working on before you start recording; otherwise, if not taken into consideration, an adult male UTAU might end up having a voice too shrill or if a boy UTAU with a voice too macho.
2. Voice Type
Now when people hear "male" voice, they usually think "deep and manly" or "use g+20 or higher flags". That's obviously not the case! Much like with determining an UTAU's age, there are actually all sorts of voice types that work for a male UTAU. Are you going for a firm voice for your UTAU? Raspy? Gentle? Childlike? Finding the right voice type for your UTAU is usually based on his personality, design, and most important of all, age/physical appearance. Why is age/physical appearance most important, you ask? Well, some UTAU have ages that defy their physical appearance and sometimes this trait contributes to their voice types.
3. Recording Process
Once you've selected the age and type of voice for your UTAU, it's now time to finally put it to the test. Being the hardest of creating any voicebank, here's some advice on maintaining age consistency while recording:
- Boy-Keep the voice young! Since a boy's voice is generally in the higher range, recording an UTAU around this age range is very similar to recording a female UTAU. Whether you want to use flags is up to you.
- Guy-Really depends on the creator. Though it mainly applies to older teenage (postpubescent) voices, whether you record with a high or low voice can result with a male UTAU in this age range. If going for a low guy voice, simply lower the octave on the UTAU program (Move Region Number by 12). Whether you want to use flags is up to you.
- Man-Once again, really depends on the creator. The process to recording a male UTAU of this age range is very similar to recording a guy voicebank. To attain that masculine range, simply lower the octave on the UTAU program (Move Region Number by 12). For those who want manlier results, g+ flags are usually the way to go.
- Firm Voice-The so-called "ideal" voice for a male UTAU. Make sure not to speak or sing too loud when recording this voice type. Most of all, do not scream into the microphone. Doing so will actually mess up the results on the UTAU program! Instead, try using your chest voice or speaking with a husky voice. This is highly recommended for female users who want to record a strong voicebank or an adult male UTAU.
- Raspy Voice-The second-most common voice type that users tend to aim for when recording a male UTAU. To get that nice whispery tone, try recording with a soft voice and at a really high or really low range or, though not really the best method, pretend to speak with a sore throat. Like recording with all kinds of vocal impressions, don't overdo it or else you'll strain your voice and throat.
- Gentle Voice-To aim for this voice type, the process is pretty similar to doing a raspy voice, only you don't have to go so high and you can pick a more medium range to record at. Mixing this voice type with the firm voice will result in a Mature voice type.
- Childlike Voice-Also known as the Shrill voice and usually recommended for boy UTAU. Whether going for soft or loud, try using your head voice when recording this type of voice. If you're aiming for a more comically high voice, then add some flags.
Finding Your Comfortable Range
If you're female and you want to record an older teen or man UTAU, find the lowest comfortable range you can reach. Look for the highest comfortable range if you're a male who wants to voice a boy UTAU. Pay most attention to the "comfortable" part of "highest/lowest comfortable range"; otherwise, you will severely strain your voice if you're unable to stay at that range while recording and that won't be good for your well-being, wouldn't it?
Voice References
Listen to the voices of voice actors from your favorite TV series, video games, movies, etc. and use that as an idea for the voice(s) you're going for. Though the results may not sound similar, voice references also serve as a good base for finding the age range and voice type for your UTAU.
If there are other tips and tricks that should be added to this thread, feel free to share them. It's always nice to hear how others record their male UTAU!
Also, feel free to ask me any questions on making a male UTAU voicebank. Though I solely specialize in boy UTAU, I'm willing to help with all kinds.