All About CeVIO

CeVIO, a software suite developed by a collaborative team including Techno-speech and the Nagoya Institute of Technology, has been recognized for its advancements in voice synthesis technology. Unlike Vocaloid, which originated from 1980s technology, CeVIO employs a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) to achieve more efficient and flexible voice synthesis. The process involves converting text to words, words to phonemes, and finally, phonemes to sound, with CeVIO AI introduced in 2021 to assist with tuning and synthesis. Despite some criticisms, such as engine noise and automatic AI tuning, CeVIO has garnered awards and a growing fanbase. CeVIO AI has been noted for its professional voicebanks and significant impact on the voice synthesis industry, contributing to a new era of voice synthesis technology.

Takeaways

• 🎉 **CeVIO Recognition**: CeVIO is well-known in the Vocal Synth community for its recent voicebank releases.
• 💡 **Purpose of CeVIO**: It's a suite of proprietary software aimed at promoting and supporting user-generated content.
• 🤝 **Collaborative Project**: The CeVIO Project is a collaborative effort involving Techno-speech, Nagoya Institute of Technology, SME, Upfield, Frontier Works, V-Sync, and others.
• 📅 **Release Timeline**: The speech demo using Sato Sasara was released for free on April 26, 2013, followed by the singing demo two months later, and the full version on September 26, 2013.
• ⏳ **Development Start**: While the exact start date is unknown, it's estimated that CeVIO development began around 2009 or 2010, considering the development time of Vocaloid.
• 🔍 **Technological Differences**: CeVIO does not use the same technology as Vocaloid and has its own advancements, particularly with the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) for voice synthesis.
• 📈 **Process of Synthesis**: CeVIO's synthesis process involves three segments: text to words, words to phonemes, and phonemes to sound.
• 🎶 **Prosody Challenge**: The software must handle prosody, the rhythm and tune of speech, which is complex to replicate in synthesized voices.
• 🔊 **Engine Noise Issue**: Users have reported issues with engine noise, which is more pronounced in CeVIO than in Vocaloid.
• 🏆 **Awards and Popularity**: CeVIO has won awards, including the Microsoft Innovation Award in 2013, and its free demo helped increase its popularity.
• 🚀 **CeVIO AI Development**: CeVIO AI, in development since 2018, uses AI to assist in tuning and synthesizing vocals, announced mid-2020, and released on January 29, 2021.
• 🌟 **Impact on the Industry**: CeVIO and CeVIO AI have significantly contributed to the voice synthesis industry, introducing AI for realism and a new method of voice synthesis.

Q & A

What does CeVIO stand for and what is its primary purpose?

CeVIO is a group of proprietary computer software with the goal of promoting and supporting user-generated content. It is part of the CeVIO Project, which is maintained by the CeVIO Team.

How many companies are involved in operating the CeVIO Project?

The CeVIO Project is operated by five different companies: Techno-speech, Nagoya Institute of Technology, SME, Upfield, Frontier Works, and V-Sync, along with a few other companies providing the voicebanks.

When was the speech demo using Sato Sasara released for free?

The speech demo using Sato Sasara was released for free on 26 April, 2013.

What is the estimated starting year for the development of CeVIO based on the development time of Vocaloid?

It is estimated that CeVIO probably started development around 2009 or 2010, considering that Vocaloid and its technology took about 4 years to develop.

What is the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) and how is it used in CeVIO?

The Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is a statistical model that uses statistics, context, and machine learning to predict and decide the best way of doing something, such as voice synthesis. It forms the core of CeVIO's technology.

What are the three segments of the process from text to synthesized voice in CeVIO?

The three segments are: Text to words (pre-processing or normalization), words to phonemes, and phonemes to sound.

What is engine noise in the context of voice synthesis?

Engine noise is the noise produced by the voice synthesizer when synthesizing vocals. It can vary depending on the synthesizer and voicebank used.

What is the main issue with CeVIO AI's automatic AI tuning?

The main issue is that if a user wants to remove the AI tuning, they need to overwrite every parameter in the software manually, which is annoying and tedious.

What awards has CeVIO won and what contributed to its popularity?

CeVIO won the Microsoft Innovation Award in 2013. Its free demo before release helped spread its popularity and was praised for it.

When was CeVIO AI announced and released?

CeVIO AI was announced mid-2020 and released on January 29, 2021.

How does the AI in CeVIO AI affect the quality of synthesized vocals?

The AI in CeVIO AI assists in tuning and synthesizing vocals, making a fairly big difference in the naturalness and quality of the synthesized voice.

What is the impact of CeVIO and CeVIO AI on the voice synthesis community?

CeVIO and CeVIO AI have massively contributed to voice synthesis by pioneering a new method of voice synthesizing and the use of AI for realism. Their impact is apparent, though it is debatable on how much it has influenced the scene for both producers and listeners.

Outlines

00:00

🎤 Introduction to CeVIO and its Development

CeVIO is a collection of proprietary software aimed at fostering user-generated content. It is part of the CeVIO Project, overseen by the CeVIO Team and supported by various companies. The project began around 2009 or 2010, with its speech demo featuring Sato Sasara released for free in 2013. CeVIO differs from Vocaloid, using the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) for voice synthesis, which was pioneered by Keiichi Tokuda. The process of voice synthesis involves converting text to words, words to phonemes, and then phonemes to sound. Despite some issues like engine noise and the automatic application of AI tuning, CeVIO has received recognition and awards, including the Microsoft Innovation Award in 2013.

05:01

📈 CeVIO AI: Advancements and Comparisons

CeVIO AI, developed since 2018 in partnership with Nagoya University, utilizes AI to enhance the tuning and synthesis of vocals. It was announced in mid-2020 and released in January 2021, along with the voicebank Yuzuki Yukari Rei. The AI significantly improves the quality of synthesized vocals, as demonstrated in the provided examples. When compared to other voice synthesizers like Neutrino and Synthesizer V, CeVIO AI holds its own, though the preference can be subjective and dependent on user tuning. The impact of CeVIO AI on the voice synthesis scene is a topic of debate. While it has introduced AI to the mainstream and enabled producers to create better songs, some long-time Vocaloid fans have mixed feelings about it. Concerns include over-reliance on AI tuning leading to a lack of diversity in songs. Regardless, CeVIO and CeVIO AI have made significant contributions to the field of voice synthesis and are expected to continue evolving.

Keywords

💡CeVIO

CeVIO is a group of proprietary computer software designed to promote and support user-generated content, particularly in the field of vocal synthesis. It is part of the CeVIO Project, which is maintained by the CeVIO Team and operated by several companies. The technology behind CeVIO is distinct from Vocaloid, with a focus on more efficient and flexible voice synthesis methods. In the video, CeVIO is discussed as a significant contributor to the advancements in voice synthesis technology.

💡Voice Synthesis

Voice synthesis refers to the artificial production of human-like speech. It is the core functionality of CeVIO, which uses advanced algorithms and technologies to convert text into natural-sounding speech. The process is broken down into segments such as text to words, words to phonemes, and phonemes to sound. Voice synthesis is central to the video's theme, showcasing how CeVIO has innovated in this area.

💡Hidden Markov Model (HMM)

The Hidden Markov Model is a statistical model used in CeVIO for voice synthesis. It employs machine learning to predict the best way to synthesize voice, taking into account context and probabilities. Keiichi Tokuda, associated with the University of Nagoya, has been instrumental in developing HMM-based speech synthesis, which forms the core of CeVIO's technology.

💡Prosody

Prosody is the rhythm and tune of speech, which is an essential aspect that voice synthesisers like CeVIO attempt to replicate. It is challenging to synthesize because human speech prosody is highly variable and dynamic. In the video, prosody is mentioned as a component that CeVIO's software deals with during the words to phonemes stage of voice synthesis.

💡Voicebank

A voicebank in the context of CeVIO and other vocal synthesisers is a collection of voice samples used to produce speech. It plays a crucial role in the final step of voice synthesis, where phonemes are transformed into sound using the voicebank data. The quality and characteristics of the synthesized voice can vary depending on the voicebank.

💡Engine Noise

Engine noise refers to the background noise produced by the voice synthesiser during the synthesis process. It is an undesirable artifact that can affect the quality of the synthesized voice. The video mentions that CeVIO has more engine noise than Vocaloid, which is a point of criticism from users.

💡CeVIO AI

CeVIO AI is an advanced voice synthesiser developed by the CeVIO team, in partnership with Nagoya University. It incorporates AI technology to assist in tuning and synthesizing vocals, aiming to produce more natural and human-like speech. The video discusses the impact of CeVIO AI on the voice synthesis community and how it has changed the way producers create music.

💡AI Tuning

AI tuning in the context of CeVIO AI is the automatic adjustment of vocal parameters using artificial intelligence. This feature can be both beneficial and problematic. While it aids in achieving a more natural sound, it also requires manual override to be disabled, which can be tedious. The video contrasts the effects of AI tuning with those of manual tuning to highlight its influence on the synthesized voice.

💡User-Generated Content

User-generated content is content created and shared by users, which is a fundamental goal of CeVIO software. It encourages creativity and community involvement, allowing users to create their own vocal performances using the technology. The video emphasizes the importance of user-generated content in the success and evolution of CeVIO.

💡CeVIO Creative Studio

CeVIO Creative Studio is a full version of the CeVIO software suite that was made publicly available, allowing users to create and manipulate synthesized vocals extensively. The video notes that it gained recognition after major voicebank releases, indicating its importance in the CeVIO ecosystem.

💡Voice Synthesis Community

The voice synthesis community refers to the group of individuals who are interested in and actively engaged with vocal synthesis technology. The video discusses the community's reception of CeVIO and CeVIO AI, highlighting the different perspectives and opinions on the technology's impact on voice synthesis.

Highlights

CeVIO is a group of proprietary computer software aiming to promote and support user-generated content.

The CeVIO Project is maintained by the CeVIO Team and operated by 5 different companies.

CeVIO's speech demo using Sato Sasara was released for free on April 26, 2013.

CeVIO's full version was publicly available on September 26, 2013.

CeVIO development likely started around 2009 or 2010, considering the development timeline of Vocaloid.

CeVIO uses the Hidden Markov Model (HMM) for voice synthesis, a method developed by Keiichi Tokuda.

The HMM system was first published by Tokuda in 2005, offering natural-sounding speech and customizable voice characteristics.

CeVIO's voice synthesis process involves converting text to words, words to phonemes, and phonemes to sound.

Prosody, the rhythm and tune of speech, is a challenging aspect for voice synthesizers to replicate.

CeVIO has faced criticism for its engine noise, which is more pronounced than in Vocaloid.

CeVIO AI automatically applies AI tuning, which can be removed by manually adjusting every parameter.

CeVIO has won awards, including the Microsoft Innovation Award in 2013.

CeVIO AI, developed since 2018, uses AI to assist in tuning and synthesizing vocals.

CeVIO AI was announced mid-2020 and released on January 29, 2021.

AI tuning in CeVIO AI makes a significant difference in the quality and realism of synthesized vocals.

CeVIO AI's impact on the voice synthesis scene is debatable, with some producers relying heavily on AI tuning.

CeVIO AI has contributed to the development of voice synthesis technology and the use of AI for realism.

CeVIO's influence is apparent, though its effect on the scene for producers and listeners is a topic of discussion.

CeVIO Creative Studio gained more recognition with major releases of voicebanks like ONE in 2015.

CeVIO and CeVIO AI are expected to continue developing and improving, influencing the future of voice synthesis.