Introducing GEMVOX: A New AI Singer Label Debuts with Topaz for Synthesizer V
Studio ENTRE, a startup studio specializing in entertainment, is launching an AI Singer label “GEMVOX” in collaboration with GONZO, an anime studio which is known for their works “Afro Samurai” and “Last Exile”.
What is GEMVOX?
GEMVOX is a next-generation AI singer label and media platform. It serves as a home for AI singers, produced using cutting-edge voice synthesis technology. The label plans to continuously expand its lineup with new AI singers, each offering unique characteristics.
This project started from the belief that the evolution of AI-generated singing has reached a turning point, creating a game-changing opportunity. The aim is to support a movement driven by creators.
We’re building on the work of ARS (AI Resonated Society), an AI research group of professional creators I’ve worked on with Yusuke Asada, and launching this project with Shinichiro Ishikawa, the president of GONZO, who has been leading the use of technology in the anime industry.
As a division within Studio ENTRE, we plan to establish this project as a startup and incorporate it within the next year. Our goal is to provide a series of captivating “AI Singers” that inspire creators’ imagination, curate the works produced, and encourage collaboration among creators.
Meet Topaz – the first AI singer from GEMVOX for Synthesizer V!
She stands out with her beautifully clear and transparent voice, despite her dark and mysterious appearance. She is a trilingual AI singer who can perform in Japanese, English, and Korean.
Her background is a mystery, and no one knows where she came from. Some say she used to be a bright and cheerful girl, but after losing her cat to a cruel person, she became deeply hurt and emotionally closed off. Since then, she’s been difficult to understand, and it’s hard to know what she really feels. There are even rumors that she’s driven by a desire for revenge, trapped in a cold darkness. There’s someone on a missing persons list who looks like her, but because of her changed eyes and aura, it’s hard to tell if she’s the same person.
Her favorite thing: Muddy puddles.
Releasing for Synthesizer V AI in mid-October – don’t miss out!
At GEMVOX, we use data from professional singers with high expressive capabilities as training material for our AI singers, and top-tier producers, led by Yusuke Asada, work on refining and perfecting them. This means that we are infusing professional-level skills into our AI singers, going beyond the traditional boundaries of Vocaloids.
We also aim to create a new business ecosystem by sharing revenue with the singers who provide the training data. The character designs are creatively produced by GONZO. For example, Topaz has an appearance that suggests she’s a teenager, though her exact age is unknown. She has a rebellious personality, known for “not listening to others’ opinions” and “not following trends immediately, but checking them out when the hype dies down.” It is said that she becomes more active and talkative on cloudy days and at night. As a singer, she can handle anime-style, K-pop, and rap genres with ease, seamlessly adapting her voice. She sings in Japanese, English, and Korean, and sometimes even mutters to herself in made-up languages.
Topaz will be sold as a voice database for Synthesizer V. In terms of technology, we are not only working with Dreamtonics but also collaborating with Techno-Speech and Yamaha, aiming to create AI singers across various platforms. We have many projects in the works, so please stay tuned for further updates.
Exclusive Interview with Norikazu Yamaguchi for SynthV News
In a special interview for SynthV News, Norikazu Yamaguchi, the president of Studio ENTRE and responsible for the GEMVOX project, shares more details about the project and its creation.
Q1: To begin with, could you tell us what led you to GEMVOX and how did your journey with AI singers start?
A1: We started GEMVOX because I thought the time had come for the world of Vocaloid producers, which had been dominated by amateurs, to expand to include top-class professional musicians, as the threshold for singing voice generation AI was exceeded. It is a dream team made up of three industry veterans: a music business person, and a music creative person, as well as an anime producer.
Q2: What are the main goals and objectives of the project? How do you envision its development and potential influence on artists?
A2: The aim of GEMVOX is to contribute to the development of the creator economy. We are working to promote creator collaboration and derivative works, which are Japanese cultural phenomena, and to create a world in which creators can receive a fair share of the profits.
Q3: Project’s name “GEMVOX” is pretty interesting, could you tell us about its concept?
A3: We will be releasing multiple AI singers consecutively. They are all born as fairies of gemstones with precious attractive voices. That is why it is called ‘Gem’ ‘Vox (Voice Box)’
Q4: Now that we know the story behind Topaz, can you share if the other GEMVOX singers will have their own unique stories?
A4: Of course, there is a deep story behind them. Please wait until they will be revealed gradually!
Q5: While I am sure your future vocals are gonna surprise people, I would like to focus more on Topaz and her upcoming Synthesizer V voice database! Do you mind telling us what was the decision making process behind choosing Synthesizer V developed by Dreamtonics for Topaz?
A5: Kanru, the developer of SynthV, first came to Japan when he was a university student to take part in a music hackathon organized by Yusuke Asada and myself. We have been friends ever since, and I have been supporting SynthV ever since. The first AI singer Topaz was created using SynthV, as it was SynthV that triggered the innovation in singing voice generation AI.
Q6: Lastly, is there something you would like to say to the Western vocal synth community?
A6: It makes me really happy to know that there are people out there who are interested in Japanese culture. Please collaborate with Japanese creators too. GEMVOX is planning to create opportunities like that.
For more information about GEMVOX and their upcoming AI singers, visit their official website and SNS:
Official Twitter
Official Website