The Japanese manufacturer Yamaha confirmed at its new product announcement event on Wednesday that CUL, the Vocalo Revolution television program's mascot character voiced by Eri Kitamura, will herself be made into a Vocaloid virtual character voice package. In addition, Lia, the singer best known for her Air and Angel Beats! theme songs, will provide her voice as the basis for a separate Vocaloid character.

These two characters are following in the figurative footsteps of Hatsune Miku, the popular idol character made to personify Crypton Future Media's vocal music synthesis software packages. The new characters were announced alongside Vocaloid3, the first major upgrade to Yamaha's underlying vocal music synthesis software engine in four years. While Crypton Future Media has no current plans for formally porting its Vocaloid2 characters to Vocaloid3, there will be a Import Tool for bringing Vocaloid2 vocal data into Vocaloid3 for free. The company Internet is planning to make Megpoid Extend, its in-development upgrade of its Megpoid character voice package (voiced by Megumi Nakajima), compatible with Vocaloid3.

Surfersparadise announced yet another Vocaloid project called "i-style project," whose image character was created by illustrator Carnelian. The agency Moe Japan revealed that its "Vocaroidol" project will merge 2-dimensional Vocaloids with the three-dimensional idols in Moe Japan's own lineup. The Vocaloid Festa dōjin (self-published) event introduced Ringu Suzune and Hibiki Rui, two Vocaloid characters created by ordinary users. The Korean maker SBS Artech showcased a song by a Vocaloid that uses the voice of up-and-coming Korean idol singer Kim Tahi.

Finally, The Vocaloids CD album will ship in September with 18 songs by Vocaloid characters that have been sold in Japan up until now.

Source: Famitsu via Temple Knights