Voice synthesizer software
CUL (カル, Karu) is a female vocal software originally released for Vocaloid 3. The voicebank of CUL was created using voice samples of Eri Kitamura, a Japanese voice actress and singer. The characters name, CUL, has double meanings both meaning Culture and Culnoza, a collaborative group organized by Hiroto-P.[1]
Development
CUL's first appearance as a character was as the mascot for the television program VOCALO Revolution, in which she utilized the voicebank of VY1 for her promotional appearances in the show. She also made an appearance in shorts such as CUL makes Revolution! and her own website, CUL project: official, a website designed to promote making her an official voicebank.[2]
On June 8, 2011, Yamaha Corporation announced that CUL would become an official Vocaloid, with Eri Kitamura as her voice provider, and the publisher to be Internet Co., Ltd.
Additional software
In 2011, a male counterpart of CUL was announced to be released as a Vocaloid called REV designed by CUL's creator, Hiroto-P, however, plans fell through and this never came to fruition.[3]
In July 2013, Internet Co., Ltd. announced a Mac version of the CUL voicebank for the Mac version of Vocaloid 3, VOCALOID NEO.
In March 2021, ROSA, the younger sister of CUL, was announced by Hiroto-P to be receiving an AI voicebank in the near future.[4] ROSA was later released as a Talk Voice by ZAN-SHIN Co., Ltd. for CeVIO.
On March 27, 2022, Hiroto-P announced the RE:CUL Project, a project revolving around CUL's sisters.[5] One of CUL's sisters, WHITECUL, was later announced to be receiving a speech library for VOICEVOX.[6]
Notable music
Even though CUL is considered to be a less popular Vocaloid, she has a few notable songs, such as:
- "FREYJA.sys ~System·Freyja~" (FREYJA.sys ～システム・フレイヤ～), an original song by kaoling featuring CUL and Megpoid has over 280,000 views on Niconico, with cover versions and MikuMikuDance videos made by others reaching over 1,000,000 views on YouTube, the most reaching over 2,500,000 views.
- "CiRCuS MoNSTeR" (サーカス・モンスター), originally made with Megurine Luka and Megpoid by CircusP, has a cover version with CUL that has reached over 1,700,000 views on YouTube.
- "Rotten Rotten Zombie" (フラーンフラーン～ゾンビー～), an original song by Nem featuring CUL and Megpoid, has over 76,000 views on Niconico and over 21,000 views on Nem's official YouTube channel. The song later gained immense popularity in 2018 internationally as a popular animation meme, and videos using the song have gained from 200,000 to 1,600,000 views on YouTube.
Numerous other songs and covers featuring CUL have also reached over 100,000 views on YouTube and Niconico.
Video Game
CUL has appeared in an iOS game called "Vocadol" along with other Vocaloid characters Anon & Kanon, VY1, Aoki Lapis, Merli, Lily and Kokone.[7]
