German audio software maker VirSyn has released Cantor v1.6, a new version of its vocal synthesizer for the Macintosh. New features in this release include the ability to import MIDI files into the score editor, including lyrics; a choir rendering function that lets you create up to hundreds of voices, each with adjustable random variations in pitch, start time and sound characteristics; and German language support, with a new German phoneme dictionary and German phoneme sets and voices.
Cantor lets you enter your lyrics in plain English, and then it “sings” when you play a melody on your attached MIDI keyboard. You control parameters like vibrato rate, and you can also adjust “base spectrum” characteristics for vowels and consonants. Cantor’s effects range from the realistic to the bizarre. It operates either as a standalone application or a VST 2 or Audio Unit plug-in. Cantor costs €349 (approximately US$454). Updates are available for users of earlier versions. System requirements call for a G4 400MHz or higher, 256MB RAM and Mac OS X v10.2 or higher. VirSyn is working on a demo, but MP3 samples of Cantor in action are available for download.
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