[Myst]

Sticky requested, please? I've noticed this issue come up more than any other problem with new UTAU users. So here's some answers to some frequency asked questions or issues brought up dealing with UTAU and Japanese locale.


PLEASE NOTE! If this FAQ has answered your questions about locale, do the following: UNINSTALL UTAU if you already have it installed. DELETE your old install files. THEN, change your locale. AFTER you've changed your locale, REDOWNLOAD and REINSTALL UTAU. The reason you need to delete your old UTAU is because when you download it (or voicebanks, or USTs) without locale set, it becomes corrupted. Change your locale, and download a fresh, uncorrupted version of UTAU to start over.

Changing locale tutorial for Windows Vista+7.

WINDOWS XP USERS! You will need your original Windows XP install discs to fix your locale. I'm sorry, but if you don't have it, I can't be of much help.

• You can unpack Japanese zip/rar/etc. compressed files (such as voicebanks) using 7zip. 7zip keeps Japanese filenames without glitching. However, USTs will still be in mojibake.

• For Mac UTAU-Synth users, rejoice, you don't have to deal with this. However, download The Unarchiver for Mac and use it instead of the default unzipping utility on your computer, or else you'll get mojibake voicebanks when you unzip them.

_______________________________________________


My UTAU window is displaying gibberish! Like ƒ‘¶ªßª and stuff!

This gibberish is called "mojibake" and it means you do not have Japanese locale set.
It is your computer trying to display Japanese characters, but since you don't have these Japanese characters, it instead displays nonsense characters.


What is locale?

Locale is a country-specific setting in your computer that allows you to use specific languages and text from that country. For instance, in this case, Japanese locale will allow you to display and use Japanese kanji/hiragana/katakana, INSTEAD of the mojibake gibberish.


Will changing my locale set my computer to Japanese? I can't read Japanese!

Locale and translation are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
Locale means you'll be able to USE non-Unicode characters, such as Japanese. It does NOT mean your Start menu and windows will suddenly all be in Japanese text.
Locale DOES NOT translate your computer interface, with the EXCEPTION of a couple of windows: Apple software updates (like iTunes) and McAfee virus scan windows will display in Japanese. You can change these back to English.


Can I use AppLocale instead?

AppLocale will allow the UTAU program to run more smoothly without needing locale. HOWEVER. If you want to use Japanese banks, you will require romaji filenames. You can sometimes find romaji-encoded banks for popular UTAUs like Teto or Momo, but other banks will have to be hand-converted from mojibake/gibberish into romaji. You also will need to convert hiragana UST files to romaji. Take it from me, this is all a huge headache.


But I have the English Patch! Why isn't my UTAU working?

As I said above, locale and translation are COMPLETELY SEPARATE. The English patch TRANSLATES UTAU's interface into English. However, UTAU is PROGRAMMED using Japanese characters, voicebanks still have Japanese characters, and USTs still use Japanese characters. So you'll still have a hard time using hiragana voicebanks and USTs, and UTAU will still glitch up.


I'm getting errors like "bad file name or number" and "wav??????????????" What are these?!

These are common errors you get when your UTAU isn't running with Japanese locale. It means the software has run into an issue because it can't read the Japanese characters being used. SET YOUR LOCALE!

[Yuka Kazami]

Just a note, by using Applocale, you don't need to convert usts. (At least, I've never had to)

[Myst]

Yuka Kazami, on 20 November 2011 - 07:23 PM, said:

Just a note, by using Applocale, you don't need to convert usts. (At least, I've never had to)

I used to use AppLocale and it was very difficult to use USTs. Most of the time they worked, but I kept running into "wav??????????" and "bad file name or number" if there was anything off about the UST at all. And I've never encountered those errors using full locale.

[Yuka Kazami]

Weird, I've never encountered those in AppLocale.

Just wondering, how were you importing usts? Were you double-clicking on them?

[Myst]

Yuka Kazami, on 20 November 2011 - 08:21 PM, said:

Weird, I've never encountered those in AppLocale.

Just wondering, how were you importing usts? Were you double-clicking on them?

Both ways, clicking or Open>select file. Then again, come to think of it, this was AppLocale on XP, which version of Windows are you using?

[Yuka Kazami]

I'm using Windows 7.

[Kaelem Gaen]

Just to add some info, the main reason Applocale is not the answer when it comes to kana, is you lack the ability to directly input Japanese characters into the program, most systems convert to the missing character box. However if it's not VCV and you have patience to can instead use the Sound Insert Window, but sometimes not all samples show up. (From what I can tell Sound Insert on VCV will Insert the entire vcv sample and not the specifically otoed portion.)

But yes at least install UTAU under the Japanese SYSTEM Locale.

I've not tried to load up Japanese UST yet in UTAU though like I suggested, I have used the installer under the Japanese System Locale, then switched back to english on computers in the house that aren't mind and ran through AppLocale

[Yuka Kazami]

Here's what I've noticed in regards to AppLocale in UTAU (I've been doing some testing). Bear in mind that this is Windows 7.

1. UTAU has to be installed with a Japanese system locale.
2. You seem to need the Windows East Asian Language Pack, or the characters will not show up.
3. Usts have to be imported through UTAU. No double clicking.
4. Because of the language pack, you can see kanji/kana, but you cannot input it, even if you have installed a Japanese keyboard.
5. And finally, voicebanks must be Romaji with hiragana aliases. (<<This is to debunk some rumors that I've heard)

[entrando2]

Yuka Kazami, on 24 November 2011 - 02:05 AM, said:

5. And finally, voicebanks must be Romaji with hiragana aliases. (<<This is to debunk some rumors that I've heard)

This is basically true. That is because AppLocale is emulating the Japanese environment for UTAU but not for resampler.exe (or TIPS, freesamp, etc). That is, AppLocale-Japanese UTAU calls for an external not-Japanese .exe resampler that can't handle kana.

The exception is resampler.dll. Resampler.dll is bundled with UTAU so Applocale takes it in account, too.
You can use kana voicebanks (extracted with Applocale unzippers) with romaji aliases using AppLocale UTAU with resampler.dll.

... But nobody should use resampler.dll anyway so it's like you can just use them, actually.

[Yuka Kazami]

entrando2, on 24 November 2011 - 03:10 AM, said:

The exception is resampler.dll. Resampler.dll is bundled with UTAU so Applocale takes it in account, too.
You can use kana voicebanks (extracted with Applocale unzippers) with romaji aliases using AppLocale UTAU with resampler.dll.

... But nobody should use resampler.dll anyway so it's like you can just use them, actually.

Hmm...When I tried resampler.dll with kana banks, it wouldn't work with Applocale. (And yes I have set my floating point) Your explanation makes sense, though.

[Kaelem Gaen]

Surprised this isn't Stickied yet...

[edlan97]

This really needs to be stickied..
Anywho, I have UTAU on one of my XP's and I never needed any disks to change the locale thing.

[Myst]

edlan97, on 28 November 2011 - 06:40 PM, said:

This really needs to be stickied..
Anywho, I have UTAU on one of my XP's and I never needed any disks to change the locale thing.

Might be a service pack update then. From what I know, it always prompts you to insert a disc when you select "east Asian languages" from the menu.

[Yuka Kazami]

Myst, on 28 November 2011 - 11:30 PM, said:

Might be a service pack update then. From what I know, it always prompts you to insert a disc when you select "east Asian languages" from the menu.

As far as I know:

Windows XP: East Asian Languages can be either downloaded online, but some versions of XP just require you to do it in Control Panel (I've had experiences with both)

Windows 7: Same.

[Blaze]

This needs a sticky desperately. This is one of the most basic steps to starting UTAU, and seems to be a step a lot of people skip and then wonder why things don't work.

Also, just as a note for those afraid it will mess things up: I've never had any problems with Japanese locale. Everything runs fine. Except, Baldur's Gate, a PC game from 1998.

That is literally the only thing I've ever found that doesn't run on Japanese locale. Don't worry about compatibility issues.

...unless you're a nerd like me who still hasn't beaten games from 1998.