Delay Lama

Confirmed 51,828

About

Delay Lama, also known as Singing Monk Plugin, is a software synthesizer combining vocal synthesis and a 3D animated interface of a singing Tibetan Monk. First released in 2002 by AudioNerdz, the plugin gained popularity in 2007 through parody remixes on Niconico and YouTube. In 2021, the synthesizer once again saw a resurgence in memes online.

History

On May 23rd, 2002, AudioNerdz, a student collective from the Netherlands, released Delay Lama Virtual Studio Technology (VST) which they originally developed as a special project during their audio design course.^[1]^[2] The program was released as freeware, with AudioNerdz encouraging users to make a donation to the International Campaign for Tibet.^[3]

On April 23rd, 2004, AudioNerdz released a Mac OS X version of the software.^[1]

Features

Delay Lama is a freeware VST-instrument available for PC and Macintosh, and was the first such instrument to offer both vocal synthesis and real-time animated 3D interface. The name of the VST is a portmanteau of "Dalai Lama" and "delay" (as in "delay effect").

The plug-in is a vocal synthesis engine that converts sound to a singing Tibetian monk, with the singing monk 3D visualization adjusting its animation accordingly.

Highlights

2007 Niconico Trend

On May 4th, 2007, YouTube^[12] user massimodiggio posted a Delay Lama remix of Gloria Gaynor's "Survive." The video, the earliest found example of a Delay Lama remix uploaded to social media, received over and 235,000 views in 14 years (shown below).

On May 22nd, 2007, Niconico^[4] user ぴぃ[Personata] uploaded a video titled "僧侶のアクエリオン" (jap. "Monks of Aquarion") to the platform. In the video, three instances of Delay Lama are used to recreate the opening theme of the Japanese anime series Genesis of Aquarion. The video received over 1.2 million views in 14 years. On the same day, YouTube user coucou1758 reuploaded the video, with the reupload (shown below) gaining nearly 400,000 views in the same period.

On May 23rd and 24th, ぴぃ[Personata] uploaded^[5]^[6] two more remixes created using Delay Lama, which gained over 90,000 and 172,000 views, respectively. The videos sparked a trend on Niconico, with users uploading videos in which they recreated anime openings and other compositions using Delay Lama, usually with several instances of the plug-in used. For example, on May 29th, 2007, Nino Nico Douga^[7] user ときわかねなり posted a Delay Lama remix of the opening theme of the Air anime series that gained over 125,000 views. On June 5th, 2007, ときわかねなりposted^[8] a remix of the Higurashi When They Cry opening theme that gained over 293,000 views in 14 years (reupload shown below).

Between 2007 and 2015, a total of 360 remixes tagged "monk series" (僧侶シリーズ) were posted on Niconico.^[9]

Between 2007 and 2009, Dwango, a parent company of Niconico, sold several Delay Lama covers as ringtones.^[10]

Following popularity on Niconico, Delay Lama remixes spread to YouTube, with multiple viral versions posted in the late 2000s and early 2010s (example shown below, left). On May 26th, 2011, YouTube^[11] user MagicalMelan posted a remix titled "How Skrillex makes his basslines" which gained over 800,000 views in 10 years (shown below, right).

Between 2012 and 2020, the software saw limited use in memes online. For example, on August 23rd, 2018, YouTube^[13] user CurtisTRY posted a remix of Megalovania, which received over 111,000 views (shown below, left). On October 18th, 2019, YouTube^[14] user DrewDoesThings posted a video in which he analyzed Timmy Trumpet's 2014 song "Freaks," concluding that it used the Delay Lama plugin. The video received over 217,000 views (shown below, right).

2021 Resurgence

Approximately on March 6, 2021,^[15] YouTube recommendation algorithm started suggesting the 2011 remix "How Skrillex makes his basslines"^[11] (shown below) to users, with the video rapidly gaining popularity and rising to over 800,000 views as of March 30th, 2021.

Later in March 2021, several other Delay Lama remixes on YouTube also got picked up by the algorithm, leading to their increased exposure.

In March 2021, multiple new remixes using the software were posted online, primarily on YouTube. For example, on March 9th, 2021, YouTube^[16] user Joel Samaniego posted a preview for Friday Night Funkin' Delay Lama mod that gained over 58,000 views in three weeks (shown below, left). On March 11th, 2021, YouTube^[17] user Umbresp posted a remix of "Brain Power" that gained over 13,500 views in the same period (shown below, right).

MeowSynth

MeowSynth is a software synthesizer combining vocal synthesis and an interface of a meowing tabby cat. Released in 2009 by Knobster, the interface gained popularity in 2020 through humorous remixes on YouTube.