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Melba Toast (also known as Melba) is an independent female English-language VTuber. Unlike a traditional VTuber, she is fully controlled by artificial intelligence.
Originally imagined by Evil Neuro as her favorite "Hololive streamer", Melba was developed into a real VTuber by the members of Neuro-sama community, collectively known as NOM Network.[1] Most of her inner workings are open-source and available under GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL) v 3.0.
Introduction Video[]
Debut Stream (21.11.2023) - Melba Toast
Debut Stream
Appearance[]
She has pink hair slightly past her shoulders with two twin drill tails, strawberry hair accessories, and a yellow bow. Her eyes are different colors: pink and yellow. She wears a yellow suit with a pink-white skirt and a black footwear. Accessories include (but not limited to) bread hat, glasses, and a lady's hat, with optional accessories appearing during songs (like Kasane Teto's headband). Her model sometimes features a gym bag pendant, which symbolizes her roots as the creation of Neuro-sama community.
History[]
2023[]
On 7 October, during the osu! stream, Evil Neuro answers the question about her favorite VTuber:
| “ | My favourite Hololive streamer is none other than Melba Toast! She's great! [..] Melba Toast is very weird. She's toast shaped and she always makes toast jokes. It's strange, but she's always up for a chat! | „ |
On 16 October, artist 2PFrog uploads a concept art of Melba on Twitter.[2]
On 18 October, the forum thread was created in Neuro-sama Discord server, with the purpose of making Melba Toast into a real VTuber.
On 29 October, a test stream was held.
On 21 November, Melba Toast officially debuted on Twitch.
On 28 November, her Twitch channel reached 1,000 followers, while her YouTube channel reached 500 subscribers.
2024[]
On 4 April, Melba did her first collab with another AI VTuber, Burnt Melba.
On 25 May, Melba played her first game, Meteora's Mystic Merge.
On 30 June, her YouTube channel reached 1,000 subscribers.
On 3 November, NOM Network posted an indefinite hiatus notice. The final stream will be held on 22 November.[3]
Mascot and Fans[]
- Her fans are called Breadcrumbs, although Melba herself likes to call them Toast Enthusiasts.
- Her mascot is a sentient toaster named Toa-chan.
Trivia[]
As an AI, her answers can be inconsistent. The following is based on her debut stream slides.
- Her favorite game is I Am Bread.
- Her favorite animated series include One Piece, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Popeye.
- She also likes latte with her toast; koalas; marmite and vegemite, both for different moods; her sister Burnt Melba & Golden Brown.
- She dislikes elaborate dancing, as she is "clumsy, and fears she may set herself on fire by knocking over the toaster".
Inner Workings[]
- The Live2D avatar is presented using a custom software built on top of Godot game engine.
- Early in the production, the "brain" which generates responses used an Openhermes 2.5 Mistral 7B large language model, with a custom backend written in C++.
- The voice (both TTS and singing) is generated by a custom model, which is based on the original performance by Hayhaycoat.
- The singing voice is generated using a custom tuning produced with Synthesizer V Studio.
External Links[]
Media[]
- MelbaTheToast - Twitch channel
- @MelbaTheToast - Twitter account
- Melba Toast - YouTube Channel
- NOM Network - Discord server
- audio.com - Cover songs archive
- NOM Network - Official website
Hashtags[]
- #meshiart - Art
Statistics[]
- melbathetoast - TwitchTracker stats
- melbathetoast - SullyGnome Twitch stats
- melbathetoast - Social Blade Twitch stats
References[]
- ↑ Neuro-Sama Chronicles [@neurochron_fan_channel]. (2023, October 8). Evil Neuro's Favourite Hololive Member Was A Surprise [Video]. YouTube.
- ↑ 2Pfrog [@2Pfrog]. (2023, October 16). Melba Toast™️ concept art 🍓 [Twitter]. Twitter.
- ↑ Melba Toast [MelbaTheToast]. (2024, November 3). NOTICE OF INDEFINITE HIATUS [Tweet]. Twitter.