by Mya Greene (Wed Feb 03, 2010)
A staggering number of people, when questioned which
skill they would really like to master, put 'singing' at the top of their list.
What is your singing voice like? Is it a soothing
arrangement of glittering, golden harmonics or a glass-shattering, atonal
screech? Does it make you despair that you would never, in your wildest dreams,
become a professional singer?
Well, today, with the help of a computer and a few
gadgets, legendary pop status can be cultivated from your spare bedroom. Even
if you sound like a tone-deaf hyena, there is now a plug-in to neutralise the
ear-toxins contained in your singing voice.
It's called Auto-Tune.
Sound unfamiliar? Well, perhaps you're not au fait
with the name of the software, but you will certainly have listened to some of
the work it has touched. In fact, currently you would be struggling to turn the
radio on without hearing a track that does not utilise this recording
technology to some extent - be it a subtle boost to the voice or an unashamed,
in-yer-face robot chant. Next time you switch on, take a moment to listen to
the sounds of the singers. It won't take long for you to detect a certain
uniformity of tone. Imagine what R2D2's singing voice might sound like...
Auto-Tune was developed as a recording tool, to
correct minor imperfections in vocal performance. It wasn't intended as a magic
cure-all for people who can't actually sing.
American rapper Jay-Z raised the profile of Auto-Tune
last summer with his song 'D.O.A. Death of Auto-Tune,' where he criticised its
over-use in contemporary music. It has actually been around quite a while.
Remember Cher's 1998 song 'Believe'? This was the
first mass selling disc to apply Auto-Tune to the vocal. To be fair, in this
instance it was used more as a sound-effect than a 'fix' - but it's a good
illustration of the 'robotic' timbre Auto-Tune can lend to a voice.
So what does it do?
It does what it says on the tin. It automatically
tunes your voice. It has been described as Photoshop for the voice -
airbrushing away pitching imperfections.
And how does it work?
In simple terms, it very cleverly identifies which
note you are trying to sing (which note you are closest to) and plays a sine
wave (a sort of ooohhhh sound) of the desired note (that eluded you). The less
accomplished a singer you are, the greater the need for Auto-Tune.
I was fortunate enough to earn my living in the
pop-music industry during my twenties and early thirties. Firmly situated on
the creative side, I was never more comfortable than when the door of the vocal
booth slid shut and I was in my perfect little musical cocoon.
Ah, happy days!
Since I was 'active,' the musical topography has
altered, and digital technology has largely replaced the old analogue sound. I
never had the option of airbrushing away my vocal imperfections with Auto-Tune.
I just had to keep going until I nailed the take. Auto-Tune would have saved us
a lot of time in those days.
The thinking now is that 'anyone can do it.' The
musical chaff can sing along with the wheat in total accord. Depending on which
soap-box you stand, the technology has either democratised, energised, homogenised,
neutralised or vandalised. It's certainly polarised opinion.
I am of the probably deeply unfashionable view that I
would rather listen to the real thing. To use a deeply unfashionable analogy, I
liken it to watching a golfer take a putt, knowing there's a magnet in the ball
and a magnet in the cup. Zero talent required.
When you know somebody's going to make the putt, or
hit the note, all excitement is removed. And if everyone can do it, and
everyone sounds the same, how can you tell if anyone is really any good
anymore? And what's so good about everyone sounding the same? Who wants to eat
chocolate all day every day? Sometimes you fancy a cream cake instead.
So, enlisting the help of a computer-savvy teen who
knows their way around home recording techniques could open up a global
audience for shower-singers everywhere. You can download a free trial of
Auto-Tune online and if you really get the bug, you can buy the full version of the software for
a perfectly pitched four hundred dollars. Use the Internet to help fulfill your
singing fantasies. YouTube is awash with master-classes in recording
techniques. This time next week you could be a MySpace sensation!
The jury is out on whether or not this is a good
thing...but if mastering singing sits at the top of your skills-set wish list,
there's never been an easier time to do it.
