Auto Tune

I would like to take a moment to chat with everyone about a little thing called "auto tune".

I understand that the purpose of auto tune is so that people that don't regularly sing in tune may now do so. As an effect, I don't have a problem with it. People have been adding the electric style sound to their voice for years. If you listen closely to Britney Spears' - "Stronger" or you can hear a hint of that electro-modified sound.

It's when rappers claim they can now sing that I have problems. In the industry of music, it's fairly obvious that many people are marketed for a specific purpose. We have enough truly talented artists out there struggling to make it in the industry; therefore, we don't need a rapper claiming he/she can sing. Although I admit it has done wonders for Fergie's voice, which I now prefer under the scope of auto tune.

So many rapping/R and B artists are using it. It's almost the new "in" thing to do. I admit I enjoy really catchy top 40 tunes while driving in the car especially in the morning before work. The music "pumps me up" so to speak. But I'm finding myself turning more to the indie station because I don't want to hear the electronic voices. I would guess that 7 of the 8 songs they play on high rotation feature artists using auto tune. The problem I find most is the auto tune only lets the artist sing about 6 notes. Which in itself isn't a great range and makes the music less interesting. I think I would rather listen to the artist rap over an 80's one-hit-wonder music sample. Which is a whole other genre of dislike I can't even get into today.

I also guess they haven't mastered this for live use because if you hear Sean Kingston's - "Fire Burnin'". You know he uses auto tune for his in studio mix. But if you hear him live.......let's just say it sounds alike a teen trying to sing karaoke after a few wobbley pops.

I guess in the grand scheme of things I just want singers to sing and rappers to rap and then we can use auto tune for it's purpose. As an effect for the voice to use sparingly.

I'm fairly certain that anyone or anything these days can be make into a song. Just listen:

AUTO-TUNE in the NEWS #3

Maybe I could become an R and B star!