It's no secret that Auto-Tune has been used on Britain's X-Factor show -- in fact, Simon Cowell admitted it's use, and stated that from now on, no pitch correction or filtering would be used. However, does this mean that some of the most beloved acts to appear on Britain's Got Talent -- including Susan Boyle -- were Auto-Tuned to appear more talented than they are?
The day Auto-Tune was introduced to the world, the music industry changed. All of a sudden, being a pop star wasn't just about phenomenal performance and mind-blowing stage presence; with a few clicks of the mouse, someone with little appreciable musical talent (but a marketable appearance) could automatically become a superstar. Auto-Tune revolutionized music production -- and not always for the better.
Working as both a studio and live sound engineer for musicians both major-label and indie, I've seen more than enough attempts at cheating the system. The truth is, live performances of bands just aren't what they used to be -- and there's a lot of pressure to be as perfect as you can. Music fans in today's pop market expect a theatrical, near-perfect rendition of the artist's material, not the raw, powerful performance that makes many live bands successful outside of pop circles. Vocals being pitch-perfect have become a major selling point, even if the methods taken to reach that point involve digital manipulation to make the appearance of perfection.
First, let's take a look at what Auto-Tune is, and how it works.
How does Auto-Tune work?
Auto-Tune is a software program (called a "plug-in") that is either inserted via RTAS or TDM protocol into a multi-track recording (where vocals and instruments are recorded separately, and mixed together later with the use of plug-ins), or used as a stand-alone software package via Audio Units or VST. Once inserted, the engineer selects the target key of the song, and then allows Auto-Tune to correct the pitch of the audio waveform to conform closer to the scale of the key provided. You can adjust how closely perfect you wish the notes to be -- and going far past what's capable with the human voice gives you a dramatic effect, which was popularized by T-Pain and Cher (audiophiles, on the other hand, cringe at the thought).Auto-Tune has been used during live performances, many times over. Live shows have used Auto-Tuned guide vocals played over the artist's real live vocals for years, especially tours by pop artists such as Lady Gaga and Britney Spears. Older versions of Auto-Tune were available in rack-mount equipment form, which have been inserted into vocal chains and adjusted live on-the-fly, especially for rock-pop bands who rely more heavily on live instrumentation.
The Susan Boyle Controversy
Like everybody, I was really surprised to hear that Susan Boyle's famous audition tape from Britain's Got Talent was (presumably) Auto-Tuned. While it may seem odd for such a performance to be Auto-Tuned, having nearly pitch-perfect vocals is extremely important to commercial interests, the producers may have ordered the production team to smooth out imperfections in her voice to give the impression of an even more perfect event.In the post-production world, her voice -- along with her backing tracks, and all the other audio of the show -- are mixed together after-the-fact digitally. It's no stretch to have Auto-Tuned this performance, just as any other; the vocal track was already separated from the rest of the mix.
So, judge for yourself: here's the original audition in HD, courtesy of YouTube.
To my ears, the performance certainly has some digital editing -- although I'm very cautious to say it's been Auto-Tuned. First, Ms. Boyle's performance was edited to be time-aligned with the backing track, as it was slightly off due to the delay of performing on such a large stage without a more comprehensive monitoring system. Then, there's loads of compression to smooth out the dynamics of her performance, along with the gritty artifacts from broadcasting. There are a few suspect areas -- some of her sustains seem slightly unnatural under very close listening, and some of her fades seem to be helped along. That being said, it's certainly a good performance by a very capable vocalist, even without the help.
So, why use Auto-Tune to begin with?
You know, I agree with you! Why use Auto-Tune at all; how about just letting an artist sell records based on their own talent and hustle?Unfortunately, record companies don't think this way -- and it leads to artists following the same mindset. Auto-Tuning vocals allows perfection to be reached in a fairly inexpensive way; Auto-Tune is way more expensive than vocal lessons for somebody without much talent to begin with. Auto-Tune allows someone with a marketable image and negligible talent to become an instant success.
The downside of this demand or perfection is that televised performances by pop artists are generally "fixed" to allow this illusion to always be perpetuated. It's not something everyone does -- but many artists require it. For some artists with a natural talent (but usually a less marketable image), Auto-Tune makes your radio-friendliness meet that of the pop stars.
