When autotune is calibrated to tune notes very quickly, a characteristic electronic tone emerges from the morphed voice. Many musicians, like T-Pain, don’t use autotune as something to hide behind. Well, it varies depending on what they want out of the technology: 1. If autotune has such a bad reputation, why would a musician use it in a live setting? Why Do Singers Autotune Their Voice In A Live Setting? The autotune is usually switched off in-between songs, allowing the vocalist to speak to the crowd naturally. Using foot pedals (controlled by the artist).Through a rack mount (controlled by a crew member).The two main methods of controlling live autotune are: In order to make sure the singer gets each note as close to the right one as possible, they’ll sometimes sing along to a guide vocal track that’s playing in their earpieces. This gives the autotune the best possible chance of correcting to the right note. This allows the singer to add improvised sections without the autotune getting caught off-guard, giving more focus to things such as their stage presence. Instead, live autotune will usually just be programmed to remain within a certain key. This allows the engineer to manually tweak each note and make sure it’s perfect.īut that’s not exactly possible in a live setting… In the studio, autotune is usually added after the vocal track has been recorded. The biggest challenge of live autotune is that…well…it’s live! The speed at which the program adjusts an incoming note can also be calibrated:Ī slow tuning speed will sound much more natural, whereas a fast tuning speed will sound digital and artificial. When the vocalist sings into the microphone, the program will morph the vocal track towards the nearest programmed note. It works much in the same way that an automatic spellchecker works:Īutotune can be programmed to stay within certain parameters, such as a scale or a key. To kick things off, let’s take a look at the logistics of live autotune: The TechnologyĪutotune is a digital program that’s used to correct pitch. Let’s dive in! How Does Live Autotune Work? In this article, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about how autotune works in a live setting, as well as throwing in some nifty examples for reference.
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While the technology behind using live autotune is not complicated, understanding why musicians use it (and how to do it tastefully) is really important. Live autotune is usually controlled by either a rack mount or a foot pedal, then turned off in-between songs. Singers are able to autotune their voice during a live performance, either to subtly correct their pitch or for stylistic purposes. (Or, maybe you’ve been to a concert where the vocals were a little less-than-stellar, and wondered if they could’ve been artificially tightened up).
Perhaps you’ve recently been to a concert and noticed that the vocals sounded a little too perfect. Have you ever wondered if a singer can autotune their voice when singing live?