preview

Auto-Tune: Music Analysis

Decent Essays
Open Document

Doctor Andy Hildebrand spent 18 years in the field of seismic data exploration. He used signal processing, audio, and a mathematical model called autocorrection to map the layers below the Earth’s surface to find drilling spots for oil companies. Geophysicists, like Hildebrand, use this technology to send sound waves into the Earth and record their reflections with a geophone. Hildebrand, who was also a classically-trained flautist and had never listened to pop or rock music, realized that his equipment could also detect pitch. Thus, Auto-Tune was born (Anderson, 2013). Today, almost every recording artist relies on Auto-Tune to fix their mistakes. The real question is whether or not you have to have talent to sing anymore in this world of computerized music. In this piece I will discuss how Auto-Tune works, the history of technology in the music industry, and the controversy surrounding this technology. Auto-Tune premiered in 1997 as a plug in for Pro-Tools. The first well-known song to use Auto-Tune was Cher’s 1998 single, “Believe.” To use Auto-Tune, the user takes a recorded song and tells the program what key the song is supposed to be in. The program then analyzes the vocal line, moving sharp or flat notes up or down to what it guesses is the correct note. The user is able to control the speed with …show more content…

In the 1930s, Gilbert Wright was shaving his beard and found that when he moved his mouth that he could make the razor talk. This led to the creation of the Sonovox. To use the Sonovox, sound is fed into two speakers held up to the sides of the user’s throat. Then it is transmitted into the user’s larynx and when he or she moves his or her mouth, the Sonovox sound is created. This sound effect was used in many films in the 1940s and 50s, the first being the 1940 film, You’ll Find Out, as the voice of a dead person in a séance. It was also a popular effect in the radio industry and in commercials. (Lloyd,

Get Access