Auto-Tune facts for kids
Auto-Tune running on GarageBand
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| Original author(s) | Dr. Andy Hildebrand |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Antares Audio Technologies |
| Initial release | September 19, 1997 |
| Stable release |
10
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| Operating system | Microsoft Windows and macOS |
| Type | Pitch correction |
| License | Proprietary |
Auto-Tune, also known as autotune, is a special computer program for sound. It was created in 1997 by an American company called Antares Audio Technologies. This program uses a unique technology to measure and change the pitch (how high or low a sound is) in singing and instrumental music. It's used both when recording music and during live shows.
Auto-Tune was first made to fix small mistakes in singing or playing instruments. It helps make sure the notes are perfectly in tune. The song "Believe" by Cher in 1998 made Auto-Tune famous. People started using it to change voices in a cool, robotic way. A music expert named Simon Reynolds said in 2018 that Auto-Tune has completely changed popular music. He called its use for special effects "the fad that just wouldn't fade."
When Auto-Tune changes voices, it works differently from other sound tools like a vocoder or talk box. It also creates different kinds of sounds.
How Auto-Tune Works
You can find Auto-Tune as a special add-on for music software used in studios. It also comes as a separate machine for live performances. The program slightly moves the pitch of a sound to the closest correct note. This makes sure the sound is perfectly in tune with traditional music scales.
Auto-Tune can also be used to make voices sound very different. If the pitch is changed a lot, the voice might jump from note to note. This can make it sound like a synthesizer or a robot.
Auto-Tune is now a common tool in professional recording studios. Some instruments, like the Peavey AT-200 guitar, even have Auto-Tune built in. This helps them stay perfectly in tune while being played.
How Auto-Tune Was Created
Auto-Tune was invented by Andy Hildebrand. He was a research engineer with a special degree in digital signal processing. Andy got the idea for Auto-Tune when a friend's wife joked that she wished for a device to help her sing in tune.
In 1996, he spent several months creating the program on a special computer. He showed it at a big music show called the NAMM Show later that year. It was an instant hit! Andy's way of finding the pitch of a sound was very good. It worked better than older methods that had trouble with human voices. People used to think his method was too hard for computers. But Andy found a "mathematical trick" that made it much simpler.
Auto-Tune was first made to quietly fix small pitch problems. The idea was to help music sound more emotional. The original patent said: "When voices or instruments are out of tune, the emotional qualities of the performance are lost." Auto-Tune was officially launched in September 1997.
Auto-Tune in Music
Auto-Tune became very popular because of Cher's 1998 song "Believe". Auto-Tune was designed to be used subtly, but the producers of "Believe" used it in an extreme way. This made Cher's voice change pitch very quickly, removing the natural slide between notes. To keep their method a secret, they first said they used a vocoder. But the effect became famous and was copied by many, known as the "Cher effect."
While "Believe" is famous for this effect, it wasn't the first song to use it. Two months before Cher's album, the Kid Rock song "Only God Knows Why" also used a similar Auto-Tune effect. In 1999, the Italian group Eiffel 65 used Auto-Tune for rapping in their song "Too Much of Heaven". They said Cher's "Believe" inspired them.
The English rock band Radiohead used Auto-Tune on their 2001 album Amnesiac. They used it to create a "nasal, depersonalized sound" and to turn speech into melody. Radiohead's singer, Thom Yorke, said Auto-Tune "desperately tries to search for the music in your speech, and produces notes at random."
In the mid-2000s, musician T-Pain used Auto-Tune a lot, making the effect even more popular. He was inspired by artists who used the talk box. T-Pain became so linked with Auto-Tune that an iPhone app was named after him. This app let people try out the Auto-Tune effect. This "T-Pain effect" became a big part of music in the late 2000s. It was used by hip hop and R&B artists like Lil Wayne in "Lollipop" and on Kanye West's album 808s & Heartbreak. In 2009, The Black Eyed Peas used Auto-Tune heavily in their hit song "Boom Boom Pow" to create a futuristic sound. Auto-Tune became popular again in hip hop in the mid-2010s, especially in trap music. Artists like Future, Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, and Lil Uzi Vert use it for their unique sound.
The effect is also popular in raï music and other styles from North Africa. Some country music stars like Faith Hill, Shania Twain, and Tim McGraw use Auto-Tune in their performances. They see it as a safety net to ensure a good show. However, other country singers, such as Allison Moorer, Garth Brooks, and Martina McBride, have chosen not to use Auto-Tune.
See also
In Spanish: Auto-Tune para niños
- Audio time stretching and pitch scaling
- Melodyne, a similar product
- Overproduction (music)
- Robotic voice effects
