The Vergecast Auto-Tune always and forever
42 snips
Nov 10, 2024 
Charlie Harding, a music journalist and co-host of Switched on Pop, dives into the captivating journey of Auto-Tune. He highlights how this simple plugin transformed the music landscape, becoming a hallmark sound embraced by both artists and fans. The conversation explores Auto-Tune's evolution, its creative possibilities, and the cultural debates surrounding authenticity. Harding also connects this technology to the future of music with AI, pondering the lessons from Auto-Tune's rise amidst ongoing backlash in the industry.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Auto-Tune's Origin
- Auto-Tune's creator, Andy Hildebrand, was a geologist in the oil industry.
- He used wave seismology, similar to finding oil deposits, for pitch correction.
How Auto-Tune Works
- Auto-Tune quantizes pitch, pushing sung notes to the intended pitch.
- The 'Cher/Auto-Tune effect' results from rapid pitch correction, creating a digital artifact.
T-Pain, Kanye, and Auto-Tune
- T-Pain's use of Auto-Tune in R&B, followed by Kanye West's '808s and Heartbreak', normalized the effect.
- This allowed rappers to sing, creating catchy hooks, and making Auto-Tune ubiquitous.