About voice processing

[tanuki-chan]

Can anyone explain how that voice processing works? I mean with some groups when you watch a live stream and later a released version sometimes there's quite the difference in, er, well, the vocals. Also I've noticed that more recently it sometimes sound like they've got like instant voice processing or such. I'm just curious how this is all done.

[Ceremdra]

I can't go in too much depth because I don't know enough and audio processing is basically an entire career, but my 2 cents:

Non-live editing is usually called audio post-processing or vocal post-production in the concrete case about vocals. The super basic idea is you have a software that allows you to load the audio tracks and you can seek, tune, correct, louden (is that a word?), etc. Best known nowadays would be, for example, Logic Pro X (you can find videos about it on YouTube). After you're done with it you can just replace the original audio track with the new one

About live correction, you can use tuning/correction hardware and hook it up between the microphone and the amplifiers so the audio is corrected on the spot. Most famous software for doing this is probably Auto-Tune from Antares. If you're interested you can search for something like "live pitch correction" on YouTube and you will find way better explanations than I can provide

Hope that helps and any correction is welcome!

[tanuki-chan]

Yes, Ceremdra, that is really faszinating! Thanks! I'm not trying to do this myself (too much of a noob and no need anyways) but I've always been curious how they do it. So basically, if it is post editing they have to do it by hand? Taking the audio from one microphone and warping it to the right pitches? That must be like one hell of a really long job I imagine. Well, I do appreciate this of course.

[tanuki-chan]

On the other hand, if they can do it instantly and automatically, I wonder why they don't do it more often.

[ruthyruth]

Hello Tanuki-chan!
Actually, I think that Auto Tune, as well as other solutions from their competitors, is widely used in the music industry.

Industry experts claim anywhere from "80%" to "almost everybody" uses some sort of pitch correction solution. In Japanese IDOL and Jpop Auto Tune is used extensively. In most cases where it seems Auto Tune is not being used it is either because it is really not being used, but can also be attributed to the settings not being correctly applied to an individual singer and a specific piece of music.

It should be noted that Auto Tune is a software solution that processes live or recorded audio and makes real time adjustments. The only hardware involved is the computer running the software and any audio playback hardware that is used whether or not the software is being applied, loud speakers or headsets for example.

The actual settings of the software when applied in excess will produce a very distinctive, most often undesired, electronic flutter sound. However, many artists will use this anomaly as a deliberate effect, while others will want the settings in a way that makes them sound completely natural. The most famous example of blowing out the Auto Tune software to achieve an electronic effect was recorded by Cher in her 1998 song "Believe", which is credited as the very first use of the Auto Tune software. You'll recognize the effect when her voice flutters unnaturally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZXRV4MezEw


Below is a link to a demonstration video of the Auto Tune software being applied to a recording. Note that the processing is in real time - thus it is essentially also demonstrating how the software can easily be used in a live concert setting. In the demo the engineer is aware of what the proper musical keys should be for each section of the song and sets markers that the Auto Tune software will follow to apply pitch correction in compliance with the selected keys.

In a live setting of course it is not possible to warn Auto Tune what to expect. Another piece of Auto Tune software is also demonstrated that is able to listen to the music, evaluate the key as it changes and pass that information on to the Auto Tune pitch correction software. Pretty amazing stuff!

Here is a link to the demo video: https://youtu.be/zfudQxmaJJs
NOTE: You can actually see the real time pitch correction adjustments at the top of circle in the center of the Auto Tune software graphic interface. As the software processes the singer's voice note that there is an animated "bar" appearing to the left and right at the top of the circle. The farther the bar travels, the more correction that is being applied in real time. Also note that in the center of the circle you can see the musical notes appearing as they are being adjusted in text form.

Here is a link to detailed information about the software on the website of the maker. Considering what the software is capable of doing, it is surprising inexpensive at US$399.: https://www.antarestech.com/product/auto-tune-pro

BONUS: You can totally download and install the Auto Tune software for FREE and try it out. Of course your computer needs to have the proper system requirements. Also the demo version of the software does not allow you to save your work and has built in things to make practical use of your experiments useless. If you were to buy the software those restrictions are removed. But still, SOOOO COOL to play with!


Cheers!
RR

[tanuki-chan]

@Ruthyruth, Wow, even more fascinating! I watched that demo video which explains things really nice and was like, hey now even I can get to be a top idol! Well, have to work on the looks - as long as there's not a software that can do this, too.

[tanuki-chan]

But seriously, this is some important information I think all idol fans should know. Lots of thanks!