Is Voice Modification in CD’s Dishonest?
By Sarah Raines
You’re listening to your favorite singer in the car and you ask yourself, “How does she hit that high note?” or, “Why aren’t I as great of a singer as him?” What you don’t know is that the singer may actually be tone deaf.
Recently, they have developed machines that can be used to correct the speed and pitch of your voice, and to make you sound like you know exactly what to be singing.
Have you ever been to a live concert? Maybe if you weren’t being blinded by the singer’s sheer awesomeness, you might have noticed that they are singing some notes out of tune or they’re out of breath.
But is it wrong that your favorite singers can really only sing as well as you? Or is it great that the record label conveniently makes sure the CD sounds just right before sending it out to stores.
This may be what happened a year ago when everybody was feeling “Bieber fever.” Was Justin Bieber a case of voice modification gone wrong, or is he a teen heartthrob with a unique voice? I have friends who worship him, and others who refuse to say his name, while I stay decidedly neutral (because of fear of being stuck in the crossfire). The real question is, “Does he really sing like that?”
Bands in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s didn’t need voice modification. So why do we need it now? The Beatles were just fine without it. Plus, is it selfish to pretend to sing even if you can’t? Which one is worse, lip-synching or voice modification? Is voice modification misleading or dishonest or neither? I asked the readers for input.
Questions and Answers About Voice Modification
Q: If bands in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s didn’t need voice modification, why should we?
A: Singers were better back then and singers want to make their singing more attractive- Katelyn Rand and Sophie Mannarino
Q: Are singers selfish to pretend that they can sing even if they are tone deaf but have the “right look”?
A: It’s completely selfish. It’s so stupid that singers need “help” to sing- Clare Lippincott.
Q: Which one is worse, voice modification or lip-synching?
A: Lip-synching is worse because singers should sing at their own concerts and they shouldn’t need it and people pay a lot of money to see them live- Katelyn Rand.
Q: Is voice modification misleading, dishonest or neither?
A: It’s definitely misleading, but I don’t know if you can call it dishonest- Katie Dretler
I conclude that voice modification is a definitely wrong, but it usually makes CD’s sound better.
