Software Helps Singers Find Perfect Pitch
A screenshot of the Auto-Tune software. The red wavy line traces the frequency of Renee Montagne's voice as she sings. The yellow line shows her altered voice -- corrected in the places where it wandered from the right pitch.
Singing Like Cher
Some of today's pop songs -- like Cher's "Believe" -- are deliberately overcorrected for pitch to create a stylized sound. Hear what NPR's Renee Montagne sounds like when this technique is applied:
Listen: Hear Renee Montagne Sing 'Ain't No Sunshine'
For those with less-than-perfect singing voices, technology offers help. A number of computer programs can correct pitch to make just about anyone sound in tune -- even NPR's Renee Montagne, who lends her voice to show how the software works.
The technology has become quite prevalent in the music industry, finding its way into many of today's pop recordings -- and some classical ones, as well. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.
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