X Factor judge Simon Cowell has banned the use of performance-enhancing software on the U.K. series after allegations swirled that a contestant’s voice was tweaked using Auto-Tune. Production admitted to using the technology to improve some contestants’ singing, make contestants with a slim chance of advancing sound even worse. Cowell reportedly placed the ban to maintain the integrity of the competition series, which will air a U.S. version on Fox beginning in fall 2011. Reps for the network could not be immediately reached for comment.
Aug 24
2010
03:35 PM ET
Simon Cowell bans use of Auto-Tune on 'X-Factor'
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Now if only they’d ban Auto-Tune from “Glee.” (I think the cast is generally talented, but a lot of the musical numbers are over-produced to within an inch of their life.)
Seriously. I’ve tried to watch “Glee” and the Auto-Tune ruined it for me.
Couldn’t agree more. I want to hear their real voices. They have plenty of singers who don’t need auto-tune and sound better without it.
Totally agree. The auto-tuning and over-production in Glee takes me right out of the moment more often than not. The Glee producers could do no worse to take a look at BBC’s The Choir to see what can be produced using just live voices and piano accompaniment!
glee has used auto-tune because their songs are sold on itunes just like every other song you will buy on itunes are produced using auto tune, unlike the x-factor there is no justification for x factor doing it.
You’re obviously right about X-Factor…there’s no excuse for it there.
However, I still have to somewhat disagree about “Glee.” I realize that the musical numbers take place in a sort of heightened reality. Still, when I’m watching one person who’s supposed to be singing to another…and that person’s vocals CLEARLY sound like they’ve been recorded in a studio, it sort of takes me right out of it. Obviously, I realize that pretty much all musical numbers in TV and movies are pre-recorded, but they don’t have to so blatantly sound like they’re pre-recorded, like they do on “Glee” a lot of the time.
I understand where your coming from but the fact is that they will most likely have to produce there songs in a studio, so unfortunately we’ll have to put up with the fact that it’s the only way and just put aside that sometimes it will sound a little unrealistic if you understand me
See, Simon is always right!
AutoTune was introduced in 1997. There were good songs before 1997. AutoTune is not necessary for someone who can sing on pitch.
what about all the artists we have in our charts now, are you saying all of them can’t sing?
@Jayne the pop chart isn’t about good singers, it’s about good-looking people with good managers, creating fashionable craze acts. Some of them can sing, and often, that’s handy now and again, but if they can’t sing, they’ll just have their face stuck on a catchy melody-centric tune.
ok some people in the charts may be like that but what about singers like beyonce? leona lewis? what about those type of singers their amazing voices surely outweigh the few singers that can’t sing?
Well, Leona Lewis was on “X Factor,” so maybe she can’t sing after all?
The X-Factor final shows where live not pre recorded so no post production was done on the live shows and she was just as good as she was in her auditions
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