Prompt Cast
The History and Impact of Auto-Tune: From Cher to Controversy
TLDR This episode of "Stuff You Should Know" delves into the history and impact of Auto-Tune, from its origins with Cher's hit song "Believe" to its controversial reputation in the music industry. The hosts also discuss the gender bias and misogyny that women face on the internet.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
This episode of "Stuff You Should Know" explores the history and impact of AutoTune, starting with Cher's use of it in her hit song "Believe" in 1998.
05:21
Auto-Tune became a huge deal after Cher's producer used it on her song "Believe," and he lied about how he achieved the effect, leading to the term "the Cher effect" and the popularity of Auto-Tune.
10:26
In 1997, a new software was created that could automatically correct the pitch of a singer's voice, making it easier and cheaper to produce songs in the studio.
15:52
The founder of Antares Audio Technologies, the company behind Auto-Tune, initially made his fortune by creating an audio visual map of the subsurface area for oil companies, which allowed them to drill more efficiently and save money.
21:02
Auto-Tune was invented by Andy Hildebrand after his wife jokingly asked him to create something to make her sing in tune, and it works by analyzing and adjusting the vocals of a song to be in the correct key, maintaining the original tone and inflection of the artist.
26:31
Autotune's zero function, which eliminates spaces between notes, creates a robotic sound and was initially known as the "Share effect" before being used by other producers and becoming known as the "J-Lo effect" and later the "T. Payne effect."
31:54
Autotune is criticized for ruining music and making it sound rough and unnatural, leading to blowback and a potential return to older methods of recording vocals.
37:24
Auto-Tune has become a parody of itself and is being used in ads, leading to a growing question of whether it is here to stay and fulfill the same destiny as the electric guitar.
42:25
The hosts discuss a listener email about the discrepancy in how corrections are received on the podcast based on gender, with women receiving more disrespectful comments than men.
47:19
The hosts discuss the negative comments they receive based on their gender, including being called slurs and receiving gendered criticism, and how it can wear them down over time.
51:52
The hosts discuss the complex reasons behind the gender bias and misogyny on the internet, including the discomfort some people feel when women are assertive or confident.
Categories:
Society & Culture
