Music recording software just took another giant leap, now able to do what was thought to be impossible. Direct Note Access individually manipulates groups of musical notes (chords), giving recording engineers the ability to completely and undetectably create pitch-perfect performances, even from groups of tone-deaf musicians playing together. Created by German programmer and erstwhile guitar maker Peter Neubäcker, his company, Celemony, will offer the software as a plug-in for its Melodyne voice and instrument tuning software.
Until now, this trick was only possible with single notes — an exaggerated example can be heard in Cher’s 1998 hit, “Believe,” which used the competing Auto-Tune system. For more than a decade, that software has been the recording industry’s dirty little secret, fixing any out-of-tune notes crooned by an individual singer or played on any single-note instrument. But this breakthrough takes that magic manipulation many steps further, allowing engineers to create entirely new music from existing recordings.
With this astonishing software, engineers can dig deep into a mix. For example, they could change each individual note of a guitar chord, or fix one wrong note played by a musician in a symphony orchestra. It’s like Photoshop for music. Available this fall, let’s hope Direct Note Access is ready in time to fix up next season's American Idol performances, especially the auditions. Randy Jackson might like the resulting absence of "pitchiness," but then maybe some humanity of performance will be lost, too.
I'm not sure if I should be wildly excited at the thought of being able to manipulate recorded music in such a way...or if I'm kind of sad at the thought that this will take performed music to that next technological level. The level where regardless of how tone-deaf a band/singer is they can still make a hit record depending on the quality of the producer.
Still, I'd like to hope it will just expand the boundaries of music in general without damaging the sanctity of natural and live performance.
does this mean we're going to see a whole new generation of 'pretty' pop stars who sound fantastic on their album, but can't even hold a tune when "unplugged"?
Apr-18-2008 03:29
zookeeper
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Feb 2005
Location: Rochester, New York - on the shore of Lake Ontario
Originally posted by Endgame
Lol, I always think that with the amount I browse the forums I wouldn't miss anything... Ah well.
idiot
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Apr-18-2008 04:46
mnemonic.
Michael-San
Registered: Jan 2006
Location: I miss Japan...
quote:
Originally posted by *~LiSa-LoO~*
way to go lisa
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Apr-18-2008 04:59
knacker
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: May 2006
Location: Tor.ont.o..
Melodyne software has been available for at least 3 years now... so its been used on many vocal recordings already.
Just now you can change notes within chords (which is crazy)
Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Its June 18th, 2005, I'm at the Skybar
quote:
Originally posted by MarkT
very interesting...
does this mean we're going to see a whole new generation of 'pretty' pop stars who sound fantastic on their album, but can't even hold a tune when "unplugged"?
fixing notes on vocals can be done without this. there is only a single note sung at a time (unless u do throat singing).
what melodyne direct note access allows changing a chord (which contains multiple notes in it)
