Hi Folks,

So this is the right place - good.

I contribute songs to the "User Showcase" forum on this site and I also listen to all the other songs on that forum.

Many of the singers are out of tune. Some of them just a bit out of tune and some of them are total non-singers.

For non-singers the answer is obviously to team up with a good singer.

For the others the answer may be:

1. Before posting on the forum send your song to a friend/family member who you know has a "good ear" and most importantly is prepared to give you an honest assessment of your performance. They don't have to love the song - no the key point is they must tell you where it needs improvement. Only in this way can you improve the quality of your songs.

2. Pitch Correction. I don't use this myself but I do you use it on other artists' voices whom I have recorded or mixed. If used sparingly and musically then it can definitely improve a performance and a song significantly.
I think it can also act as a great vocal learning tool.

I'm sure most of you are familiar with Pitch and Timing Correction but if you are new to the subject this video may be a good starting point:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS1YDAc-f5I

Is it cheating - no IMHO.

I hope this may be of some assistance and look forward to the thoughts of members.

Best Regards
Nigel Spiers

Nigel Spiers
Christchurch, New Zealand
info@nzacoustics.com