The public television show Nova Science Now will have an interesting segment tonight on Auto-Tune, the program used by music producers to sweeten the vocals of many performers by putting their warbling notes back on pitch. It's not much of a factor -- I don't think -- in the music I listen to, but in pop, R 'n' B and hip hop music, its use is rampant. Some use it subtly to keep someone who is more pretty than talented from sounding off-key, while others use it blatantly to create new sounds and textures. The first time most folks heard it, however unknowingly, was on Cher's hit, "Believe."

Hip hop artists seem to be the most prevalent users/offenders. Some, like T-Pain, use it consistently to create a new sound, while Kanye West used it all over his recent 808s and Heartbreak disc to "sing." Sasha Frere-Jones with the New Yorker looks at the program's use in a recent essay.

The backlash is already well underway. Jay-Z will have a track on his forthcoming album called "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)," that criticizes those who lean on the program. The song's producer? Kanye West.

The Nova segment will provide some valuable context. How does it work? Why was it created? What is the result of its use? An example featuring some very accommodating Nova staffers and "The Star Spangled Banner" shows how completely -- and spookily -- Auto-Tune can be utilized.

Labels: music, technology