If you switched on the radio in the summer of 1998, chances are you got a taste of Cher's 'Believe,' an up-tempo ode to bouncing back after a rough breakup. More than a quarter century after first rising to prominence as a 1960s folk artist, the 52-year-old Cher was once again climbing the charts. In malls, dance clubs and laser bowling alleys across the country, 'Believe' played frequently. By the time the dust had settled, the song had become Cher's bestselling recording ever -- and one of the bestselling singles of all time.
Oct 29, 2019 This process is much more complicated but yields a far better result. I am not huge on Auto-Tune (I know many are), but it can deliver exceptional results. If you take the time to learn how to use it properly, you'll have great-sounding vocals with ease. Auto-Tune from Antares is available at Plugin Boutique.
At the time, the most notable feature of the song was an electronic modification on the vocals. The effect first appears 35 seconds into the song, while Cher sings 'I can't break through.' On each of the last three words, Cher's voice undergoes a bizarre electronic glitch.
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The reason behind that glitch was Auto-Tune, a pitch-correcting software designed to smooth out any off-key notes in a singer's vocal track. Released only the year before 'Believe,' it was the recording industry's favorite dirty secret: With only a few clicks of a mouse, Auto-Tune could turn even the most cringe-worthy singer into a pop virtuoso. But most music studios kept it around simply to fix with the occasional wrong note.
During the recording sessions for 'Believe,' however, Cher's British producers had put the software into overdrive. Instead of lightly tuning the pitch of Cher's voice, they had adjusted the levels so sharply that it became an unmistakable part of the song. The effect was weird and robotic, but against a background of synthesizers and high-energy percussion, it worked like a charm. Opera singers have long been using vibrato, a technique of delivering a note in a constantly wavering pitch. As far as Cher and her producers were concerned, though, Auto-Tune was simply a computerized twist on the technique.
As 'Believe' hit the airwaves, the producers aimed to keep the lid on their new toy. So much so, that when interviewed about the technique by a sound engineering magazine, they lied and said it was due to a vocoder, a well-known voice modulation device used since the 1970s [source: Sillitoe].
But the truth eventually trickled out, and when it did, Auto-Tune's inventor, Harold 'Andy' Hildebrand, was shocked. Auto-Tune was supposed to be a behind-the-scenes trick for the recording studio. The New Yorker had compared it to blotting out the red-eye in a photograph, and Hildebrand himself compared it to wearing makeup [source: Frere-Jones, NOVA].
But now, Hildebrand's brainchild was making Cher sound like a robot. 'I never figured anyone in their right mind would want to do that,' Hildebrand told Time magazine [source: Tyrangiel] Whether he realized it at the time or not, Hildebrand's electronic creation was about to become one of the largest technological influences on popular music since Les Paul invented the modern electric guitar.
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If you want to sound like you know what you're talking about the next time your car needs some work, don't tell your mechanic your car needs a 'tuneup.' That's because the term tuneup specifically refers to maintenance that modern cars generally don't require anymore.
Traditional tuneups on older cars help keep them in good shape, and enable maximum gas mileage. Getting your car tuned up means having necessary adjustments of certain engine components. At the same time regular parts that wear out over time — like spark plugs and condensers — are replaced.
But the engines in many newer-model cars don't even use these components any longer, and today's engine parts are designed to last much longer than those in years past. So what you might think is a tuneup on a new car probably isn't and that's because your car is much more advanced.
How Much Auto Tune Do You Want To Make
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If you want to sound like you know what you're talking about the next time your car needs some work, don't tell your mechanic your car needs a 'tuneup.' That's because the term tuneup specifically refers to maintenance that modern cars generally don't require anymore.
Traditional tuneups on older cars help keep them in good shape, and enable maximum gas mileage. Getting your car tuned up means having necessary adjustments of certain engine components. At the same time regular parts that wear out over time — like spark plugs and condensers — are replaced.
But the engines in many newer-model cars don't even use these components any longer, and today's engine parts are designed to last much longer than those in years past. So what you might think is a tuneup on a new car probably isn't and that's because your car is much more advanced.
How Much Auto Tune Do You Want To Make
Consumerist says the cut-off year for whether or not your car needs a traditional tuneup is 1999, though there may be a little wiggle room on either side of that year depending on other factors. In general, though, if your car was built in the last 20 years, you should use the preferred phrasing 'routine maintenance' or 'scheduled maintenance,' rather than tuneup. You should opt to have routine maintenance completed about every 30,000 miles or as recommended by your car's owner's manual.
Tuneup vs. Routine Maintenance
Tuneups actually involve 'tuning,' or physical checking and manipulating engine parts that regulate engine timing, idle and other functions for optimal performance. A tuneup requires a certain level of mechanical skill and an understanding of how an engine works.
Below are the parts and service work traditionally part of a tuneup on older cars. Remember, these generally don't apply to today's modern cars:
- Cleaning the throttle body
- Cleaning or replacing carburetor (obsolete thanks to electronic fuel injection)
- Cap, rotor and spark plug wires (all replaced with ignition coil packs)
- Fuel filter (obsolete thanks to return-less fuel systems)
- Timing belt (replaced with more durable timing chain)
- Inspecting oxygen sensors (modern sensors have longer lifespans)
- Inspecting electronic control module components
- Inspecting and adjusting engine timing and idle (both now controlled electronically)
- Inspecting and adjusting (in manual transmission vehicles)
Modern cars don't need most of this manual labor. Instead, they require routine maintenance that generally consists of replacing fluids and simple parts. Note that the newest cars on the market or certain types of cars (like electric cars) might have eliminated some of these parts, such as certain belts and hoses:
- Change engine oil (often changed on its own interval)
- Change transmission fluid, brake fluid and power steering fluid
- Replace coolant
- Inspect belts and replace when necessary (number and type depend on the age and type of car you drive)
- Inspect hoses and replace when necessary (number and type depend on the age and type of car you drive)
- Replace cabin air filter
Pricing for Routine Maintenance
Consumer Reports cautions that 'getting a tuneup' is a common upsell by mechanics, or a charge one might even tack on to your bill indiscriminately to make you pay more than necessary. In other words, if your mechanic or shop says your car needs a tuneup, be wary. Especially if it's a late-model car. That said, some mechanics or shops may still use that term (see 'Now That's Interesting' sidebar).
How Much Autotune Do You Want Yes
Pricing for routine maintenance, on the other hand, totally varies based on several things. Those factors include everything from where you live and the type of car (some cars might use more expensive parts) to whether you're visiting a dealership, going to a chain or an independent shop, or performing the work yourself.
How Much Auto Tune Do You Want Lyrics
The recommended maintenance schedule for late-model cars takes a lot of the guesswork out of the equation. If you follow the schedule for your car, you should be in the clear, but there are always factors that can make a fluid go gunky or a part wear out earlier than expected.
In short, if you have a car built in the last 20 years or so, you don't need to worry about tuneups as they're traditionally defined. Just maintain your car according to the schedule laid out in your owner's manual and deal with problems as they arise.
