Producer/rapper T-Pain has vowed to never use the Auto-Tune effect again, quite possibly ending a long-running trend in R&B and Hip-Hop music.
The Auto-Tune technology, created by Antares Audio Technology, burst onto the pop music scene in 1998 on Cher’s hit single “Believe.” Since then it has been used by artists such as Janet Jackson, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg and numerous others. T-Pain made the Auto-Tune so popular, that he officially partnered with the company in September of 2009 to create the “I Am T-Pain” Iphone App, which allowed users to auto-tune their voices on their smart phones.
Now that the deal with Antares is over, T-Pain joined forces with Izotope, a company specialized in high-quality sound, to develop his own vocal effect. “The T-Pain Effect” will be presented during E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, on June 7th.
Time will tell if it’s a smart move giving up his signature sound…
By Noémie Jamar
