That’s a valid question any producer might ask when creating an advertisement, corporate audio-video presentation, video game, etc. Of course, answer depends on what elements producer and client feel will best communicate with audience. For a radio ad, a fully sung jingle with no voice-over could work best. A TV spot or corporate narration might be most effective using scrolling graphic and text, again without an announcer. But very soon producers could be pondering whether their productions need a voice over talent for a more disturbing reason. Vocal utterances produced by air passing through folds of tissue and formed by lips, teeth, and tongue may, simply put, become obsolete. Yes, “virtual voice talent” may very well become a reality.

Welcome to Machine

In May 2004 issue of Mix Magazine, in two separate articles, Stephen St. Croix and Paul D. Lehrman relate their experiences with a new piece of software ominously named “Vocaloid.” This little computer-coded wonder is a speech synthesizer that’s being used to synthesize background vocals on actual recordings that are being sold to public—background vocals so good, you’d be hard-pressed to recognize they’re fake singers. Now, considering dubious singing talents of many of our current pop stars, maybe a Vocaloid virtual diva named Britney isn’t too far-fetched. Audio manipulation, including pitch correction, equalization, compression, reverb, have been used for decades to save bacon of many a pop star’s performance in-studio or on stage. Technically, it’s just a short step from this point to a “singer in a box.”