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Editor's Choice Music
Singing Coach
Review by: Angie Kibiloski
Singing Coach (Retail $49.95-$99.95) from Carry-A-Tune, brings professional singing lessons to your home computer. Through a series of exercises and lessons, taught by Mike the singing microphone, you learn the basics of voice control, pitch, and staying on key, right along with Carrie, Mike's star pupil. Coming complete with a headset and microphone, Singing Coach is all you need to get started improving your voice.
Carrie, poor girl, is the lead singer in a rock band, and she is VERY bad. Throughout the program, she gets better, but is basically a nice example of what you should hope you don't sound like. During the beginning exercises, after Mike has explained what to do, she takes the first whack, demonstrating what you should do. As the exercises progress, she goes off privately to sing while you get the luxury of Mike's full attention.
First up, you need to find out your vocal range, by singing an increasing and decreasing scale. The software will determine whether you are a Bass, Tenor, Alto, and so forth, and play the upcoming exercise songs in the right key for your vocal range. The exercises begin fairly easy. You must properly hum one note, then two, then three, and then sing words in the same progression. You work your way up to finally singing a full song.
During each step of the lessons, you must pass the exercise three times. You are judged on a percent scale, and must receive a score of 75% or better three times to move on. Your score is determined on how close you came and remained to each note you were required to hum or sing. The software has some cool technology that lets you see your voice as you sing. The test screen looks like a blank sheet of music, and the notes you are required to hit are shown within colored strips. As you sing, a line appears at the actual note you are hitting. To be on key, you must keep your voice line within the limits of the colored strip. If you are higher or lower, simply adjust your voice until you see your tracking line within the correct parameters. If you never go outside the colored strips, you will get 100%.
Within some of the test screens, you can adjust certain elements to make the song fit more to your strengths. You can change the tempo, making the song faster or slower; turn off or on the accompaniment and melody, both of which help you follow the correct notes, but can be distracting as well; and lift or lower the key you are singing in. Some exercises, however, require you to take the settings as they are and not change a thing. Be patient, once you are through with the lessons and on to the serious singing, you can fiddle with the controls all you like.
Once you are warmed up and have finished learning, you can go on to sing a number of songs that have been pre-programmed. The number of songs to choose from depends on the version of Singing Coach that you purchased. The songs are listed as Easy, Medium and Challenging, and include such classics as Home on the Range, America the Beautiful, and When Irish Eyes are Smiling. The screen looks just like it did during the lessons, and you watch your voice within the colored strips here as well. Record your performance, and play it back as many times as you like. After you have exhausted your supply of complimentary songs, you may go to the Online Music Store and purchase more. Depending on the version you have, you get a number of free downloads from the site. With the regular Singing Coach, 4 songs are included, and with Singing Coach Unlimited, you get 12 songs Also with Singing Coach Unlimited, you have access to the Compose Songs feature, allowing you to make your own tunes to sing along with, as well as the ability to import your own Midi files to add to the list.
If professional vocal lessons are too costly, but you still want to learn the basics of singing, Singing Coach by Carry-A-Tune is a great package for a beginner. You will boost your courage and confidence levels while being judged by the impartial Mike, and really gain helpful knowledge of your progress by being able to actually see your voice on screen. This is an awesome and fun product, and will provide hours of educational and voice improving fun.
System Requirements:
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