American Idol Producers: We Do Not Use Auto-Tune
Ryan Seacrest
After Simon Cowell's U.K.-based singing competition The X-Factor caused an online uproar for using Auto-Tune, American Idol producers are making it very clear that they won't make the same mistake.
"We have never, nor would we ever, use Auto-Tuning [an audio processor that corrects a singer's pitch and tone] during the American Idol competition," producers for the Fox reality series said in a statement.
Simon Cowell's X Factor confesses to Auto-Tune use
Contestants have been known to get a little off-key, and judge Randy Jackson is always standing by to spout that singers have been a little "pitchy."
Still unanswered (and a Fox publicist sounded relieved to not even be asked): Who will be judging Idol next year now that Cowell, Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi are gone?
A U.S. version of X Factor is slated to debut in 2011 on Fox, with Cowell set to produce and judge.