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Tech

The Man (and Machine) Behind Bieber's Vocals

If you know who Kuk Harrell is, then you know that the concept of “raw talent” is a myth. Or at least extremely hard to come by. This vocal producer has all but crafted the voices of some of pop’s greatest acts, such as Justin Beiber, Beyonce, and...

If you know who Kuk Harrell is, then you know that the concept of "raw talent" is a myth. Or at least extremely hard to come by. This vocal producer has all but crafted the voices of some of pop's greatest acts, such as Justin Beiber, Beyonce, and Rihanna. He's done so through good old-fashioned coaching, sure, but his key to success is formulaic and dependent on technology, specifically ProTools. Of his work, he's said, "when I make pop records, it's all being made in pieces."

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The New York Times brings you the reality of this statement with an interactive Build-A-Pop-Song feature, in which you sit in Harrell's seat and choose the vocals to piece together for Calvillo's song "Right Now." If only you got to make thousands of dollars each time you did it, as Harrell does. It’s at least kinda fun.

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