Former K-Pop Idol Reveals The Truth About Pre-Recorded Vocals On Music Shows

It is more complicated than you might think!

One of the big questions that arise with K-Pop music shows is whether idols actually sing live during their performances.

Former Blady member Tina (now more commonly known as Soobin or Christine Park) took to the DKDKTV YouTube channel to discuss the idea of idols using pre-recorded “live” vocals.

Former Blady member Tina | @soobeanie_/ Instagram

Tina explained that the idea of pre-recorded vocals is when an artist will go into the studio and record the song’s vocals before the performance. She also pointed out that while recording, the idols will dance along to get a realistic feel of how the track will sound live.

You’re kind of like moving around and dancing. They (the staff) will actually change a little bit of the  sound system to make it sound more like a live performance.

— Tina

After the recording, she then explained that each music show works on percentages regarding how much of the pre-recorded and live vocals can be heard during the performance. Tina then pointed out that it varies depending on shows and the group’s members.

The main vocal usually gets the least (pre-recorded vocals) peaking through because they’re good at singing. The member who is not that good at singing will get higher at 50% or 70%, and the rappers will get the ending of each rap.

— Tina

These differences impact the way each member sounds, as some are projecting their live voices more than others. Tina added that sometimes it feels unfair to members.

Tina then emphasized that there are also differences depending on whether a show is live or pre-recorded. For example, when a show is pre-recorded, the producers can choose the best vocals to broadcast, which she emphasizes is very different from autotuning.

All of this work is done to ensure that the idols sound and perform the best for their fans! You can watch the whole video below.

Source: DKDKTV