When I started out, I hired vocalists on Fiverr for my first few songs. It was a time-consuming process - finding the right person was hard, and even with my strictly limited budget, it quickly became expensive. In the end, I was usually somewhat satisfied with the results, but not always. Often, the vocal wasn’t recorded exactly how I had envisioned it. Their timing was off. Their tone didn’t fit the genre. Some lacked energy. And all of that matters in Eurodance. Later, when I changed parts of a song, it was either impossible or very difficult to request a new recording. Remote collaboration like this is far from seamless.
At the very beginning, I actually considered using Vocaloid for my vocals, but at the time it just wasn’t advanced enough. Eventually, I discovered Synthesizer V by Dreamtonics. I gave it a try and I was genuinely impressed with the results. You can hear it for the first time in If I Could Dream. Since then, I’ve gotten more familiar with the software and learned how to bring out really convincing performances. And honestly? The quality I can achieve with it is something I just couldn’t afford with a real singer.
The Misconception: “It’s Just AI”
Unfortunately, vocal synths still suffer from a lot of negative public perception. The first assumption is that it’s all done with generative AI. People think I just type a few words into a prompt and - bam - a full vocal track appears out of thin air. But let’s be clear: a vocal synth is a tool, just like a keyboard synth or a drum machine. It allows me to reproduce the sound of a “real” instrument - or, in this case, a voice.
I Still Do All the Work
I write the lyrics. I compose the vocal melody. I manually set the timing for every syllable, adjust the expression, the dynamics - every detail. Creating a single vocal track takes hours. Just like a keyboard won’t magically perform a piano concerto just because you ask nicely, a vocal synth won’t generate a song for you. If anything, it requires more effort. If I were working with a human vocalist, I’d play them the melody on piano, give them the lyrics, and hope they nail the vibe. With a synth, I control every nuance - which means I’m also responsible for every nuance.
It’s Not “Fake” – It’s a New Instrument
Nobody complains when a producer uses a virtual violin, a sampled drum kit, or a prerecorded sample of an ’80s bassline. Nobody hears a software flute and says, “That’s not real music.” Well, my father used to say it, but nobody says it nowadays. So why is it different with vocals? This is just the next step in the evolution of musical tools. Technology has always given us new ways to express ourselves - and that’s a good thing. Not every film composer has access to a full orchestra. Most modern soundtracks are made with VSTs.
Of course this doesn’t mean real instruments - or real singers - aren’t valuable. They absolutely are. But this vocal synth voice still delivers the melody, the lyrics, and the emotion I imagined. And that’s what matters.
I’d Love to Work With Real Vocalists – But…
If I had a large budget, I’d love to hire a great singer, someone who could deliver the tone, emotion, and precision I’m aiming for, maybe even on the first take. But right now, I simply can’t afford that. Making music isn’t necessarily a wildly expensive hobby, but as a father, I have to be very mindful of how I spend every euro on something that’s ultimately just for me.
So yes, I would love to collaborate with the perfect human voice one day - but not at the expense of my creative vision.
The Message Matters
What matters most to me is that the message of the song comes through, the feeling, the energy, the euphoria. Whether it’s sung by a session singer or a vocal synth, it still comes from the same place: a real human emotion.
At the end of the day, people don’t dance to “authenticity.” They dance to what moves them. If the voice works, the message connects, and the melody sticks in your head - then the song is real.