I recently published my first book, there's quite a story behind it, but I won't go into that here.

As with all things digital, it's not only a print version that needs to be created but an eBook and also an audiobook. The first two weren't an issue, I got great advice from a publishing expert, a book editor, and the job was done.

The Audiobook

Then came the task of creating the audiobook. Easy! I know how a mic works; I understand Pro Tools and can create audio files to the specification required to pass the QC checks.

I recorded the first few chapters and then hit a problem - I hated the sound of my own voice. I hated the accent, the pace of the delivery and the tone. I could, at a stretch, fix one of those problems, and that's slow down, or at worst try and time-stretch the audio to slow me down - but that's a bad idea.

I was also trying to self-produce, which made the task even harder, like trying to cut your own hair or edit your own interview - objectivity goes out the window.

The issues weren't primarily technical; they were more fundamental - I didn't want to sound like me.

So I decided to hire a professional narrator for the audiobook.

The Right Voice

I recall being in a studio a few years ago during a vocal session. As the vocalist was progressing through takes, the producer was getting more and more frustrated at not getting the sound they wanted. They turned to the engineer and said, "how can we make the vocal sound like Sting?" Without missing a beat, the engineer said, "hire Sting to sing the vocals."

The problem wasn't technical; it was aesthetic.

The problem isn't about tuning or timing. Sometimes we attempt to do with vocals something that can't be done, and that is to try and change the character of the vocalist. The voice is what it is, and no amount of hardware or software can change the nature of that voice. You can't fix it in the mix.

Too often, we are trying to make voices sound like something they have never been or never will be.

Here's the good news. Once we realise that there is never going to be another Johnny Cash, Beyoncé, Pavarotti, or Édith Piaf, then we can work with the vocal we have. Not with the one we don't have.

There's not an opera director on the planet who would hire a Soprano to sing the part of a Baritone, no more than you would hire a drummer to play the sax. The sooner we either accept the limitations of the vocal we have or do something about it, the better.

You May End Up Breaking The Person

A quote often attributed to Einstein is, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."

There's a serious side to this issue. If we are not careful, we have the potential to destroy the confidence of a perfectly good singer trying to make them something they are not. Who wants to inflict that kind of emotional damage on a talented person?

Sometimes the vocalist isn't suitable for the gig. If it's the lead singer of the band, then you have a problem on your hands and some tough waters to navigate.

However, if like me, you can face up to the fact there may be a better person for the job, then you can capture the right voice in all its glory. Then we can stop trying to kid ourselves that there's a magic music production trick we can use. There isn't.

If you want the vocals to sound like Sting then hire Sting.