Billy Corgan recently shared his thoughts on how technology, particularly Pro Tools, has changed the music industry. He believes that the software, now an industry standard, has allowed people who lack real musical talent to enter the business. Corgan compared using Pro Tools to applying filters on Instagram, where once you use the filter, it’s hard to go back to the unfiltered version, but Corgan did make an offer to Lindsay Lohan in the past.
In a recent interview with Goldmine (via Music Tech), Corgan said that Pro Tools has, in some ways, made music worse. He explained that the software levels the playing field by allowing people who can’t sing or play instruments to sound like they can. This, in his view, has brought a lot of unqualified people into the music business.
“In many ways, [Pro Tools] has made music much worse. It brought a lot of people into the music business that really have no business being in the music business… Pro Tools, as a sort of way of making music, on some level, has leveled the playing field that allowed people who can’t sing to sound like they can sing. And people who can’t play guitar now sound like they can.”
Corgan also mentioned concerns about artificial intelligence in music. He pointed out that AI is already being used to create lyrics, melodies, and music, and streaming services are starting to invest in AI-generated music to cut costs and bypass human creators. He sees this as a worrying trend for the future of the music industry.
“OK, so whenever a new technology shows up, people are right to raise the alarm. We can already see people using AI to generate lyrics, melodies, and chord changes. Streaming services are already buying companies to make AI-generated music, so they don’t have to pay human beings. They can just take the money themselves.”
Despite these technological advances, The Smashing Pumpkins still prefer to do things the traditional way. Corgan noted that they use real tube amps instead of digital amp modeling. They believe in the raw power of guitars, amps, and microphones, which they feel creates a more authentic rock sound compared to many modern records produced digitally.
“Not to get too technical, but we still use amps. There’s no amp modeling; it’s all raw power. It’s guitars and amps into cabinets and mics. We still believe in moving air, whereas a lot of rock records are made in the box.”
