The iPod and iPhone could soon be helping to teach people how to sing along to their favorite tracks under plans drawn up by Apple to turn the devices into mobile karaoke machines.

It found worldwide success by inventing a device that transformed the way people listened to music. Now a patent application submitted by Apple has revealed its plans to help teach amateur singers how to hit the right pitch and key by iPod and iPhone.

There is also good news for those forced to listen： the technology will be able to make off-key warbling sound in-tune. The device will allow users to select their favorite songs to sing along to， displaying the words as a video on screen much like traditional karaoke machines.

As the user sings， however， the iPod will analyze their voice， comparing it with how the song is supposed to sound and providing them with feedback if they are off key to help them correct their performance.

If the singer hits the pitch and key perfectly， then they will be rewarded by having their performance enhanced to give a concert hall effect that is pleasing to listen to. But when they are off key or sing at the wrong pitch， the device will exaggerate their mistake so that they can hear it in a pair of earphones they are wearing.

The system would also be able to change the output from the speakers. If the singer was performing in front of an audience， so they did not have to endure bad singing. Instead it would “fuzz” the singer’s voice to disguise the fact they are off key.

The patent also proposes allowing users to record their performances and edit them later， while a digital sound wave read out would also allow them to see how they had performed compared to the original.

Apple refused to comment on how it intends to develop the patent and when its karaoke system will be available on the market， but the company’s online music store sells music under a category of karaoke.

Tracks include popular karaoke favorites by artists such as MCHammer， Blondie， The Beach Boys and Tina Turner.

蘋(píng)果計(jì)劃將它的iPod音樂(lè)播放器和iPhone智能手機(jī)轉(zhuǎn)變成移動(dòng)“卡拉ok”唱機(jī)，不久這些小玩意兒就可以教人們唱自己喜愛(ài)的歌曲了。

蘋(píng)果發(fā)明的iPod音樂(lè)播放器在全球范圍內(nèi)大獲成功，徹底改變了人們聽(tīng)音樂(lè)的習(xí)慣。如今，蘋(píng)果提交的一份專利申請(qǐng)表示，將通過(guò)iPod音樂(lè)播放器和iPhone智能手機(jī)來(lái)幫助業(yè)余歌手正確掌握音高和音調(diào)。

這對(duì)于那些被動(dòng)聽(tīng)這些業(yè)余歌手唱歌的人來(lái)說(shuō)無(wú)異于是一種福音，因?yàn)樵摷夹g(shù)能夠讓唱歌經(jīng)常跑調(diào)的人找到調(diào)子。

這種設(shè)備將允許用戶選擇他們最喜愛(ài)的歌曲并跟著哼唱，還將顯示歌詞和視頻畫(huà)面，類似于傳統(tǒng)的“卡拉ok”唱機(jī)。但不同的是，使用者唱歌時(shí)，iPod能夠分析他們的聲音，并將其與歌曲正確的唱法進(jìn)行比對(duì)。如果跑調(diào)了，系統(tǒng)就會(huì)及時(shí)給予反饋，從而幫助歌唱者糾正錯(cuò)誤。

如果歌唱者的音高和音調(diào)掌握得很到位，就會(huì)得到獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)，他們的聲音就會(huì)被轉(zhuǎn)換成非常好聽(tīng)的音樂(lè)廳的效果。但是，當(dāng)他們跑調(diào)或唱錯(cuò)音高時(shí)，這個(gè)設(shè)備就會(huì)放大他們的錯(cuò)誤，這樣他們就能從自己戴著的耳機(jī)中聽(tīng)到了。

這個(gè)系統(tǒng)還能改變歌唱者傳輸?shù)綋P(yáng)聲器上的聲音。如果歌唱者在觀眾面前表演，觀眾就可以不必再忍受糟糕的歌聲了。因?yàn)檫@個(gè)系統(tǒng)會(huì)“修飾”歌唱者的歌聲，這樣觀眾就聽(tīng)不出他們跑調(diào)了。

這項(xiàng)專利還允許用戶錄制自己的歌聲，以便日后編輯。同時(shí)，數(shù)字化音波還可使用戶將他們的歌聲與原唱進(jìn)行對(duì)比。

蘋(píng)果拒絕透露研制這項(xiàng)專利的方法以及這個(gè)“卡拉ok”系統(tǒng)上市的時(shí)間，但是該公司的網(wǎng)絡(luò)音樂(lè)商店已在售賣(mài)卡拉ok類別的音樂(lè)。

這些音樂(lè)包括美國(guó)黑人說(shuō)唱歌手MC哈默、金發(fā)美女樂(lè)隊(duì)、沙灘男孩樂(lè)隊(duì)和蒂娜·特娜等藝人的流行歌曲。