autotune - a blessing or a curse?

Stike

Stike

Member
Messages
14,164
Where I work we have a shared stereo so I hear a lot of stuff I otherwise wouldn't. I can hear it in a little bit on the pop country, nu rock stuff (and even that is annoying) but on the contemporary R&B/urban stuff holy ****!! It's unbearable, like listening to Cylons.
 
Texas_Blues

Texas_Blues

Member
Messages
4,558
Curse, learn how to really sing on pitch its more rewarding, I mean if they could do it in the 20's im sure you can do it now. Honestly the rap Ive heard where they use it sound like black robots.
 
aleclee

aleclee

TGP Tech Wrangler
Staff member
Messages
13,568
Neither. It's just a tool.

Using it to touch up an off spot here or there in an otherwise strong performance is a good thing. Using it as a replacement for singing ability, not so much.
 
Ed DeGenaro

Ed DeGenaro

Silver Supporting Member
Messages
25,640
EL34 said:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1877372,00.html

I vote that it's a curse. Gone are the days of natural talent, timbre, and organic tone.
Click to expand...
When where those days? Because "cheating a performance" has gotten easier it really hasn't changed much. There's plenty of ringers on Pop records over the last few decades as well as plenty of slowing tape down so guys could hit the notes, and punching in and out to get syllables right.
 
DC1

DC1

Member
Messages
15,413
Curse. It's formed a whole new style of vocals that people are starting to expect.

I prefer humans.


dc
 
Julia343

Julia343

Member
Messages
7,609
Stike said:
It's unbearable, like listening to Cylons.
Click to expand...

Hey, watch it. The days of the human are numbered. :p

Seriously, it's a tool. I use it even though I have perfect relative pitch. Like any tool, it can be abused. I use it because sometimes my voice gets tired and I'll come in slightly off and the thing helps out. Besides they've been correcting pitch on recordings since the mid-60s. By 1980 they could fix one note. Normally this was done after the vocalist or other performer left the studio by the engineers. It's just easier today because you don't need $50,000 worth of gear to do it anymore. Anyone can do it: TC Helicon VoiceLive, Antares AVOX2, etc. It's affordable now for $400 - $700. So get over it.

Ever hear CSN&Y live? Man they were bad. But in the studio? spot on pitch.

But I'll say this: :horse
 
gtr777

gtr777

Silver Supporting Member
Messages
1,867
I think it depends on how you use it. If your using it to make some that can't sing sound good then it's a curse. If your just fixing a note or two in a great take that's fine. Sometimes you get those amazing emotional takes that might have a flat note here and there. That's where I see it as a great tool.
 
R

re-animator

Senior Member
Messages
8,240
its a tool but, its been abused. that's why pop music all sounds so similar now. The compilation of tons of overused tools and "trade secrets."
 
K

kimock

Member
Messages
12,520
I dunno man, I was just at the mall to get my glasses, and there was some gawdawful crap rock on the box.

The vocalist had been reduced to some kind of robotic casio chipmunk by the autotune, and just as I was about to bemoan the loss of his humanity, the guitar solo came in completely out of tune. . .

If that had been my mix, I would have left the vocal and "fixed" the guitar!

Curse!

p's
 
Unburst

Unburst

Member
Messages
4,215
It's a tool, just like the wah-wah pedal and, like the wah, it gets abused by some people.
 
S

SyKrash

Member
Messages
877
Curse. If you can't sing, then don't. I hate when I hear rap music with it. Stick to rapping, hire a real singer for the choruses.

Why don't I program a burning guitar solo into midi and then just use some kind of 'guitar patch' . Yeah.. sound ridiculous? Yeah, because it is.
 
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