autotune - a blessing or a curse?

[EL34]

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.

 

[MrNick]

Eh, it's not transparant, so I say curse for that reason.

 

[Stike]

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]

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]

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]

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.

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]

Curse. It's formed a whole new style of vocals that people are starting to expect.

I prefer humans.


dc

 

[Julia343]

It's unbearable, like listening to Cylons.

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

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:

 

[?&!]

Judge for yourself...

http://www.myspace.com/4poundzz

 

[gainiac]

judge for yourself...

http://www.myspace.com/4poundzz

hahahahahaqhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ThugLife]

both. A blessing if used lightly and correctly. a curse if overdone and used improperly

 

[EL34]

Judge for yourself...

http://www.myspace.com/4poundzz

 

[gtr777]

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.

 

[re-animator]

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."

 

[kimock]

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

 

[getbent]

complete and total blessing. We'd be lost without it.

 

[Unburst]

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

 

[JRenn]

Judge for yourself...

http://www.myspace.com/4poundzz

I just PEED myself listening to that stuff!!! How did you come across that kid's site?

 

[mik777]

Brian Eno thinks it a blessing! He uses Autotune in a creative way...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGB8M1Gh0Eo

 

[SyKrash]

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.