Trick: Using tuning to avoid having to use tuning :)

[mpedrummer]

Apologies if this is old hat.

Ran into a sticky bit last night - harmonies that weren't in the chords, singer was having a rough time hitting it, but really didn't want to resort to some sort of auto-tuning. We recorded a few takes of the whole thing, then took a few minutes to tune the snot out of it.

The vocalist then sang along with the tuned track as a crutch. Nailed it.

Your mileage may vary, of course. I see this as being a great trick for bg vox with bands that have a distinct "lead vox" and another instrumentalist who "sings backup". Certainly saved a lot of time and frustration last night.

Anyway, just thought I'd share.

Tim

[jkretz]

i've done similar stuff when a vocalist has trouble hitting notes consistently...

i'll play the vocal melody on guitar or keys as a scratch track and just have them sting along with that.

[mpedrummer]

Thought about that...I'm not so good on the "melodic" instruments, though

The new built-in tuning in Cubase 5 makes this a breeze. For me. YMMV

[DrummerMan]

i've done similar stuff when a vocalist has trouble hitting notes consistently...

i'll play the vocal melody on guitar or keys as a scratch track and just have them sting along with that.

I've generally done this kind of thing too.

Though, on some occasions, I've even resorted to singing along with the person in the booth, into their cans. Assuming I'm doing a better job at hitting the harmonies than him/her, it can help with tuning. It can also help with an insecure singer's feeling of being alone and exposed, which I find can lead to some wimpy singing, which can affect tuning as well just the overall vibe of the track (unless the wimpy vocal thing is what everyone's going for, of course). This way they get the feeling that they're part of some gang vocal and might belt it out with a touch more confidence and steady notes. The one thing I hate WAY more than an out of tune harmony, is a harmony that wavers, kind of in tune, but then dropping and searching around for the note. That, to me, sounds like ass.

This technique isn't a first suggestion in a given situation, unless I know already that the person benefits from this kind of thing. If applied wrong, it can go the other direction and totally screw up any chance of making this already tenuous situation worse.

[mpedrummer]

Absolutely. It's always easier to "fix" someone who fucks up with confidence

[roygbiv]

This trick seems to work especially well if you play the individual notes using a piano sound (or electronic piano).

As jkretz said, record the piano notes on a scratch track for the singer to follow.

Not sure why the piano sound works better than other things I've tried - maybe because it dredges up old memories of elementary school choir class?

[Brett Siler]

This trick seems to work especially well if you play the individual notes using a piano sound (or electronic piano).

As jkretz said, record the piano notes on a scratch track for the singer to follow.

Not sure why the piano sound works better than other things I've tried - maybe because it dredges up old memories of elementary school choir class?

I was about to say the same thing but I prefer to use an organ sound. It has really helped me in the past and other singers I have recorded. Just play the vocal meoldy on a keyboard and record it, play it back it the headphone during the vocal take and it usually works pretty well. I don't have an auto tune thing, so this seems to work well. I'm not opposed to auto tune though, sometimes it could have helped....

[David Piper]

Sometimes,if intonation is getting hazey, I slam previously recorded tracks with Auto-tune in Auto Mode, using Audiosuite in PT. I'll go back later and finesses things, but it's a quick way to make sure that the singer has something solid as they lay down their part. Also helpful if a bass note is a little out, and you didn't notice it until you started to build the arrangement up around it.

[sears]

There's almost always another instrument playing the melody along with Debbie Harry on those old Blondie records..

[drumsound]

Back when records had budgets they would hire 'ghost singers' to sing the right parts as a scratch so the 'actual artists' could follow along. I believe Paula Abdul got sued because the ghost singer claimed to be on the released record, but not credited and compensated thusly.