Autotune - ing the stars

specific · Post by **specific** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 3:49 pm

It seems that there's hardly a record goes by without my ears being assailed by the effects/synthetic artifacts of Autotune, applied it would seem as a matter of course to the vocal track - and in some very surprising instances, too.
But is it just me? Or is it just that some form of Autotune paranoia has muscled its way into my listening enjoyment? Perhaps I just imagine that I can hear it (so let me know if you think I'm nuts)?
Nevertheless, I wonder just how many other listeners amongst this community have noticed anything similar.
If you think that you have, what's the most suprising instance of its use that you've come accross?
And, is Autotune a default insert in your vocal chain, regardless of who's doing the singing?

GooberNumber9 · Post by **GooberNumber9** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:19 pm

Yes, it does seem like virtually everything is autotuned these days, even artists who certainly don't need it. As evidence, the recent Sheryl Crowe and Sting collaboration. Yes, they were both clearly auto-tuned. I ask, who puts auto tune on STING's vocals? I mean, for real?

Todd Wilcox

Alex Netick · Post by **Alex Netick** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:14 pm

I don't know. I kind of lost a little respect for Sting when I saw him on the country music station a few years back on some video riding a horse and sporting an achey breaky haircut. That was probably about as bad as using autotune.

GooberNumber9 wrote:Yes, it does seem like virtually everything is autotuned these days, even artists who certainly don't need it. As evidence, the recent Sheryl Crowe and Sting collaboration. Yes, they were both clearly auto-tuned. I ask, who puts auto tune on STING's vocals? I mean, for real?

Todd Wilcox

kdarr · Post by **kdarr** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 4:52 pm

Yeah, what IS the deal with that, anyway? Maybe they're so bored with making records now that they just totally phone it in, and get in and out of the studio in a couple hours.

"We're good, right? I gotta go, I have 12 hours of Tantric sex/Kabbalah/Scientology/impoverished-brown-baby-adoption scheduled at 4:00. You guys can just 'fix it in the mix.'"

Either that, or the labels tell the producers that they want it to sound "contemporary," i.e. exactly like every other shitty record coming out.

With all that money at stake we can't afford to take ANY chances! Use the "hit record" preset!

[<|>]

rydaken · Post by **rydaken** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:13 pm

It's become a stylistic choice for effect, as well. T-Pain, Akon, and many many others. And they weren't even the first. It's kinda like the "Sonic Maximizer" of the new millennium.

rwc · Post by **rwc** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:23 pm

A lot of people, both artists and label staff seem to want to make someone the next beyonce or the next 50 cent. Everyone wants to be the next nirvana or jimmy eat world.

If I were an artist, I wouldn't want to be the next shakira. I'd want to be the next me.. RWC from tape-op. :]

It'd be cool if others thought that way as well.

jonathan · Post by **jonathan** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:23 pm

haha-
i feel like the way i use auto tune is a punishment

"oh it doesn't sound good? maybe ill just auto tune it...

THEN, it will sound, "GOOD""

i hate that thing- fuck it
if my record doesnt sell because the vocals are out of tune
then oh well!

roscoenyc · Post by **roscoenyc** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:56 am

"how was that one?" from the booth.....

well, we can always put it in the J-Lo Box

specific · Post by **specific** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:34 am

So I'm not the only one that can hear it, then?

OK, how about this:
For the Autotune-sesitive among you, who would agree that the new Plant/Krauss collaboration might not unfairly be dubbed 'Raising Pitch'?

Hey - don't get me wrong -I love 'em both and like their record a lot but I can't for the life of me figure why anyone would be Autotuning Alison Krauss - and least of all T-Bone Burnett (whom I also admire), unless it's meant to be part of a stratergy to deliver a sound that is, to quote the press-release, "effortlessly, breath-takingly modern".

It's certainly taking my breath away but perhaps the easiest explanation is that I'm suffering from a bad case of Autotune paranoia?

But before I seek counselling, I'd be interested to know whether anyone else can hear it.

jonathan · Post by **jonathan** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:17 am

i=im sure alot of people here can-

i know i can hear that thing all over the place.

its the worst whenthe vocalist sings with a timbre that sounds like the voice is being tuned... and then when you place the auto tuning on top of that... shit reallly sucks...

GooberNumber9 · Post by **GooberNumber9** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 10:59 am

specific wrote:So I'm not the only one that can hear it, then?

OK, how about this:
For the Autotune-sesitive among you, who would agree that the new Plant/Krauss collaboration might not unfairly be dubbed 'Raising Pitch'?

You're not the only one. Seems like every other song on the radio has been A-Ted. And the ones that haven't are from 1992 or earlier.

If they A-T'ed Allison Krauss then... I don't know what to say. I mean, Sting is one thing, then Krauss. Imagine if Led Zeppelin or Johnny Cash were just getting started right now. God what a nightmare.

I can see readers of this forum helping to fight against rampant auto-tuning, but I know tons of musicians and of course producers who are in favor of it. I don't know if we can win out against both vocalists and producers if they are teamed up against us.

In my band, I recently spent four hours in the studio with my singer coaxing him to actually sing better (he decided it would be wise to stay up until 4:00 am the night before tracking vocals). We got a good track in the end, but I'm glad he doesn't know what Auto-tune is because he probably would have said "Just fix it yourself, I'm going back to bed" about 1/2 hour in.

Sigh.

Todd Wilcox

snakeskinboots · Post by **snakeskinboots** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:00 pm

I forget the article and the producer, but I read recently where some producer was talking about fixing one of Tom Petty's vocal tracks with a little bit of auto-tune. I really hated to read that and wonder if Petty hated that it was in print.

LVC_Jeff · Post by **LVC_Jeff** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 2:41 pm

My roommate is convinced that Mayer used Autotune all over his latest record. I can hear it sometimes, sometimes I can't. Crazy. I dun like it.

lapsteel · Post by **lapsteel** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 9:27 pm

Let's auto-tune eventhough it sounds fine/better without it.

I also wonder if it is just me. Doesn't the musician or producer hear how bad it sounds? Do people who don't record hear it?

kdarr · Post by **kdarr** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 9:54 pm

Wait, I think I figured it out!

See, Antares, Waves and Digidesign are all Mafia-owned companies*.

They're shaking down all the big-budget recording sessions to make sure that AutoTune and L3 are on EVERY mix... or else Paulie Walnuts might "hafta do some recordings of da inside-a-yer-ass!"

[<|>]

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Autotune - ing the stars

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