seti Posted September 9, 2011 Author Share Posted September 9, 2011 Top 10 Autotune HIts. Number one is shown above. http://top40.about.com/od/top10lists/tp/top10autotune.htm What a bunch of crap! Well except for Daft Punk but they are likely using it for effect as they use lots of voice effects. They aren't using it inthe traditional fashion but abusing technology for effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 A tall tale..... A rock concert takes place a number of years back at a local arena, a band called "Boston". The dock manager oversees the incoming horde of trucks - at least fifteen - which took a number of hours to unload. The dock manager, obviously winded, then looks at the band's road manager and says "WOW - I've been in this business a long time and have never seen so much equipment. What are you doing with all of this?" So the road manager starts pointing out the contents of the various trucks, now spread at one end of the arena. "This is the speakers, this is the stage, over here is the light rig, and these crates are the band's instruments. It's quite a production." "I'll say", says the dock manager. "It's quite an array of stuff, and I'm sure glad we're finally done unloading it all!" "Not so fast", says the road manager, pointing out the back door, where ANOTHER caravan of twelve semis heads down the parking lot towards the docks. "What are THOSE? We have the lights, stage, speakers, instruments - what could possibly be missing?" aksed the dock manager. "Those are processors for Brad, who is our lead singer." [] I kid, of course, but the "autotune" reminds me much of those old jokes about bands using excess equipment to get those crazy sounding effects. Queen used to inscribe "No Synthesizers!" on album jacket liner notes to prove purity against the "backlash" against the use of "non-instruments" back in the day. At least Boston seemed to use that stuff to pretty good effect, whereas "autotune" sounds much like a chipmunk singing underwater, and might well be the biggest attack on high fidelity in the history of recorded music. Yes, it's worse than the IPod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groomlakearea51 Posted September 10, 2011 Share Posted September 10, 2011 We've been watching America's Got Talent for the past few weeks. There's a young band, Poplyfe, that is really good, and does something different each time. And an older black guy who is a crooner (by his own admission, doing frank sinatra and dean martin), and they are both really, really good. Obviously no autotune... Bruce My wife and I call Poplyfe "Joan Jett & the Blackhearts V2.0, in a good way though. We want her to do "I Love Rock & Roll" in the finals!!! The crooner is really good. He may not win, as his target audience appeal is somewhat oriented to the "Soprano's" crowd.... but he should be able to get decent well paying gigs after next week even if he does not win. He and his family deserve a break. [Y] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Quote I hate autotune. It is pure evil and must be destroyed... On the other hand, I found myself buying some pop (I'll refrain from identifying the artist presently), and then all of her albums (oops!). I was pleased to hear refrains in tune. Sorry to come to the party late... but here, it's never too late, right? (Unless you're trying to buy something at under market price...[oops!]). Then I had a near-religious experience and entered the 21st century, which ushered in the required readings about autotune - and it's evils. It was there that I heard that the artist that I recently invested in has used it since her 2002 debut (oops again!). (Not to worry - Amazon has used CDs really, really cheap.) I'm not sure that it's evil, but it certainly can be. I didn't realize that I was cringing most of the time since pop singers typically can't (or won't) sing in-tune in choruses, etc. The revelation wasn't that autotune was being used and I didn't know it that really bothered me. It was, rather, that I could now listen to this stuff now and have fun listening to it without grinding my teeth. Much like I remember listening to music when I was pre-grade school. It's fun again. ...wow... Okay, so let's recap: 1) once loved listening to mindless pop music with its terrible, TERRIBLE doggerel lyrics that lyrically color-blind pop idiots swoon over (Shakespeare and Robert Burns I'm sure have been grinding their teeth from their graves...) 2) Years of listening to pop stuff on a hit-or-miss basis, and not realizing that I liked pop that was sung in tune (...and by complete accident, I'm sure..), because I wasn't listening to the lyrics beforehand. 3) Suddenly, I begin to listen to a bunch of pop being played on the radio that doesn't have have me grinding my teeth. I still ignore all the lyrics. It's like a fun ride back to Junior High school (that is, grades 7-9). Wow, it's fun again - but I find myself hesitating to reveal what I'm doing to anyone else. 4) Chris comes out of the closet. Chris P.S. I also find myself adding to my Frank (Sinatra) collection - he is one singer noted for his perfect pitch capabilities, as well as Julie Andrews, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Mariah Carey, Jimi Hendrix, Maureen McGovern, Barbra Streisand, Brian and Carl Wilson (when they were young), and Stevie Wonder. Interesting... ...and I still ignore the lyrics... (I wonder when Bob Dylan is going to start using it? I might actually sit through one of his tunes if he did, I'd bet.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 I hate autotune. It is pure evil and must be destroyed...On the other hand, I found myself buying some pop (I'll refrain from identifying the artist presently), and then all of her albums (oops!). I was pleased to hear refrains in tune. Sorry to come to the party late... but here, it's never too late, right? (Unless you're trying to buy something at under market price...[oops!]). Then I had a near-religious experience and entered the 21st century, which ushered in the required readings about autotune - and it's evils. It was there that I heard that the artist that I recently invested in has used it since her 2002 debut (oops again!). (Not to worry - Amazon has used CDs really, really cheap.) I'm not sure that it's evil, but it certainly can be. I didn't realize that I was cringing most of the time since pop singers typically can't (or won't) sing in-tune in choruses, etc. The revelation wasn't that autotune was being used and I didn't know it that really bothered me. It was, rather, that I could now listen to this stuff now and have fun listening to it without grinding my teeth. Much like I remember listening to music when I was pre-grade school. It's fun again. ...wow... Okay, so let's recap: 1) once loved listening to mindless pop music with it's terrible, TERRIBLE doggerel lyrics that lyrically color-blind pop idiots swoon over (Shakespeare and Robert Burns I'm sure have been grinding their teeth from their graves... ). 2) Years of listening to pop stuff on a hit-or-miss basis, and not realizing that I liked pop that was sung in tune (...by complete accident, I'm sure..), and not listening to the lyrics at all. 3) Suddenly, I begin to listen to a bunch of pop being played on the radio that doesn't have have me grinding my teeth. I still ignore all the lyrics. It's like a fun ride back to Junior High school (that is, grades 7-9). Wow, it's fun again - but I find myself hesitating to reveal what I'm doing to anyone else. 4) Chris comes out of the closet. Chris P.S. I also find myself adding to my Frank (Sinatra) collection - he is one singer noted for his perfect pitch capabilities, as well as Julie Andrews, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Mariah Carey, Jimi Hendrix, Maureen McGovern, Barbra Streisand, Brian and Carl Wilson (when they were young), and Stevie Wonder. Interesting... ...and I still ignore the lyrics... (I wonder when Bob Dylan is going to start using it? I might actually sit through one of his tunes if he did, I'd bet.) HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER!!!!!!!!! I just had to clean my desk of coffee spew. Bob Dylan through an autotune.............. OMG I'm going to start working on this. I like vocal manipulation when used for an interesting affect but not as a "style" or "sound" for am entire career. Ahh makes me sad. It is still here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER!!!!!!!!! I just had to clean my desk of coffee spew. Bob Dylan through an autotune.............. OMG I'm going to start working on this. []I like vocal manipulation when used for an interesting effect but not as a "style" or "sound" for an entire career.I'm a little to the left of your position, but note that if I can detect auto-tuning, then I don't like it at all.Chris (ex-teeth grinder) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 There have been some classics that have used the talk box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exponential Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Respectfully disagree. Yes, it can be a crutch, but when used by a talented and creative individual, it can add a beautiful quality to vocals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaudeJ1 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 The first and the worst. Don't get me wrong, I've always thought Cher was a babe, sure something androgynous, but a babe none-the-less. Let's face it, it was the 80's and music was seriously screwed up at the time. Anyone in Hollywood should just call her and get the names of her plastic surgeons, period. I recommend the Blue Ray "Burlesque." Christina or Cher do NOT need auto tune. Cher used it for a special effect, not to pitch up her voice, like the others.She had to deliberately sing off pitch for the effect to kick in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 After discussing this subject with my future son-in-law (who happens to be a leader in a pretty fabulous local band) who made a comment about the potential effects on fidelity of the finished product by pitch correction software/hardware, I found this link: http://www.tweakheadz.com/pitch_correction.html While I didn't find any discussion on the merits or demerits of pitch correction in terms of fidelity degradation (and I don't really think that there is any down side here if used properly), the linked site has a pretty interesting discussion that drains much of the emotion out of the standard arguments against its use. This assumes the setting aside all those discussions regarding improper use of pitch correction. I see it as a useful tool for musicians - just like all devices invented for making and producing music in the 20th and 21st centuries. Heck, you could easily take a swipe at electric guitars, basses, electric organs, mixing consoles, multi-track recorders, and music recording in general if you take a Luddite position on the subject. I still don't see the down side, except the potential for young folks to forget that real-life live music is less than "perfect", but has its own merits not attainable by recorded and played-back music. What's really interesting is that the tools are now supporting chord correction (polyphonic correction) and also building harmonies from vocal or instrumental melody lines. If you look at it from a composer's viewpoint, this is pretty interesting and a potentially very useful tool in the hands of the composer. If I were a composer, I'd look into using this tool to hear different arrangements without the requiring re-recording and re-synching of tracks. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 ................and if I was a well known singer that sometimes sang off key in my live performances (Reba McIntyre uses autotune) and noticed it was affecting my reputation and "INCOME" (present and future)...............I would use autotune to cover up the notes I couldn't hit anymore and RIP PEOPLE OFF during the live performances. It ends up being live + faking it. That's not what I want to pay for when I go to a concert. I agree with Seti...........Autotune sucks when it's used for voice correction. It is a tool that precludes the listener from hearing exactly what the performer has to offer without any tools or crutches. Today's both recorded music and live performances are becomming "genetically engineered" and are not the bare unadulterated product of the performer anymore. It's a load of crap. Imagine the Grateful Dead using autotune. Nobody would have those massive collections they have today. Everything would have sounded perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 this is a good use of auto-tune... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 indeed! [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 Imagine the Grateful Dead using autotune That's interesting: I don't own a single Grateful Dead recording... [:|] I wonder why? I also don't own any of Reba, either. I guess it's just personal preference, I suppose, or maybe... [:#] Chris Edit: I agree with Seti...........Autotune sucks when it's used for voice correction. It is a tool that precludes the listener from hearing exactly what the performer has to offer without any tools or crutches. Today's both recorded music and live performances are becomming "genetically engineered" and are not the bare unadulterated product of the performer anymore.Interesting - mostly, I just listen to the music. If they can't hit the pitch anymore (yikes, listen to the Beach Boys nowadays), then I usually will find out. But the illusion is enough for some music that I listen to - particularly pop/R&R - I don't equate those genres with a lot of "expertise", typically, and unfortunately. It's just fun (sometimes). I also try not to judge those genres of artists that I do listen to, since many of them have real life issues (just like the rest of us). I find that the illusion is good enough. Even Cher is an illusion nowadays. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 If you look at Thebes "top 10" article most "newer" artists using autoune are already producing heavily electronically altered music. Fine. I agree they may be using autotune for the reasons they cite. All I am saying as that if a singer can't hit a note and instead turns to an artifical method to "fix that"..............it is a rip off to their fans and the hard earned dollars they pay to see their music idols. Reba has admitted using autotume to help her stay on key in live performances..............citing in live performances she can't always here herself in the in ear monitors. The autotune only kicks in when she is off key. That my friend is exactly what I call a rip off to your fans. It's a bunch of BS. She REALLY sings off key and covers it up so people will still pay good money to see her. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 All I am saying as that if a singer can't hit a note and instead turns to an artifical method to "fix that"..............it is a rip off to their fans and the hard earned dollars they pay to see their music idols. Ahhh, resurrecting this old thread again! [6] I have to agree with this. Thankfully, in my chosen genre of music (power/progressive metal), Autotune is not used at all, or very, VERY rarely. I've personally seen these singers in live situations and they can actually sing. Heck, one, at ProgPower two years ago, there were a bunch of them in a back stairwell backstage singing "accapella" just for the hell of it, and yeah, they can sing! As for Autotune used as an effect, I just don't like the sound of it. It just sounds so "artificial" and "fake" to me. Also does not help that I absolutely CANNOT STAND current pop and R&B music. I've tried listening to some of it - I end up shutting if off before I can even make it through a single song. [+o(]. I looked through that list 'thebes' posted awhile back, and I personally think every single one of those tracked sucked major ***! I would not even waste the bandwidth and harddrive space on my server to download any of that illegally, let alone, actually PAY for it! Give me a "real" band, that has "real" talent like Damnation Angels any day (that I am listening to right now)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivernuggets Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 Imagine the Grateful Dead using autotune. Nobody would have those massive collections they have today. Everything would have sounded perfect. That's an interesting point. I've liked songs right away because they are 'perfect' to me at the time. The arrangement, vocals, harmonies, etc. all 'check' as just right. Those are the songs that burn very bright and, many times, fade just as fast. Songs that take a while to digest, because they're not done in a fashion I like, can be very rewarding over time. My mileage may vary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Maybe I complained a little hard in this thread. But it's in my blood. You see I rarely buy studio recorded music. I usually only listen to and purchase live music recordings. I drifted away from studio recordings years ago and really prefer live sound. I have a huge CD collection and just don't play the studio stuff much at all. ............which leads me to say I have always LOVED going to watch live music and of course concerts. I like to listen critically to the performers, players, singers, instruments, sound system, etc. I take it all in. I just don't want fake anything when it comes to this. I want it all to be live, in the moment..........and for God's sake.........REAL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Mark, If we're putting our cards on the table, I've got to then mention that if I wasn't so sensitive to musicians being on pitch, I wouldn't be writing into this thread defending pitch correction software, preferring studio recordings to live recordings: I'd instead be listening to such performers such as Bob Dylan and Billie Holiday. But the fact of the matter is that I've been cursed, since I don't know when, so I'll continue to advocate singing and playing on pitch--or at least correcting it after the fact since my ears won't allow me to enjoy it otherwise. "I'd rather not listen to the choir singing flat." Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris A Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 On 8/31/2012 at 5:13 AM, Chris A said: (I wonder when Bob Dylan is going to start using it? I might actually sit through one of his tunes if he did, I'd bet.) On 8/31/2012 at 5:33 AM, seti said: HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER!!!!!!!!! I just had to clean my desk of coffee spew. Bob Dylan through an autotune...OMG I'm going to start working on this... See http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/27/3964406/seduced-by-perfect-pitch-how-auto-tune-conquered-pop-music The takeover is complete: Bob Dylan IS using Auto-Tune (...by default). Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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