Poll: Your view on auto-tune

Recommended Videos

Sabrestar

New member
Apr 13, 2010
432
0
0
I'm married to a musician who has to work damn hard to play her instrument perfectly. If she wants any hope of winning an audition, she doesn't just have to be perfect, she has to be beyond perfect. And it has to be live, and she only gets one chance. I'd like to see these lazy "fix my voice with autotune" pop rejects try to perform like real musicians once.

I can see some value only when used to create a real electronic-sounding synthesised sort of voice, provided the music specifically calls for that. But hell, just use a vocoder if that's what the goal is. I'm sure there are plenty of better ways to make a voice sound electronic rather than some lame autotune garbage.

/rant
 

GiantRaven

New member
Dec 5, 2010
2,422
0
0
Gildan Bladeborn said:
So my message to all the so-called "artists" who "sing" entirely through the aid of auto-tune: Get bent, that is freaking disgraceful and you disgust me.
Are guitarists who use chorus and reverb also freaking disgraceful and disgust you? What about whammy pedals? Distortion? They're all additional effects that improve the sound of a guitarist, much like an auto-tuned singer.

As far as I'm concerned it's just another effect that can potentially be utilised in the crafting of a song. However, I do feel it has become somewhat overused, or at the very least not used innovatively enough.

TheLiham said:
My view on the subject. If you can't make music without the aid of computers. Don't make fucking music! Unluckily there is barely anyone on the radio who do play their own instruments and now they aren't even using their voices ¬¬
Yeah! Fuck electronic music! Fuck synthesisers! Fuck MaxMSP!

Jesus christ... -.-
 

hottsaucekid

New member
Sep 20, 2009
304
0
0
did you expect any answer other than "OMG I HATE MAINSTREAM MUSIC AND AUTOTUNEZ". I think its a cool effect if not overdone.
 

Chairman Miaow

CBA to change avatar
Nov 18, 2009
2,091
0
0
GiantRaven said:
Gildan Bladeborn said:
So my message to all the so-called "artists" who "sing" entirely through the aid of auto-tune: Get bent, that is freaking disgraceful and you disgust me.
Are guitarists who use chorus and reverb also freaking disgraceful and disgust you? What about whammy pedals? Distortion? They're all additional effects that improve the sound of a guitarist, much like an auto-tuned singer.

As far as I'm concerned it's just another effect that can potentially be utilised in the crafting of a song. However, I do feel it has become somewhat overused, or at the very least not used innovatively enough.
Do guitarists just program their music and let something else play it for them? That is effectively what auto-tune is. Anybody can sing with auto-tune, it needs no talent.
 

Thaliur

New member
Jan 3, 2008
617
0
0
There are songs/artists that use it quite well (Ladytron and Pendulum are the only ones I can think of right now though) but most of the time (Casha, Kati Perry and the likes) it's really annoying and makes their voices sound horrible.

Chairman Miaow said:
Anybody can sing with auto-tune, it needs no talent.
Even people that actually don't try singing can sing with autotune. Just look at
 

GiantRaven

New member
Dec 5, 2010
2,422
0
0
Chairman Miaow said:
Do guitarists just program their music and let something else play it for them? That is effectively what auto-tune is. Anybody can sing with auto-tune, it needs no talent.
Coming from that aspect (which I had neglected to consider) then sure, the auto-tune does have negative connotations of a lack of talent and laziness. I just don't understand the complaints about how it's bad because it makes somebodies voice sound better.
 

Gildan Bladeborn

New member
Aug 11, 2009
3,042
0
0
GiantRaven said:
Gildan Bladeborn said:
So my message to all the so-called "artists" who "sing" entirely through the aid of auto-tune: Get bent, that is freaking disgraceful and you disgust me.
Are guitarists who use chorus and reverb also freaking disgraceful and disgust you? What about whammy pedals? Distortion? They're all additional effects that improve the sound of a guitarist, much like an auto-tuned singer.
Why the hell would they be? They're people actually playing instruments - the effects that get layered on top of that may or may not make the end result sound better or significantly more annoying, but that is still a bloody skill.

Talking into a microphone and having the output translated into a stupid robot voice on the other hand is not a skill - it doesn't sound good (not as the ubiquitous 'voice' of a song at least), and it's never an improvement over a decent natural voice. Using Auto-tune to subtly correct pitch is perfectly fine, and obviously distorting vocals for a particular effect here or there has its place as well, but recording entire songs/albums/careers using nothing but "the auto-tone voice" is, as I earlier suggested, completely disgraceful; either you're compensating for your complete lack of any discernable vocal talent, or you can sing but for some bizarre reason think sounding like a pitch-perfect robot all the time is preferable, in which case you are simply crazy.

There is nothing whatsoever wrong with electronic composition and editing tools, except when they are used as a crutch for talentless hacks - if I can't play a bloody guitar, I really have no business calling myself a guitarist, now do I?
 

PROcrastinator

New member
Nov 2, 2010
69
0
0
eh. I find auto-tune to be over used. I bet over half of the new "artists" would not even had a career if it didnt exist, which is what i wish.
 

XT inc

Senior Member
Jul 29, 2009
990
0
21
I like knowing there are millionaires out there who got their money talking into a computer that does all the work for them.
 

thenumberthirteen

Unlucky for some
Dec 19, 2007
4,789
0
0
It's like a Violin. If you know how to use it it can sound beautiful. Every other time it'll sound like you're neutering a cat with a cheese grater.

Though it's great for making songs out of regular audio clips.

<youtube=9Cd36WJ79z4>

This, and the other Symphony of Science songs, make up for Ke$ha at least.

Don't forget "Still Alive"!
 

Nouw

New member
Mar 18, 2009
15,607
0
0
[sub]Don't let BonsaiK in >.>![/sub]

I believe that it can be very well-used like in the electronic genre (*cough*Daft Punk*cough*) but otherwise, I rarely notice it and simply do not care. If they wish to perfect their voice using a program so be it. Of course I'm not a fan of the artists that usually use it but that's their songs and singing, not auto-tune.

According to BonsaiK, they use it because they 'like' how it sounds.
 

koriantor

New member
Nov 9, 2009
142
0
0
Auto-tune itself is a tool. Dabbling in the music creation process, tools are really nice to have. They open up really cool doors of creativity and if you can pull it off, or you have a smashing idea, it's the best feeling in the world. For me, auto-tune is what I would use to just clean up my vocal tracks (but being an FL Studio user, I'll be using the much cheaper Newtone and Pitcher). However, I prefer not to this because it doesn't fit what I like in music.

I love electronica sure, but not the type most would think of when they think of electronica. The good folks down at OC ReMix do electronica right. They're musical with what they do, and are truly a talented bunch. Jillian Aversa is one of the remixers there and she has quite a bit of talent, and has done several electronica songs as the vocalist, where no auto-tune was required, but some of the remixers aren't quite as talented. I can recall at least one instance of auto-tune used just to brush up the vocals to make them sound not so flat/sharp. I can respect that, because the effect wasn't really noticeable and it helped make the song sound better. However, compare it to say... T-Pain where the effect is so glarlingly obvious and embraced upon, it doesn't fit what I like. I prefer my music to have a touch of human element, not just super trance with auto-tuned vocals or some stupid pop song that hardly has any sense of musicality to it. But that's my opinion.

For example, OC ReMixer zircon is quite talented. His signature of big beat, electronica and synth, and natural elements really pull his songs together. Like this

Yes it had no auto-tune, but that's not the point. What I'm saying is I really love my music, no matter how electronic it gets, to have some sort of "human" element to it. The auto-tune sucks that feeling away. However, there are cases auto-tune can add the human feeling, if done right. Some of you posted the bed-intruder song previously, and that's an example of creativity alright, but in the end, that's just for laughs. There's no substance to it. Symphony of Science is auto-tuned, but done in a creative, somewhat constructive way.

Anyway, when it all comes down to it, it's personal preference. I personally hope (oh I hope) that artists Audio Engineers will freakin' stop using auto-tune in everything they do and bring back some musicality. Then pop music might be a bit tolerable.

EDIT: Dang it thenumberthirteen, you beat me to it! Bah!
 

GiantRaven

New member
Dec 5, 2010
2,422
0
0
Gildan Bladeborn said:
Why the hell would they be? They're people actually playing instruments - the effects that get layered on top of that may or may not make the end result sound better or significantly more annoying, but that is still a bloody skill.

Talking into a microphone and having the output translated into a stupid robot voice on the other hand is not a skill
You are correct, it isn't a skill. It's an effect. Something that can utilised within the sound world to add aesthetic content to music. Why does 'skill' even enter the equation?

it doesn't sound good (not as the ubiquitous 'voice' of a song at least), and it's never an improvement over a decent natural voice.
I would say that this is a personal opinion (although one that I would be more inclined to agree with than disagree with).

but recording entire songs/albums/careers using nothing but "the auto-tone voice" is, as I earlier suggested, completely disgraceful
Songs? Albums? Really? Albums are often thematic in nature, especially when it comes to their timbrel content. If an artist wants to utilise an auto-tune over the course of an album, what's wrong with that? I agree about being over a career though, an artist should vary how they create music over the course of their career.

you can sing but for some bizarre reason think sounding like a pitch-perfect robot all the time is preferable, in which case you are simply crazy.
Because...you don't like how it sounds?

I generally find the sound of brass instruments distasteful and I don't go around stating that people who want to use them are crazy.

There is nothing whatsoever wrong with electronic composition and editing tools, except when they are used as a crutch for talentless hacks - if I can't play a bloody guitar, I really have no business calling myself a guitarist, now do I?
I agree wholeheartedly. But I don't think talented artists who want to utilise an auto-tune should take flak because of the talentless hacks.
 

koriantor

New member
Nov 9, 2009
142
0
0
Outright Villainy said:
It has its uses.


As well as auto tune the news and the like.

Would I give those up if it meant getting rid of it completely though?
Fuck yes. It's just a crutch for poor musicians these days, and even when used subtly, it just makes it sound way too artificial and polished.

And don't get me started on the monstrosity that is ke-dollar-ha.
Daft Punk isn't autotuned. They use vocoders.
 

Nouw

New member
Mar 18, 2009
15,607
0
0
koriantor said:
Outright Villainy said:
It has its uses.


As well as auto tune the news and the like.

Would I give those up if it meant getting rid of it completely though?
Fuck yes. It's just a crutch for poor musicians these days, and even when used subtly, it just makes it sound way too artificial and polished.

And don't get me started on the monstrosity that is ke-dollar-ha.
Daft Punk isn't autotuned. They use vocoders.
Vocoders? What about One More Time?
[sub]If Wikipedia is to be trusted.[/sub]
 

Outright Villainy

New member
Jan 19, 2010
4,331
0
0
koriantor said:
Outright Villainy said:
It has its uses.


As well as auto tune the news and the like.

Would I give those up if it meant getting rid of it completely though?
Fuck yes. It's just a crutch for poor musicians these days, and even when used subtly, it just makes it sound way too artificial and polished.

And don't get me started on the monstrosity that is ke-dollar-ha.
Daft Punk isn't autotuned. They use vocoders.
Oh. Well then I guess I can say outside of parody songs, I abhor every instance of autotune I've heard in music!
 

J-dog42

New member
Aug 1, 2010
229
0
0
If you can't sing without electronic assistance then you shouldn't be singing at all. At the risk of sounding old...I remember the days when you had to have talent to be famous.