Poll: Your view on auto-tune
- Thread starter d4rkxy13x
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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.
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.
Some people use it or things like it in a very creative way. I'm thinking Imogen Heap and especially Laurie Anderson (who invented an equivalent, the so-called Talking Stick, back in the day). But then again, Laurie is not so much a singer as a performance artist, artist being the operative word. Bottom line, it's a tool just like any other. Some are very good with it and have figured out exactly what should be done with its help, others... not so much.
But think about it this way: in the 70s punks didn't tune their guitars and basses and coined that as a cool thing to do, replacing musical skill and talent with attitude and ferocity. How many people must've said what they're doing is an abomination? As an avant-guarde phenomenon, it was bound to be thoroughly detested, but given time, people started to build on it, and we got The Cure and R.E.M.. I'm not trying to say that Ke$ha or whatever her name is spelled like is a torchbearer of musical genius, I just think that, eventually, there's a chance some smart, creative, wonderful people will come along and nail it for all of our enjoyment!
But think about it this way: in the 70s punks didn't tune their guitars and basses and coined that as a cool thing to do, replacing musical skill and talent with attitude and ferocity. How many people must've said what they're doing is an abomination? As an avant-guarde phenomenon, it was bound to be thoroughly detested, but given time, people started to build on it, and we got The Cure and R.E.M.. I'm not trying to say that Ke$ha or whatever her name is spelled like is a torchbearer of musical genius, I just think that, eventually, there's a chance some smart, creative, wonderful people will come along and nail it for all of our enjoyment!
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
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
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.Gildan Bladeborn said:
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.
Yeah! Fuck electronic music! Fuck synthesisers! Fuck MaxMSP!TheLiham said:
Jesus christ... -.-
did you expect any answer other than "OMG I HATE MAINSTREAM MUSIC AND AUTOTUNEZ". I think its a cool effect if not overdone.
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.GiantRaven said:
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.
Even people that actually don't try singing can sing with autotune. Just look atChairman Miaow said:
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.Chairman Miaow 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.GiantRaven said:
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?
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.
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$ha at least.
Don't forget "Still Alive"!
Though it's great for making songs out of regular audio clips.
<youtube=9Cd36WJ79z4>
This, and the other Symphony of Science songs, make up for Ke$ha at least.
Don't forget "Still Alive"!
[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.
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.
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) thatartists 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!
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
EDIT: Dang it thenumberthirteen, you beat me to it! Bah!