How many of you use pitch correction for your own vocals?

Do you use pitch correction on your own vocals?

  • I wouldn't touch that shit with a 10-foot pole.

    Votes: 27 33.3%

  • I only use it when absolutely necessary (time constraints, etc.).

    Votes: 7 8.6%

  • I use it when needed. It's just a tool like EQ, compression, etc.

    Votes: 38 46.9%

  • Yes Please! I'll take all I can!

    Votes: 9 11.1%
  • Total voters
    81
If the talentless singers can pay me buy the hour I'm happy to work on their noise.

Well, not happy...but when I get depressed I just think of the next bottle of rum...
 
At the end of the day, we use a lot of tools to change what was there in the first place... not just pitch correction but spatial, tone and level correction as well... where do you really draw the line?
 
GuitarLegend said:
At the end of the day, we use a lot of tools to change what was there in the first place... not just pitch correction but spatial, tone and level correction as well... where do you really draw the line?
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See my post #103 for where I draw the line. As I said, it's just the way I see it, and it's what makes sense/works for me, but I understand others feel differently.

And I think the thing that Miro isn't getting is that really it's just a matter of principle for some of us. It doesn't matter how many takes I have to do; I want to do it myself. I don't want a machine to do it for me. Besides the fact that the repetition is nothing but practice that's making me better anyway, there's just more satisfaction (to me) if I do it myself. Even if I would only get it right once in 20 takes, to me that's a lot better than throwing in the towel and letting the computer fix it.

There's not only a physical benefit (i.e., the practice you're getting by singing more), but there's an emotional victory (for me) as well. So it's not just a practical thing (meaning that it's only making you better to sing more); it's really more of the principle to me.
 
Funny. I don't have a problem with auto correcting a 5-10 cent problem on a few notes. (BTW, I could never sing that well, but I don't usually auto-correct anyway, you just have to deal with my lousy singing :)).

But I object strenuously to no-talent, pretty faces that can't be bothered to practice enough to get two of the notes of their song correct in a row. So, I'm kind of in both camps.

If I were touting myself as a singer/songwriter, I would certainly want my voice to sound better and I would go for WAY more practice and might be tempted to stretch a few notes that last little bit, but since I'm only claiming to be a songwriter, you just have to deal with it...:guitar:
 
I've been using flex pitch on Logic and no one has noticed yet anything yet. If it had to be used drastically you would hear it noticeably though, and in that case it would be redone.

I think it's great, I don't think I'd get Melodyne considering how useful I'm finding this.
 
famous beagle said:
And I think the thing that Miro isn't getting is that really it's just a matter of principle for some of us.
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Oh come on now... :facepalm:
Please don't tell me your recording principles are at some higher, more noble place. :D
I work my ass off on every take, every track, every song, every mix...and the goal is always the end product, and not really about me trying to impress myself with being able to pull something off by sheer luck or accident on the 23rd take just for the sake of some principals.

Sure, I'm very happy when I can nail something in 1-2 takes...or even when I needed to do 23 takes and finally get it as good as I can, but if I'm still hearing some room for improvement even after that, and I know that doing another 23 takes is not going to make much difference or I've reached a point of diminishing returns...ahhhhh....it's time to consider what other options are available.
Like either doing a nudge here-n-there once it's in the DAW....or with endless repetition, shooting for some "emotional victory" that may or may not come.
I've done that...run a recording session into the ground over one track. There was no real victory, just stubbornness.
I initially track to tape....so there's much more focus on getting good takes, but at the same time, I don't need to beat it to death over a note or two. I'm working on a music production...it's not a math final.

I've heard your songs...like that short MP3 of the Coverdale tune. You sing it very well, but there are spots where the pitch is off a little ("my mind").
I personally would want to fix that, especially when it would be easy, subtle and still sound like you (and not the computer)...
...it would be just a little better after some pitch correction. ;)
 
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miroslav said:
Oh come on now... :facepalm:
Please don't tell me your recording principles are at some higher, more noble place. :D
I work my ass off on every take, every track, every song, every mix...and the goal is always the end product, and not really about me trying to impress myself with being able to pull something off by sheer luck or accident on the 23rd take just for the sake of some principals.
Click to expand...
And he very clearly explained his position and why he feels that way and it had nothing to do with his 'recording principles being at some higher, more noble place' ... although you only quoted the part you could ridicule.
He felt that it helps him grow and improve ..... nothing silly about that.

You have your way of doing things and that's fine .... it's what works for you.

But his way is just as fine if it works for him and I'm not sure why you feel you get to insist the only right way is yours and while you're at it, ridicule his POV.

And personally I try very hard to do complete single take tracks without any comping if at all possible .... I don't feel I have higher recording principles ..... it's just how I prefer to do things.
Apparently it's how he prefers to do it too.

This isn't religion and there are no right or wrong ways ...... it's all personal taste.
Hell, even my dislike of crappy singers being made to sound good is just my personal taste.
 
Lt. Bob said:
And he very clearly explained his position and why he feels that way and it had nothing to do with his 'recording principles being at some higher, more noble place' ... although you only quoted the part you could ridicule.
He felt that it helps him grow and improve ..... nothing silly about that.
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Well said, Lt. Bob. Yeah I was a bit shocked when I first started reading your post Miro, as I in no way was trying to imply that I have a higher moral standard when recording or anything like that. I tried to state, repeatedly, that it's what works for me, and I understand that other people feel differently.

It's just something about which I choose to draw a line in the sand about. Others may choose other points, and that's all good too. I'm not claiming to be better or superior to anyone else.
 
famous beagle said:
...I was a bit shocked when I first started reading your post Miro, as I in no way was trying to imply that I have a higher moral standard when recording or anything like that.
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I wasn't looking to get into a negative exchange...and why I chuckled :D at it....but honestly, the way you wrote it, it certainly reads as some ridicule aimed at me and my production choices....because you specifically said that I don't get that principals matter to some of you...which implies that since I "don't get it", principals must not matter to me.

I said a long time ago that I don't much care about what people choose to do, and that everything is OK as long as it's done tastefully and true to the intent of the production and within acceptable norms, without absolute faking.

LT. Bob

I appreciate you wanting to do the judge/jury thing...but it doesn't matter how you read his comment...it only matters how I read it, since he specifically aimed it at me.
 
miroslav said:
I appreciate you wanting to do the judge/jury thing...but it doesn't matter how you read his comment...it only matters how I read it, since he specifically aimed it at me.
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nope ..... public comments and I have every right to state my opinion on them.

Also I didn't do a judge/jury thing although your often partial-reading of things might lead you to conclude I did.

I simply said I didn't like the way you responded to him and I didn't ..... you liking it or not is irrelevant to me ..... I'd do the same if someone responded to you rudely.

I don't like rudeness and snarky remarks ...... they're unnecessary and contribute nothing worthwhile.
 
Lt. Bob said:
I don't like rudeness and snarky remarks ...... they're unnecessary and contribute nothing worthwhile.
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If you could only read your own posts the way you read other people's posts.
I was speaking with the beagle, but you just had to inject yourself into it.

Funny...you didn't see the ridicule in his comment....but somehow my objection to his comment, you saw as ridicule.
Why doesn't that surprise me? :D

This thread has now officially off topic...enjoy yourself.
 
miroslav said:
I wasn't looking to get into a negative exchange...and why I chuckled :D at it....but honestly, the way you wrote it, it certainly reads as some ridicule aimed at me and my production choices....because you specifically said that I don't get that principals matter to some of you...which implies that since I "don't get it", principals must not matter to me.

I said a long time ago that I don't much care about what people choose to do, and that everything is OK as long as it's done tastefully and true to the intent of the production and within acceptable norms, without absolute faking.

LT. Bob

I appreciate you wanting to do the judge/jury thing...but it doesn't matter how you read his comment...it only matters how I read it, since he specifically aimed it at me.
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Well we're just going to have to agree to disagree I guess on this one. All I was trying to say was that, for some of us, it's a matter of principle. I'm not saying you don't have any principles. We all have different principles.

I put my foot down about pitch correction and time manipulation.
Greg puts his foot down about using amp sims (and pitch correction too).
I'm sure there are things that you put your foot down about too. It's just that they're different from me, and that's all I was trying to say.

I'm not trying to/wasn't trying to attack anyone. But whatever. Believe that if you want.
 
I don't think you were really "attacking" me...I think you were trying to defend your own position.
It's just the way it read when you said that I don't get it about some people having principals.
That's a broad, generic statement.

We move on....
 
miroslav said:
I don't think you were really "attacking" me...I think you were trying to defend your own position.
It's just the way it read when you said that I don't get it about some people having principals.
That's a broad, generic statement.

We move on....
Click to expand...

Yes, let's.
 
I have zero principles and am only interested in the end product. I'm not a good player or singer and have no mic technique. The only time I get to practise is the short time I spend in my little studio, so I have to cheat and cut corners to get anything decent. So, I copy and paste sections, record in short bursts, pitch correct, anything I need to get a better result. I am getting better on the mic, but slowly. I get gradually worse on the guitar as the years go by without any practise time. I use amp sims when I don't have time to set up mics (I would lose all my studio time to mic placement, most likely!).

If I were better at all this, I'd probably be more principled and record each part in full song-length takes (this is actually what I try to do after recording scratch versions to sort out arrangement, but I'm not consistent enough for it to work) and use no pitch correction. Unfortunately, my vocal skills aren't up to it - my main vox are usually fine, but backing vox sound awful if they're not tight and I usually tweak them with ReaTune.

Going back to my first statement about being only interested in the end product, I'd probably get a better end product without these tricks, but that would need skills and that would need more practise time, which I just don't have.

The end.
 
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