Maroon 5

[Pughbert]

Is anyone ealse with me in thinking "Songs about Jane" is a particulaly good, crisp clear sounding album in terms of the mixing?

James

[The Seifer]

no












bonus +10 characters

[Stavencrows]

actually there was a post about this a few months back - do a search and there's a few good comments on it. I thought it was very well recorded too.

[Commander]

Despite what you may think of her music, Avril Lavigne's albums are particularly well recorded I think.

I actually like her stuff too. Very good pop songs.

[Kevin Deschwazi]

I was always told that if you could hear autotune then it's been overused.

So I guess that's one area which they fucked up on, or maybe it doesn't matter any more? Maybe the pursuit of perfection in modern recording means it's better to have the singer sound like R2-D2 than to have an imperfection in the vocal track.

I don't doubt that it's technically well recorded and mixed but I hate the way it sounds. There's no soul in it but to be fair that could be as much to do with the songs and the performances.

[chadsxe]

Originally Posted by Kevin DeSchwazi

I don't doubt that it's technically well recorded and mixed but I hate the way it sounds. There's no soul in it but to be fair that could be as much to do with the songs and the performances.

Thats funny that you say there is no soul in it. I guess each persons opinions are going to defer because I think its very soulful.

[Rock Star 87]

I used to think that, but after listening further, i realize it's not nearly as crisp as "Love, Angel, Music, Baby" by Gwen Stefani. I think that that is mixed very well.

[faderbug]

weird mix on "if i was a rich girl" though, with the guitar like chord on top.

[robin watson]

Originally Posted by Rock Star 87

I used to think that, but after listening further, i realize it's not nearly as crisp as "Love, Angel, Music, Baby" by Gwen Stefani. I think that that is mixed very well.

And "Love, Angel, Music, Baby" by Gwen Stefani is not nearly as crisply recorded as Dutoit/the Montreal Symphony Orchestra's The Planets. Go figure.

[mshilarious]

Originally Posted by robin watson

And "Love, Angel, Music, Baby" by Gwen Stefani is not early as crisply recorded as Dutoit/the Montreal Symphony Orchestra's The Planets. Go figure.

I've got that! It is excellent.

[undrgrnd studio]

WHats autotune? I mean I can figure it out by the name, but I never used it or known anyone that has. Is it that horrible effect on that crappy Cher single "Life after Love" or that Kid Rock slow song from a few years back. Like a pitch shift.

[mshilarious]

Originally Posted by undrgrnd studio

WHats autotune? I mean I can figure it out by the name, but I never used it or known anyone that has. Is it that horrible effect on that crappy Cher single "Life after Love" or that Kid Rock slow song from a few years back. Like a pitch shift.

It's a travesty of modern technology that makes bad singers sound like robots

Yeah, it's an automatic pitch shift that corrects out-of-tune notes. I'll draw 300 responses to my comment above talking about how it can be used discreetly and tastefully, and how it's the only way to save sessions with paying clients who are crappy singers, and I believe all that too.

That doesn't explain Maroon 5 though.

[Stavencrows]

you can download a trial of antares autotune for free. It can sound robotic if you're more than a semi-tone out of tune. I used it and to be honest the stuff it corrected was unnecessary but does sound good for what it does.

[youwantmybass]

I can actually offer some useless info that may get this thread back on track.

Matt Wallace? Ever heard of him, he's got quite a long list of production/mixing duties.

Check him out and the video--->matt wallace @recordproduction.com

I'm a big fan of the site, I watch about 2 of the videos a week for kicks.
Fun stuff.
Enjoy,
Glenn

PS- note the lava lamps

[Brightside]

I saw them live & thought they were great but the use of autotune on the album (esp on She Will Be Loved) is ridiculous.
Scott

[wesley tanner]

Originally Posted by Brightside

I saw them live & thought they were great but the use of autotune on the album (esp on She Will Be Loved) is ridiculous.
Scott

I've heard some live recordings as well, where he was very very on pitch, almost to a degree of sounding like autotune(maybe he brought the outboard effect).

Same thing happens with some of my clients who request auto tune... I'll throw it on, then take it off at a later time, and they'll still insist that autotune is making all the wierd little blips that happen because they don't have control over their voice.


it's also a really fun thing to do to bands you're recording... ask 'does that sound better' without doing anything right after they suggest something...

[Acoustic_Daddy]

I think i've heard of auto tune.. Is that where you tell it what note the singer should be singing, and it will actually bring the singers pitch up to standard?

Cos i can hear it when he goes; "and she wiiiiiilllll be loved"

Does it basically make a half decent singer sound amazing?

[gumplunger]

Originally Posted by Acoustic_Daddy

I think i've heard of auto tune.. Is that where you tell it what note the singer should be singing, and it will actually bring the singers pitch up to standard?

Cos i can hear it when he goes; "and she wiiiiiilllll be loved"

Yep.

Originally Posted by Acoustic_Daddy

Does it basically make a half decent singer sound amazing?

Not really. It makes them on pitch, but it can't correct tone, which is half the battle anyway. Used sparingly, it can be a good thing sometimes, but overused as described here, it can really take the soul out of a performance.

[Rock Star 87]

Originally Posted by faderbug

weird mix on "if i was a rich girl" though, with the guitar like chord on top.

I did think that was a bit odd; I just don't see how the ME missed that.

Originally Posted by acoustic_daddy

I think i've heard of auto tune.. Is that where you tell it what note the singer should be singing, and it will actually bring the singers pitch up to standard?

Cos i can hear it when he goes; "and she wiiiiiilllll be loved"

Does it basically make a half decent singer sound amazing?

So auto tune is why that sounds so fucked up. It sounded normal on TV, but when I bought the album, I still didn't know what the hell was the problem was with that part.

[Alexbt]

I've done a bit of playing with Auto-Tune 4. I'm not really sure how I should be using it yet. I have yet to check if the key I've set it to contains all of the pitches that myself or the other singer are singing. Sometimes it slides down to the wrong note so I'm sure I just need to check that. Or maybe just play in the part through MIDI, if it supports that.

I though for the most part I have a difficult time telling the difference between when Auto-Tune is on or off, except for the obvious slides, because I have good intonation.

BTW, for She Will Be Loved, the singer is changing registers during that part, which may explain some of why it sounds weird. It occurs naturally in the voice. :P

[Nutdotnet]

So you guys don't think that it was purposefully used to get that effect? The dude has a good voice...I personally think they may have overused it on purpose for that specific "electronic" sound.

[donkeystyle]

Originally Posted by Nutdotnet

So you guys don't think that it was purposefully used to get that effect? The dude has a good voice...I personally think they may have overused it on purpose for that specific "electronic" sound.

well that's an effect that you either do or don't do. you don't just do it on random parts of a word radomly throughout a song......well you don't do it on purpose at least.

[Nutdotnet]

Originally Posted by donkeystyle

well that's an effect that you either do or don't do. you don't just do it on random parts of a word radomly throughout a song......well you don't do it on purpose at least.

Why? I thought this was making music...one of the most creative things in the world to do.

[donkeystyle]

well. there's a difference between creativity and sitting around getting stoned with your friends giggling about how funny it is that you did the "peter frampton effect" on one part of one word in the song you just recorded in your garage.