Auto-Tune Examples

[jdier]

I am not sure I am 100% newbie, but I feel like one about this subject.

I have tried Auto-Tune. I have heard it used on Cher's disco song, I believe. I do not use it currently, because I am not recording radio music nor am I in a situation where I wish I could fix something that was sung out of tune (we just resing it)

I have read through piles of threads where people complain about how easy it is to hear, and that it drives them crazy. One place I understand it is overused is in current popular country music.

I listened on a 5 hour car ride to just hot country, and I cannot hear it.

Can anyone help explain what the sound is and help me find a way to identify it? I guess I just want to be able to identify it.

[scrubs]

Listen to Rascal Flatts' cover of "Life is a Highway." The entire chorus is autotuned to hell (well, the whole song, really, but it's very noticeable during the pre-chorus and chorus). Autotune, when done poorly, sounds unnatural - robotic, and over-processed.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...endID=14151080

[andycerrone]

What programs do you guys use for pitch correction (or recommend)?

[studiomaster]

Originally Posted by andycerrone

What programs do you guys use for pitch correction (or recommend)?

Autotune and Melodyne.

[Track Rat]

The Cher tune is done with a vocoder but that's another story. I'm a fan of Anteres Autotune used surgically.

[metalhead28]

Originally Posted by jdier

I have read through piles of threads where people complain about how easy it is to hear, and that it drives them crazy......

That's just people pretending to be audiophiles, purists, golden ears, etc....
Most of the time nobody is the wiser.

You don't really hear that it has been done unless it was done poorly, overdone, or just done intentionally like the effect on the Cher song. (which I have also heard was not done with Auto Tune, and yet it has strangely enough become synonomous with it)

There's probably way too much of it being done on modern pop and country, so it would be no surprise to hear the odd song where the effect was a little too obvious.

[bennychico11]

Antares has some samples on their site of the AVP-1
I've always been able to hear a slight artifact of the auto-tuner kicking off in the female's voice. Of course, there's the "Cher effect" at the bottom of the page

[mikemorgan]

Sugarland's newest song, Want to, has rampant Autotune all over it. In this case it is used to extent single notes, reduce Jennifer's natural vibrato, and some quick note changes that sound almost yodel-like.

[RezN8]

Maybe a car driving down the road is not the best way to learn how it sounds - check things out on headphones and listen closely for the vocals to sound unnaturally pure.

Originally Posted by metalhead28

That's just people pretending to be audiophiles, purists, golden ears, etc....
Most of the time nobody is the wiser.

I must be "pretending" then, because I hear it clear as a bell. Sometimes I hear it over used, sometimes I hear it done well. Then again, I hear lots of things most don't hear. For instance, no one else can hear all these voices in my head...

[ssscientist]

I heard a use of some autotune device on a record that I didn't expect --- Bob Mould's new solo record.

It's really profesional sounding (read: boring) but on one of the songs that sounds like it could be a chart hit he's got his voice slathered with auto-melodyne-itis.

If you want to hear a bunch of really clumsy autotune/melodyne use, tune into your local Urban/R+B/HipHop/Rap station. It's so common there it's rare to hear a song that DOESN'T use it...

.

[easlern]

I heard that song yesterday scrubs, and I agree- it's really noticable. They seem like talented singers so maybe it was meant as more of a vocal effect. It sounds like the lead singer's pitch is stepping up and down in discrete steps and it sounds kind of silly. Now I'm going to be suspicious every time I hear that characteristic vocal "sheen" that's so popular in pop country. Could that have been the effect I've been hearing all along?
I wonder if people had conversations like this when compression became popular?
Maybe we should not be so worried about this new trend; if it helps artists be more expressive by being less worried with the technical aspects of the performance, it may end up being a good thing. I do kind of wish I could turn on the auto-tune every time I hear "Chop Suey" (sp?). Cool song but the singer's kind of pitchy.

[Rokket]

I wish I could afford that plug-in. I have terrible pitch control in my voice.

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by easlern

I heard that song yesterday scrubs, and I agree- it's really noticable. They seem like talented singers so maybe it was meant as more of a vocal effect. It sounds like the lead singer's pitch is stepping up and down in discrete steps and it sounds kind of silly. Now I'm going to be suspicious every time I hear that characteristic vocal "sheen" that's so popular in pop country. Could that have been the effect I've been hearing all along?
I wonder if people had conversations like this when compression became popular?

It seems to have become almost standard to use AT on background/harmony vocals in much of contemporary country/pop/emo for that "perfect" unwavering wall of vocals. Although bands may claim they are doing it for the "effect," my suspicion is that it's just laziness/time/money. The Rascal Flatts tune was for a movie soundtrack, so they probably just went into the studio
for 1 day to lay down the vocals (to a backing track laid down by session musicians -- pretty common in country). I suspect they did a few takes and said "good enough." AT is a crutch. I mean, the Beach Boys didn't have autotune and I would take their harmonies over this overprocessed crap any day.

[travelin travis]

Originally Posted by Rokket

I wish I could afford that plug-in. I have terrible pitch control in my voice.

practice........

[travelin travis]

Originally Posted by scrubs

Listen to Rascal Flatts' cover of "Life is a Highway." The entire chorus is autotuned to hell (well, the whole song, really, but it's very noticeable during the pre-chorus and chorus). Autotune, when done poorly, sounds unnatural - robotic, and over-processed.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...endID=14151080

That sounds completely rediculous......reminds me of the disney channel for some reason.

[Rokket]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

practice........

Lessons....

[whjr15]

Ive always been suspicious of that rascal flatts guy -- after going to one of their concerts and hearing him hit 3 correct pitches the entire set. (no joke, it was baaaaaad) After hearing that, Im almost certain that every recorded word of his is autotuned -- even without the ability to recognize it.

But I'm still unclear about "detecting" when autotune is being used, as i have never used it myself. I think i may have a slight grasp on it, but definitely not enough to spot it all the time.

Using rascal flatts as an example, what is the most obvious instance that you can think of it being used? Is it the crazy, almost random, "runs" that he does?

[ermghoti]

Originally Posted by scrubs

Listen to Rascal Flatts' cover of "Life is a Highway." The entire chorus is autotuned to hell (well, the whole song, really, but it's very noticeable during the pre-chorus and chorus). Autotune, when done poorly, sounds unnatural - robotic, and over-processed.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm...endID=14151080

Where do I go to demand thirty seconds of my life back?

[travelin travis]

Originally Posted by Rokket

Lessons....

Practice singing intervals and I guarantee you that your pitch control will improve. Look for the ones that give you the most trouble and focus on them.

[Rokket]

Originally Posted by TravisinFlorida

Practice singing intervals and I guarantee you that your pitch control will improve. Look for the ones that give you the most trouble and focus on them.

Thanks! I am pretty certain that I am having breath control issues that I don't know how to resolve, too. That's why I was thinking voice coach.

[travelin travis]

Originally Posted by Rokket

Thanks! I am pretty certain that I am having breath control issues that I don't know how to resolve, too. That's why I was thinking voice coach.

I'm sure a voice coach would help alot (i could use one too)........but we might as well work on what we can in the mean time. I've never had a breath control problem that I knew about so I don't have any advise on that. All I can say is that when I have some kind of technique issue with singing, guitar, etc., after identifying the problem, I try to isolate it and come up with ways to work on it. Like if I'm having problems with a guitar lick, I'll try to figure out exactly which notes are giving me issues and I'll work out a little picking exercise that isolates the weakness so that I can work on it.

Some things I work on for singing are intervals, dynamics, and relaxing. For pitch control, I usually play thru some scales and intervals on the keyboard (piano) or guitar and sing along. Then I'll sing the intervals without an instrument for backup. Sometimes I do it with melodies too. I'll just play a simple melody on an instrument while singing along and then do the same thing without an instrument (pitch reference or crutch). It's pretty good for ear training too, I think.........elementary stuff but it helps me. After I'm half ass warmed up, I'll do the same stuff but work on singing soft, medium, and loud notes too. When I'm doing this, I try to keep an eye on any tension in my body, especially my head throat and diaphragm. I know that in the higher notes and/or singing loud notes, I tense up alot so I try to spend some time focusing on staying relaxed on high and loud notes.

Hell, even when I'm in the car listening to a cd I can practice. I'll pick a fairly easy song that's within my range and sing along, paying attention to my pitch relative to the cd. If I hit a series of crappy notes, I'll rewind and listen again until I know the notes in my head. Then I'll keep going over that small piece until I'm nailing it. After I think I have it, I turn down the radio so that I can get a reality check on my pitch and timbre. I've learned to sing a few whole cd's note for note (ok almost) this way. What's cool about practicing in the car (if you're alone) is that you can sing as loud as you want without disturbing anybody, except that old lady in the next lane that thinks you're a psycho.

I try to pay attention to the timbre of my voice too. On certain songs, I might hate the sound of my voice even though my pitch is on. On others I might be able to sound very similar to the singer on the cd and feel really comfortable singing a song in that key, tempo, or range. I think this helps in identifying the sweet spot in one's voice.

I don't do this stuff very often any more but I really should be. My singing has gone way down hill (not that I ever got that far up the hill but I've moistend a few vagina's in my day ). I really do believe that if you spend enough time working on something, learn to identify your weaknesses, and spend a good portion of your practice time focusing on your weaknesses, you can get good at anything you want to do. The hardest part is identifying one's weaknesses. You seem to have already done that. Until I really focused on it, I never would have thought that I could even half ass sing. I must have been born with the worst relative pitch of anyone I know but I'm much better now.

[travelin travis]

rokket, i came across this and thought you might want to check it out: http://akamai.www.berkleemusic.com/a..._vocalists.mp3

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by whjr15

Using rascal flatts as an example, what is the most obvious instance that you can think of it being used? Is it the crazy, almost random, "runs" that he does?

Yeah, the one at about 2:15 in Life is a Highway is a good (bad) example. It doesn't even sound remotely human. There are too many to mention, really.

[mixmkr]

I know I am probably talking in disagreement with many on this, but for some reason, I believe I can hear why "life is a highway" by rascal flatts to be a hit. It has many of the ingredients to make it one. Even the autotune sounding effect..and I am not even agreeing that autotune was even used...but probably was. It gives it a character to the vocals that make it sound like nothing you would typically hear in a local live setting. And...I know most in THIS forum would probably say "thank goodness, because it stinks". Overall, the mix, though very pop oriented, is good. The playing is tight, and even the guitar solo shows the guy can play, without going overboard with fretboard masturbation.
The intro is great, the drums sound REALLY good. I have really yet to hear a lead sound as equally as good too in the MP3 clinic. Overall good arrangement, good production, and the real "downer" of the song is you can sing along with it.
There's plenty of ear candy too, that you wouldn't pick up in a car radio either.

Ok.... guess my rep is now ruined!!

[guitarboi89]

shakiras latest song... hips dont lie ? something like that
well the bit where it it goes "im on tonight my hips dont lie" completely reaks of it But it sounds cool in that context.
Basically the best way to hear it is to use the program (try the demo) for a day or so and then you will def know how it sounds