Pedullist
Stop it, I can't breathe
Before I get an angry mob of homerecorders on my back, I would like to clarify my opinions on the use of autotuners.
Let me start with an example:
OK, you’ve just recorded a vocal part. It sounds awesome, except for one note that’s just a tiny bit out of tune. You decide to record the part again. This time that particular note is perfectly in tune, but the rest doesn’t sound half as great as the other take. You don’t have time to do any more takes (often the case in expensive studios). Should we fix the first take by using an autotuner? Yes, you should. I prefer you’d do it again the next day but if you can’t, it’s the only possible way I guess.
Look, I don’t have any problem with the use of autotuners, quantizers, reverb or whatever to cover up a little mistake. A recording is not a live performance, you don’t want to hear that one ‘mistake’ over and over again. If I record a basspart and it sounds OK except for one little note that’s behind the beat, I’ll cut the damn note and pull it to the left until it sounds right. Not that I’m proud of it…usually I record the whole thing again until it’s right. But sometimes I’m lazy…
I also like the sound of an autotuner as an ‘effect’: especially on its most extreme settings. Chris’ latest song, Cher’s single, Roy Vedas, the big fat autotuned chorus in N’Sync’s It’s Gonna Be Me (gonna, gonna, GONNA!) I love it. As an effect it’s always funny and weird, and I happen to like funny and weird sounds.
My problem starts when people just switch on the autotuner to sound hip, or by default. It sickens me to hear Shania Twain, who is an absolutely superb singer, using an autotuner just to sound hip. It’s on every friggin’ single I hear on the radio nowadays! Furthermore, in the case of us amateurs: if you turn it on by default I don’t think you’ll ever improve your singing. And that way, we will ALWAYS be amateurs. You record your vocal part, switch on the autotuner and it’s OK. How will you ever learn to improve your intonation? Besides, we have all the time in the world. We don’t have to release an album within two months, or learn dance routines and stuff like that. So what’s the problem with recording it again?
Above all, I just don’t like the sound. When it’s turned on ALL the time, it all sounds so robotic and inhuman. People often ask me: why don’t violins have frets? I always tell them that’s because the violin was built to emulate a human voice. Without frets you can make the glides and small alterations in pitch that makes it all human, and it makes it easier to express your emotions.
Look, I can accept an off note, listen perfectly ‘through’ it, as long as the rest is good enough. No problem. My experience is that I’m never truly emotionally touched by vocal part that has been autotuned to the max. And I’ve never heard an autotuned vocal part that’s ‘sexy’. When soulvocalists sing in a funky/sexy/provocative way they often glide to notes a lot, and intonate slightly too low most (sometimes even ALL) of the time. That’s the kinda thing that erects stuff in my pants. Add an autotuner and the effects is gone…bad, because I like that tight feeling.
Anyway, I’m not looking down upon you guys. Please use ‘m when you need ‘m. Who am I to tell you not to?
In the end it all comes down on a matter of taste: again, I just don’t like the sound…(but I can listen 'through' it if I have to, music = music)
Let me start with an example:
OK, you’ve just recorded a vocal part. It sounds awesome, except for one note that’s just a tiny bit out of tune. You decide to record the part again. This time that particular note is perfectly in tune, but the rest doesn’t sound half as great as the other take. You don’t have time to do any more takes (often the case in expensive studios). Should we fix the first take by using an autotuner? Yes, you should. I prefer you’d do it again the next day but if you can’t, it’s the only possible way I guess.
Look, I don’t have any problem with the use of autotuners, quantizers, reverb or whatever to cover up a little mistake. A recording is not a live performance, you don’t want to hear that one ‘mistake’ over and over again. If I record a basspart and it sounds OK except for one little note that’s behind the beat, I’ll cut the damn note and pull it to the left until it sounds right. Not that I’m proud of it…usually I record the whole thing again until it’s right. But sometimes I’m lazy…
I also like the sound of an autotuner as an ‘effect’: especially on its most extreme settings. Chris’ latest song, Cher’s single, Roy Vedas, the big fat autotuned chorus in N’Sync’s It’s Gonna Be Me (gonna, gonna, GONNA!) I love it. As an effect it’s always funny and weird, and I happen to like funny and weird sounds.
My problem starts when people just switch on the autotuner to sound hip, or by default. It sickens me to hear Shania Twain, who is an absolutely superb singer, using an autotuner just to sound hip. It’s on every friggin’ single I hear on the radio nowadays! Furthermore, in the case of us amateurs: if you turn it on by default I don’t think you’ll ever improve your singing. And that way, we will ALWAYS be amateurs. You record your vocal part, switch on the autotuner and it’s OK. How will you ever learn to improve your intonation? Besides, we have all the time in the world. We don’t have to release an album within two months, or learn dance routines and stuff like that. So what’s the problem with recording it again?
Above all, I just don’t like the sound. When it’s turned on ALL the time, it all sounds so robotic and inhuman. People often ask me: why don’t violins have frets? I always tell them that’s because the violin was built to emulate a human voice. Without frets you can make the glides and small alterations in pitch that makes it all human, and it makes it easier to express your emotions.
Look, I can accept an off note, listen perfectly ‘through’ it, as long as the rest is good enough. No problem. My experience is that I’m never truly emotionally touched by vocal part that has been autotuned to the max. And I’ve never heard an autotuned vocal part that’s ‘sexy’. When soulvocalists sing in a funky/sexy/provocative way they often glide to notes a lot, and intonate slightly too low most (sometimes even ALL) of the time. That’s the kinda thing that erects stuff in my pants. Add an autotuner and the effects is gone…bad, because I like that tight feeling.
Anyway, I’m not looking down upon you guys. Please use ‘m when you need ‘m. Who am I to tell you not to?
In the end it all comes down on a matter of taste: again, I just don’t like the sound…(but I can listen 'through' it if I have to, music = music)