How do you deal with autotune dislikers?

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jerberson12

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Ok , we produce music videos for young artist on Youtube. But in recording, autotune is a must for a good listening purposes only, not to cover up a bad singer. My artist sings very good without it but just to make the recording sounds really good, we need to use it. Then people starts to dislike coz we are using autotune. Whatsup with that.?
 
Well, just don't tell anyone then. Pitch correction is just a tool that you use. Do you tell people "Hey, I used eq on this track, sorry her voice naturally doesn't have the right amount of 5.7K."

If you are getting crap for using it, and not telling anyone, then you are either not using it properly, by enhancing the performance without evidence of it's use, or, you are using it as an effect that is to be heard. If the latter, then get over what people say. If the first, then learn to use it to actually improve the performance, but not be obvious.

Duh! lol! Just kidding. :)
 
IMHO the use of autotune is no problem, its the misuse of it that has sparked the anti autotune movemnt. If used for it's intent most people would never notice it.
 
I'm a pragmatist. I don't care how we get a good result, so long as we get it. Sometimes that means using autotune, but sometimes not.

If the performance is real and captivating, but there are a couple of minor pitchy bits, I might use autotune to fix that, specially if it looks like we might not get a better performance. Sometimes I won't worry about the minor blemishes . . . sometimes they contribute to the genuineness of the performance.

Autotune is just a tool, like any other in your recording toolbox. Use when necessary. Necessary is not a synonym for "all the time".
 
jerberson12 said:
My artist sings very good without it but just to make the recording sounds really good, we need to use it.
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That's why people might give you a hard time. This looks like a question that contains it's own reply.
You don't say your artist sings OK without it or shit without it or even good without it, but very good. So if your artist is very good without pitch correction, the question some folk may ask is "why use it ?". Also, you say you 'need' to use it. "Need" ? Is that because the singer wasn't hitting the odd note here and there or because it's become standard to just autotune automatically ? I feel that if you're going to use it for a particular effect, then obviously it's not needed but desired. And in that case, the listener is entitled to tell you it sucks. Personally, I hate the autotune effect. It's the studio equivalent to scraping fingernails down a blackboard to my ears and nerve endings. But then, I feel the same way about certain use of chorus, some reverbs and vocoders.
But if it's used to clean up the odd duff note, well, I won't criticize you because I shouldn't even know it's there.
 
If you don't want to be subject to criticism don't put your art out where people will see it. There will always be someone out there who doesn't like what you're doing. They don't matter unless they are influential critics or major label execs (who matter less then ever these days). You may not have to choose between pleasing critics or making good art, but you do have to find a balance that suits you.

To be honest I find obvious pitch manipulation for effect pretty obnoxious. Even fixing minor things here and there in the pursuit of perfection can make things sound kind of bland. I tried it a few times and felt it took more than it gave.
 
I always hated the idea of autotune as being too "surgical" and taking the spontaneity out of a performance. I never, ever used it in home recording. However, when we went into a studio with a proper engineer he used Melodyne on some of my stuff. I was sceptical but to be honest there was absolutely no audible evidence of its use at all other than to those who knew exactly where it was used.
The best singer in the world ( which I'm most definitely not) will hit an off-pitch now and then and for single note correction Melodyne is a gift.
Autotune and similar programmes do have bad press because they're often used incorrectly as someone above stated so I tend not to broadcast the fact that we use it sometimes.
Regarding the "pursuit of perfection" comment above - it's possible to chose the degree of correction so that things don't sound too perfect. I agree that totally spot-on vocals can sound manufactured and bland.
Incidentally a question for the techies - how do Melodyne and Autotune differ?
 
Kinda ironic that I just bid a job yesterday, for a lady who is a vocal/performance coach for adults only. I asked her to sing for me. She had about as 'perfect pitch' as I have ever heard. We talked about studios and recording experiences, and she proclaimed that even she uses Melodyne to touch up a performance for herself. It is just another tool.
 
If the band doesn't want the T-pain effect because it's tired and overused, don't do that to their recording.

If the band doesn't want vocal imperfections corrected because they're part of their "sound" (wrong notes are pretty rock and roll), then don't pitch correct them.

If the band wants their vocals to sound perfect, then pitch correct them as transparently as possible, and make sure not to leave any artifacts or glitches.

* Note: Substitute "producer" for "band" as appropriate.
 
If the 'band' doesn't like it, then stop letting the drummer mix your stuff. lol!
 
jimmys69 said:
She had about as 'perfect pitch' as I have ever heard. We talked about studios and recording experiences, and she proclaimed that even she uses Melodyne to touch up a performance for herself.
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Irrational and silly, I know, but that really irritates me ! It's irrational and silly because if I heard that Hendrix had to fix a guitar flub or two back in the day, I wouldn't bat an eyelid. For some reason, it just seems to become an issue when it's the human voice. I think though, that it's not so much the use of it or even the abuse that irritates me, as much as it is the mentality that it must be used, almost as a default/standard part of recording vocals. I react to it in the same way I react to someone telling their child that they must wear a hat on a cold day.
Daft, really.
 
Cold head=cold head. Use a hat only if you feel you need it. :)
 
The autotune as effect is everywhere in pop/dance music, at least in Europe. Personally it turns my stomach to hear it used as an effect. On the other hand, to fix a recorded vocal that is otherwise perfect - I think a decent sound technician should be able to fix those small errors manually on the DAW if I am not mistaken (help here?) and if they are not to numerous.

Any time the autotune's dynamic is audible I always think at first that it must be a mistake.

If it is a desired effect, you'll have to live with the criticism as there are many out there like me who don't care for that sound.
 
Is there a difference between Autotune and Melodyne programs?
 
If you are working for the young artists and they don't want you to use auto-tune, don't use it.

If the artists are working for you, do what you want.
 
Michael O'Regan said:
Is there a difference between Autotune and Melodyne programs?
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From what I gather (not having actually worked with other), they're different in the way Gimp and Photoshop or Reaper and Protools are different. They can both do the same thing as far as "the autotune effect" but they differ as far as some of their other features go. (I think Melodyne is the more full-featured program?)
 
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