The Auto-Tune/Pitch Correction Debate Thread

If you get a really good one, like the one I use Vocalist Pro (or something) , Just a touch of pitch correction does me wonders on certain songs.

I do want to learn to cope without it, cause when I can hit certain notes, or "runs" , trills ; whatever.... naturally it is much more moving To me anyway
 
The invasion of Pitch Correction

Now this is something that's really driving me mad. I mean REALLY mad. I'm almost at such an anal state of mind over this that I'm thinking of starting a 'name and shame' website or Facebook page.

You all know what I'm on about....the increasingly standard use of pitch correction software in music. OK, more often than not it's used in 'Pop' music where image is more important than talent.

You can hear it used a lot of music in an obvious way, and it can be an interesting tool. But what I find depressing, and actually uncomfortable, is when it's used discretely, not just to bring the singer in tune, but throughout the song. It actually makes me cringe. It sounds like Marvin The Paranoid Android (RIP) is trying to sing to me. Not nice.

As a musician, I can understand the occasional use when the singer just cannot nail the note. But it's now almost being used as a matter of course. Everywhere.

OK, here is an example. I hate to mention G....no I can't say it....Gle....almost......<deep breath> Ok....Glee. There said it. It sucks big time in my book. Unless I'm stoned, then it was actually watchable up to the point they sang. 'Don't Stop' was a perfect example. The pitch correction there is just plain nasty. Have a good listen next time it's on the radio (always). In fact anything sung by the Glee crew is smothered in pitch correction. The harmonies are just plain wrong. Voices are supposed to vary in pitch. What we have there sounds more like keyboards perfection. So it lacks warmth.

Sorry and all that, but if they can't sing, they can sod off. There are plenty of fresh faced young media school kids that can, if that's the look they are after. And a lot have pretty faces too. Bonus.

/end rant

Maybe I'm just too old huh? Kids today eh? =D
 
Blame the sentiment albums are supposed to be "perfect" in every way. This mentality is what has brought us to the unabashed use of pitch correction.
 
Hey nomy, great topic. :) I merged it with the existing discussion that overlaps the subject. I think when I created this thread I made it too narrow a topic (i.e. just auto-tune). Hope you don't mind me merging these two topics due to their similarities. :)
 
AmorRoark said:
Hey nomy, great topic. :) I merged it with the existing discussion that overlaps the subject. I think when I created this thread I made it too narrow a topic (i.e. just auto-tune). Hope you don't mind me merging these two topics due to their similarities. :)
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No worries, glad you found a good home for it. I did search, but I used 'pitch' as the search word :)

Interesting to read others views for and against. I do think it's OK in the right place. Used as an effect, instrument in it's own right, fun application or for minor pitch correction is fine in my book. But it's the cynical way it's now creeping into the final vocal mix of entire songs, including backing vocs. And, as I said, I actually find it uncomfortable as well as plain phoney.

I dunno, call me old fashioned (and probably deluded) but in the end, I think good old vocal talent will win through. The full sound of imperfect vocals can never be fully emulated. Part of a vocalists unique sound will be created by imperfections and how they interact with the rest of the music and backing vocals. Make them pitch perfect and it just sounds wrong. Then again, quantisation was hailed as something special for drum machines, but they added 'humanisation' to drift a few beats because it just didn't feel right. I'm sure the same will happen to PC/AT if it hasn't already. But in the end, as there are still plenty of drummers out there, then I hope there will still be 'real' vocalists out there in the future.

I guess what really saddens me is that in my line of work, I am only too aware of the huge musical talent out there. It's such a shame that increasingly talentless knobs are the one's who make a good living. It's not like there's a shortage of talented singers, so go figure....
 
AmorRoark, This bit of Neko Case's interview that you quoted sums it up perfectly for me:

"...Yet there they are, all over the radio, jizzing saccharine all over you..."

It is a kind of musical saccharine thing isn't it? Emulating something, but just not quite right.
 
AmorRoark said:
Wow. Good one. 8(

Back on topic: Does anyone have a list of artists who definitively don't use pitch correction? I'm pretty curious.
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How would we know unless we're in the studio with them? Some could be quite subtle.

How about beautiful uses of auto-tune? Ala Jeremith-Birthday Sex.
 
Uh, I'd say almost all 'big' artists use pitch correction. We can never *know for sure* but we do know the ones who claim they don't use it. I've only come across a couple. I was wondering if anybody had read about artists who claim they don't use it.
 
Hmm, what if auto-tune and other correction measures were substantially improved, as might happen in the future, so that few people, or nobody, could consistently discriminate between samples of singing where it was used and where it wasn't? That development would allow the many great song writers with little singing talent to produce their own music without having to chase down somebody with a natural gift for singing who has lesser song writing talent (and perhaps, poor judgment in what they select to sing).

I guess what I'm wondering is, is the objection to these artificial corrections based on the notion that the corrections simply sound bad or an attitude that holds that the people who deserve to be heard must have some substantial degree of inborn singing talent in order to have true integrity?

For me, hearing the corrections is annoying, but I long for the day when not being born with natural singing talent is a lesser obstacle for the originators of great writing and composing, even if it also means pretty prefab hacks who don't deserve recognition can also be made to sound great.
 
^ I think we have different definitions of integrity. Besides, being a 'perfect' natural singing talent really doesn't rank up highly for most of the music I listen to. Imperfection, IMO, is part of the art for many musicians in my ear.

If the technology got so much better that we wouldn't be able to tell if they were perfected then most people wouldn't have a drive to get better or work at all. Would ever concert be lip-synched? Ugh, just thinking about that type of reality makes me sad.
 
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