Perfect Pitch for Those Without It

airrage writes "Sometimes technology is a good thing, and sometimes it ends up in a hardware device called an autotuner. Apparently, it allows real-time pitch correction. They are actually being used at concerts. I think we all realize that some singers sound different -- much different -- live than they do on CD's, but this just seems so, so, what's the word: fake?"

Comments

Concerts/Music

[wawannem]

It really comes as no surprise that music during concerts is altered to some extent. Most musicians are marketed not for their true musical talent, but for their attractiveness, or whatever other marketable features the record companies can exploit.

Re:Concerts/Music

[frodo from middle ea]

Some Musicinas you say ?

I say almost all the modern musicians are promoted based on how they look .

The main target audience of today's music companies and record labels are people who belive that american idol and american junior are the ultimate authoritative agencies for musical talent search.

when was the last time you saw an MTV video where the lead singer was ....what's the word.. UGLY ?

M TV has done more damage to music than you can imagine.

Re:Concerts/Music

[recursiv]

I say almost all the modern musicians are promoted based on how they look

That you know of. For every artist you're thinking of, there are a thousand real musicians that you've never heard of. Then again, it doesn't sound like you're looking.

this is news??

[Anonymous Coward]

Apparently, it allows real-time pitch correction. They are actually being used at concerts.

Gee, Antares Auto-Tune has been out now for what, 6 years? I have a demo of it on my old OS9 Mac, and you can get a hardware version.

Usually it's used subtley to "clean-up" vocals but Cher really abused it on that "Believe" song. And also Madonna has used it recently on some song and Squarepusher (Red Hot Car). Like the article says it's used a LOT. So are a lot of other effects like reverb, compression, "aural exciters", etc.

It's just a tool like any other. The big-name recording industry completely abuses and sanitizes every track with endless re-takes, splices, effects, equalization, compression, etc., etc., this is just another way to make the tracks squeaky-clean, bland, and lifeless! If you like that "well-produced" sound this should be no problem.

I love this quote from a producer: "It's satanic.. Digital vocal tuning is contributing to the Milli Vanilli-fication of pop music. It's a shame that people just do it by rote.

Uhm, dude, the whole recording industry is satanic .. have you bought any records lately? MilliVanilli-fication is the norm! I think if fans knew just how awful most performers are without the technology, they'd wonder why the engineers name isn't on the front of the album!

PS: "Perfect pitch" to me means "being able to identify notes by ear without a reference" rather than "being able to sing on-key" (though I guess the two usually go together).

Re:this is news??

[goliard]

PS: "Perfect pitch" to me means "being able to identify notes by ear without a reference" rather than "being able to sing on-key" (though I guess the two usually go together).

I'm a singer. You are right about what "perfect pitch" means, but the article suggests one of the purposes of the autotuner is for those nights when a singer physically can't execute the more extreme notes. Being able to execute as passage is more than knowing how it's supposed to sound (which is what perfect pitch gives you); the production of vocal music is very athletic. If you have a head cold or a sore throat messing with your high/low notes, and an arena filled with 50,000 screaming fans who paid upwards of $50/seat, well, yes, I can see where the pressure for an autotuner comes from.

This is still the antichrist, though. Definitionally, it eradicates blue notes, bends, and fun pitch effects -- what does it do to glissandos?

And, frankly, it offends me as a singer. The craft of singing is, like 60%, the mastery of making pitch and rhythm to nigh-superhuman levels of precision. Sure you could make a machine do it, but that's like having a forklift compete in a weightlifting competition. What's the point?

Re:I can tell none of you are musicians.

[cayenne8]

This is the kind of thing that I feel is wrong wiht the so-called music of today! So many of the bands are 'fabricated' by the industry...made to look sexy for the masses...hand fed songs using studio tricks to make them sound passable...

The talent portion and 'soul' behind the music is gone...that's what I think is killing music today. I'd much rather in the day, seen the Stones get up and play...they sounded hardly like their albums, but, when on stage..you could 'feel' the energy...Keith and Mick Taylor/Ronnie Wood crunching out chords..Jagger jumping all around...they made an audience part of the experience. I'd rather see Jimmy Page of Zeppelin get up and try to blister out a million notes per/sec on the guitar...hell, he flubbed tons of them...but, there was soul and feeling behind the music. Who cared if Robt's voice broke on occasion...the whole live show was an experience...

Unfortunately....groups today..in many cases don't have that feeling to their music. The pre-fabbed groups don't pay their dues in bars...concert after concert grinding it out and perfecting into show bands as did the bands of old.

I miss the days where the albums were just something to get you excited to go SEE the group in person...'cause they had showmanship and would play the songs as they felt it that night. You didn't expect it to be 'just like the record'...in fact, I was disappointed if there wasn't some improv. in each song. Dancing and choreography isn't bad, but, should take 2nd place to the performance.