Auto Tune & Music Technology

9/10/2010

What's your opinion on the use of the Auto-Tune in vocal performance and recording? How does it differ from other musical technologies and why is it more controversial?

If you're not quite sure what it is, read a link or two and then come back to express your opinion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_tune
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11056050
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2060987/autotune_what_is_it_and_why_is_everyone.html

I'd like to know what people think of this, but I'm going to refrain from stating my opinion until the conversation gets started.

7 Comments

Anali

9/10/2010 03:22:49 am

Off the top of my head, without reading any of the links:

I don't mind it if it's being used for a particular musical effect.

I do mind it if it's being used as a crutch for singers who can't be bothered to learn to hit notes properly.

Chris

9/11/2010 12:49:11 am

Well, maybe this subject interests me and Anali more than anyone else. I guess that makes since, since we're musicians.

I think this controversy has more to do with music technology in general than simply the Auto-Tune device. If someone gets upset about the Auto-Tune they are simply drawing a line in the proverbial sand and saying, "This is far enough." In my opinion one should embrace it all--or reject it all.

And this is a different stance than one might have on health technology, for example. Technology that extends life or artificially creates life (or destroys it, or alters it, or whatever...) has a moral implication involved, so it's easier to see the value of using some of it but not all of it.

But music technology has no such moral implication. Music is music, and even the development of musical instruments (as opposed to the human voice) had similar controversy. For example, the early medieval Catholic church did not permit instruments to be played during Mass precisely because of a belief that the human voice, made by God, was superior and better suited to worship than instruments that were made by man. (Of course as soon as they saw how cool pipe organs were, they threw that out the window... but that's another story.)

Further, the use of instruments is a simple one for modern man to accept. Case in point: we accept the un-reality of musical recordings readily. John Mellencamp (who seems to be a regular target of mine lately) says the Internet ruined the music business, but I say that the entire recording industry had already changed the music business. What he really means is that the Internet ruined the recording industry (as opposed to the business of making music)... but even that's not true. It has just *changed* it.

So, if we can accept the 'fantasy' of recording--which has only a little of the excitement (and error) of a live performance--then we may as well accept the 'fantasy' of Auto-Tune.

...

Or do away with it all. :-)

Moses

9/11/2010 06:21:25 am

I haven' read your post yet, Chris. I was just out of contact until today.

I don't find anything wrong with autotune. Here's why:

I don't consider it any different from, say, a waa-waa pedal or adding distortion just because you can, or using a talk box for your guitar. It's just another tool for a musician to use to try to make their music better to their ears.

Now, any artist who uses it should recognize that they're going to disappoint fans if they can't replicate the sound during a concert...but, that's probably not a likely problem anyway.

Jones

9/12/2010 01:21:09 pm

I tend to agree with Moses and Anali, to a point. If it is being used to accomplish an effect, or used sparingly, than go for it. But people who claim to be 'musicians' who couldn't carry a note without it tend to annoy me. These teenie boppers that are churned out by Disney who are simply an auto tuned persona with absolutely no talent, I would thnk that,as a musician, y'all would be mortally offended. Both of you put time and effort into developing your talents, and these monstrosities come along and they are considered good music. Personally, I just don't listen to it.

Moses

9/12/2010 01:49:30 pm

So, Mike, Anali:

What if there's a brilliant guitarist who, for whatever reason, can't tune their guitar by ear.

Should they not be allowed to use a tuning device, mechanical, digital, or otherwise to tune their guitar?

Anali

9/20/2010 06:04:47 am

Moses- absolutely they should be allowed! But that's a completely separate issue from using auto-tune on a recording to fix problems. A violinist's INSTRUMENT may be in tune, but it is still their responsibility to PLAY in tune.

Training one's ear to listen and then learning to play (or sing) in tune is one of the essential skills of being a musician. I only object to auto-tune being used to compensate for someone's lack of skill, or laziness in learning this skill. I think this is one of the things that separates a professional, trained musician from the rest of us schmoes. Yes, anyone can sing, but it takes practice and skill to sing WELL.

Chris

9/20/2010 06:17:53 am

By the way, since this original post, I've discovered what Auto Tune is actually used for:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMtZfW2z9dw&list=SL

Auto Tune & Music Technology

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Chris Perry

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