The politics of vocal tuning...

Do you guys ever have clients that need pitch correction but can't know about it? how do you deal with this?

J

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Pete Warren on March 23, 2009 at 12:20pm

A great recording is 50% song quality, 30% source quality, 10% engineer, 8% producer,and 1% gear. The remaining 1% is unknown.

You do fine with $200 of gear if the rest is there.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Capps on May 9, 2009 at 11:09am

The difference is these acts made their living touring, not just making records. They could pull it off long before they had a record deal...... Today, any artist can sit at home and whip up a bunch of shit, tune is up and stick it up on the web without ever singing a live performance... Then you go see them live and guess what.... Yep!!!!!

Tuning is just a part of the business today. You either accept it, or don't work.... Bottom line..... Even the ones that are great singers want it tweeked up, just to compete......

The bar has been raised gentlemen, can we all rise to it??? Sherrill did it, Bowen did it, MUTT did it (gee thanks***), Hendricks did it, now anybody with a DAW at home can do it.....

***Not a slam on MUTT, But only Mutt can do what Mutt does.

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Permalink Reply by Pete Warren on May 9, 2009 at 11:40am

Isn't it the T-Bone sound everyone wants now? I wonder how much tuning was done on the plant/kraus record. I'd guess it was done.

Sometimes it's not a matter of making a bad vocalist sound decent (which I may argue can't be done), but just tweaking a great vocal performance.

Now, with that said, I had a vocalist do four compete takes top to bottom ok a track yesterday. We used the third take, no punches. When they heard it, they asked if I'd already slapped autotune on it. I'd not. Nor will I. The singer was so happy to learn that the amazing performance was 100% her!

I've been amazed to work with three artists lately that simply don't need tuning at all! I have to believe there are a few more around. Many of us know who they are. Like I said before, sign 'em up! Let's make the change that the industry so desperately needs and wants!

But again, I reserve the right to tweak a great performance a touch if need be. Otherwise,can I get another take please?

"that was perfect! Can you do another for me please?"

Then there's comping...

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Permalink Reply by George Cumbee on May 9, 2009 at 11:49am

Over the years I have just about always worked with people with more money than talent. Long before AT was even thought of we were punching and comping. Whatever it took. I would have preferred to work with folks who had great talent and needed nothing.

But I have always looked at it like what if Wal-Mart only sold to pretty people. Let's face it, they would not have much business.

We just do whatever it takes with what tools happen to be available. There is nothing cheating about it.

I just wish someone would invent. Auto Bookings. We need more of that than we do controversy about AT.

George

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Permalink Reply by Mark Capps on May 9, 2009 at 11:28pm

WHOOOOAAAAA!!!!! George.....

"But I have always looked at it like what if Wal-Mart only sold to pretty people. Let's face it, they would not have much business."

It's ok to think it but do we need to say it??????? I shop at Target...... ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Mark Capps on May 9, 2009 at 11:34pm

PETE!!!!

Thanks for backing me up on the T-Bone comment (From the parking lot, of course), But as much as his records sound great and his dabbling in HD CDs, his records are cool for the sounds, not the modern technology... I'll bet Plant was not Tuned, but having worked with Alison, she's a perfectionist..... If SHE thought it needed it, it was so.........

BTW can we all work with your client........

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Permalink Reply by Pete Warren on May 9, 2009 at 11:56pm

Ummmmm... No!

Thought you'd appreciate the t-bone/mutt reference. See, you gotta watch what you say around me!

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Permalink Reply by Kirk Thompson Producer/engineer on May 25, 2009 at 11:22pm

I wish I could afford to do that. If it weren't for Auto tune all my clients would sound like .... we'll just say less than good.

I need to stay busy.

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Permalink Reply by James Beau Edwards on June 5, 2009 at 3:54pm

You can listen to big hits from the 80's and here a mass of things that wouldn't get by editing these days. It's the nature of things these days that tuning is going to take place so that the records can compete with the surgically "clean" products that are out there. It's no mystery though, why fans are wondering why their favorite artists suck live. Singers should be FORCED (lol) to sit through comping and tuning to learn where they can make improvements. I did it, and helped me recognize a few issues i had. Use it as constructive criticism, and training tool. Better than a Vocal coach.