Originally Posted By: 90 dB
Originally Posted By: JohnJohnJohn
Originally Posted By: Notes Norton
Playing or writing songs when drunk or on psychedelics has nothing to do with my point.

Steroids can give an inferior athlete the ability to beat a superior athlete. That's what my analogy was all about.

And I can think of a number of singers who can't sing their way out of a paper bag without auto-tune. It's not that they are inferior singers, but not singers at all, Taylor Swift, Ke$ha and so many others.

I heard the Britney Spears cut that was smuggled out of the recording studio before auto-tune. In the entire song, if she hit two notes on pitch, it would have been a coincidence. If you wanted an audio definition of either tone deaf or sour notes, that would be it.

And EQ, amplification and other FX are not the same thing. Echo, reverb, EQ all recreate natural environments. At one time they used tiled 'echo chambers' for the same effect. If you hit a note a half step flat, no EQ or other FX will fix it, only Auto-Tune or a competitor.

I mentioned Bob Dylan, probably one of the worst singers in rock and roll history. At least he was honest about it. And I started imagining what Bob would sound like with auto-tune, and I decided, definitely much worse. As bad as Dylan sings, he uses pitch for expression, and that's the only redeeming quality of his performances.

So I'm old fashioned. If you can't sing, you should be a famous singer.

When I hear the auto-tune artifacts, I change the radio station - and can't do it quickly enough.

To me when I hear auto-tune, that tells me that person cannot sing, is a fraud, and is denying the world the plearure an Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Mark Murphy, Tom Jones, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Sheena Easton, Brook Benton, Lou Rawls equivalent a chance at that pop fame - and they are doing it by fraudulent cheating.

Now I know the world isn't fair, and connections have always been more important than talent, but IMHO this auto-tune takes things way too far.

That's my opinion anyway FWIW.

Insights and incites by Notes

I find it interesting that you feel so strongly about this yet you sell add-ons to BIAB to facilitate people in using computer-based music instead of hiring real musicians for practice, recording sessions, performances, etc. laugh




If you have a problem with people using tracks in live performance (which you evidently do), you might try putting a professional 5-6 piece band together, get some gigs, and then get paid enough to keep the band together. Let me know how that works out for you. grin


Notes has already explained the economic realities in the market today, but instead of accepting his real world experience, you choose to take a cheap shot at his side business.

I fail to see how his dislike of AT has any relevence to his BIAB styles.

My position is simple! If you feel that using backing tracks enhances your performance, then by all means use them! Likewise, if you feel Autotune enhances your performance then use that too! Use whatever you like in your music and if you are able to find a market for it (or even if it simply gives you joy) then that is a home run!

But when you embrace one technology to enhance your own performance while labeling artists who choose a different technology as "frauds"....... laugh