The Autotune Thread

[Justin]

In the next couple of days I will be asking moderators to move "The First Gig" thread out of this section of the board (and into the concert reviews section) in order to make room for the additional threads for shows coming up on the tour.  Perhaps any current talk regarding "Autotune" can continue here? 

[drbeachboy]

Thank you, Justin!

[Justin]

I foresee someone down the road asking something like "What is this autotune stuff you guys are talking about??  What concerts did this happen?"  And it'll be a bitch to try and locate stuff so what I'll do is summarize each tour stop with the official verdict so that person can go and find that thread based on what cities we've deemed "Autotuned."  This thread may or not actually continue on the discussion of the Aututone but at least it'll have a summary on what's went down during this wacky period.

[runnersdialzero]

I think you mean "Probably" and "We don't know yet"

^_^

[seltaeb1012002]

City                                     Autotune?
------------------------------------------------

Tuscon, AZ                         Yes
Grand Prairie, TX                 Yes
New Orelans, LA                     ?

I thought at first that maybe B-Pain took the night off for the TX show, but then I realized I based that off of about 3 notes I heard in Good Vibrations (when he sang the extra "Ooh Bop Bop" super low in the mix).

Then I heard "The Little Girl I Once Knew".   

This might be a permanent thing guys. Here's hoping they killed it during tonight's show.

[runnersdialzero]

Ugh, it's also on the 26th show. It's not as bad, but it's still pretty damn bad.

[endofposts]

I listened to the Vimeo clip that was up of the first show and it is bad and noticeable.  I'm not sure how people don't hear it if they compare Brian's vocals to Mike's.  Mike's vocals are very dry, as though he has no effects.  In fact, it can be a little hard to hear Mike when the harmonies are around him.  Brian is mixed loud, in front, and it sounds like the guitar on "Frampton Comes Alive."  Who are the people that allowed that?  I don't think people would mind if Brian had a little subtle pitch correction, but he doesn't sound human.  Somebody needs to tell the sound guy or whoever is doing it that they're not making Brian look or sound good.  It almost sounds like a different band and concert entirely when Brian has a lead vocal.

[Wirestone]

Ugh, it's also on the 26th show. It's not as bad, but it's still pretty damn bad.

Seems to be.  Darn.

Oh well, looks like it's going to be an interesting tour!

[runnersdialzero]

Ugh, it's also on the 26th show. It's not as bad, but it's still pretty damn bad.

Seems to be.  Darn.

Oh well, looks like it's going to be an interesting tour!

ur so mad ;(

Is it really so hard to see why this upsets people? That the very presence of something like this totally cheapens the whole "live concert" thing? That Brian would probably actually sound *better* without something they've made a conscience decision to use to make him sound "better"? That it's a slap in the face to Brian's talents, Brian as a person, and fans? That it makes him look pathetic and incapable to people who hear it and don't know any better?

I'm not trying to ruin anyone's experience of going - they've already been there, I'm sincerely glad they had a good time. But this is the sort of thing that makes people *not* buy tickets.

Again, hate to be repetitive, but it's a problem, it persists, and the denial of it by people in the show means it's not likely to improve any time soon. It's just sad.

Would you really be okay if the albums were re-released and sounded like this?: http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/2/20/800088/TIMETOGETAPHONETOGETAPHONEANDJUSTTALKTOGETHER.mp3

[Wirestone]

Runners, please calm down, man. I honestly was not trying to provoke you. I was acknowledging that yes, it seems pretty clear from the newly available evidence, that BW is being pitch corrected.

What's more, I think it's a shame.

Not being a party to the backstage decisions, I'm not sure why they're doing this. I think the fact that Brian appeared at two high-profile public events without any such pitch correction, and the fact that his camp let him tour for 12 years without it, makes its inclusion here superfluous.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out, simply to see if the application varies or is ever stopped, or if the media ever get savvy to it. At the very least it doesn't sound natural, so I can't imagine it will go unnoticed if they keep at it, especially at smaller venues. But I'm also just not the sort to rage about stuff like this. I know some people want to, and I'm sympathetic. But I'm raising a 12-month-old here at home -- this is him last week --



And that's a lot more important to me than if rich white guys are singing with computer effects or not. Makes me happier, too! 

[lance]

Aw. Hes a cutie!

[Wirestone]

Aw. Hes a cutie!

He can also sing an amazing Heroes and Villains if you hook him up to an autotune plugin!

(Not really. Not yet, at least.)

[runnersdialzero]

D'AWWWWW ^_^

[hypehat]

That is one cute baby!

Erm.... er, what were we talking about? 

[anazgnos]

BABIES SHOULD NEVER BE AUTOTUNED

[The Shift]

Runners, please calm down, man. I honestly was not trying to provoke you. I was acknowledging that yes, it seems pretty clear from the newly available evidence, that BW is being pitch corrected.

What's more, I think it's a shame.

Not being a party to the backstage decisions, I'm not sure why they're doing this. I think the fact that Brian appeared at two high-profile public events without any such pitch correction, and the fact that his camp let him tour for 12 years without it, makes its inclusion here superfluous.

It will be interesting to see how it plays out, simply to see if the application varies or is ever stopped, or if the media ever get savvy to it. At the very least it doesn't sound natural, so I can't imagine it will go unnoticed if they keep at it, especially at smaller venues. But I'm also just not the sort to rage about stuff like this. I know some people want to, and I'm sympathetic. But I'm raising a 12-month-old here at home -- this is him last week --



And that's a lot more important to me than if rich white guys are singing with computer effects or not. Makes me happier, too! 

That's the stuff! You'll be raising a 13-month-old soon... And it just keeps getting better. My 37-month-old asked if  would dance with her to the Beach Boys yesterday! She's learning!

[desmondo]

So where exactly is the autotune in Texas? - as I am listening to it right now can one of the B-Painers please point it all out

Thanks in advance

[Steve Mayo]

me either. don't hear it anywhere. and really, who gives a sh*t anyway? what difference does it make? just be happy this is happening and enjoy the ride.

[Ron]

Count me down also as one of the ones too stupid to hear any autotune, anywhere, on anything. 

[anazgnos]

So where exactly is the autotune in Texas? - as I am listening to it right now can one of the B-Painers please point it all out

Thanks in advance

I haven't reviewed everything yet, but it does sound like they've backed way off, for the most part.  There's less totally overt robo-voice stuff (Surfer Girl sounds pretty much clean to me, at that was one of the worst offenders in Tucson) and there's less of the glitchy pitch-stepping stuff (you can hear Brian actually slide, naturally, out of tune on the H&V coda) but there are still some suspicious moments.  "I'll be movin' in one day" on "Little Girl..." for example.  There are still some weird jumpy artifacts throughout the verse on H&V.  Brian's overall too-perfect pitch on "Sail on Sailor" sounds suspect.  But if Tucson was the sound of hideous malfunction, Texas seems to be the way it's "supposed" to sound.

[Ron]

Or:


You're hearing sh*t.

[anazgnos]

Cool post man

[Wirestone]

So where exactly is the autotune in Texas? - as I am listening to it right now can one of the B-Painers please point it all out

Thanks in advance

I haven't reviewed everything yet, but it does sound like they've backed way off, for the most part.  There's less totally overt robo-voice stuff (Surfer Girl sounds pretty much clean to me, at that was one of the worst offenders in Tucson) and there's less of the glitchy pitch-stepping stuff (you can hear Brian actually slide, naturally, out of tune on the H&V coda) but there are still some suspicious moments.  "I'll be movin' in one day" on "Little Girl..." for example.  There are still some weird jumpy artifacts throughout the verse on H&V.  Brian's overall too-perfect pitch on "Sail on Sailor" sounds suspect.  But if Tucson was the sound of hideous malfunction, Texas seems to be the way it's "supposed" to sound.

The chorus on the Texas H&V is quite peculiar ... there is like one, thin, sustained, single note from Brian. It sounds really robot-y.

[Ron]

Thank you anazgnos, I appreciate that.   

Somebody clue in us ignorant and ill informed who despite all our efforts can't hear any autotune.  Explain to us mechanically how Autotune works, for instance i heard that a keyboard player plays the melody or something?

Somebody break it down for us exactly how they're pulling off the autotune that's on all Brian's vocals, so we can better understand.


Be warned though: After you do that, later this evening I'm going to sign on and introduce you to my friend Ockham.  It will not be pretty.

 

[anazgnos]

Thank you anazgnos, I appreciate that.  

Somebody clue in us ignorant and ill informed who despite all our efforts can't hear any autotune.  Explain to us mechanically how Autotune works, for instance i heard that a keyboard player plays the melody or something?

Somebody break it down for us exactly how they're pulling off the autotune that's on all Brian's vocals, so we can better understand.


Be warned though: After you do that, later this evening I'm going to sign on and introduce you to my friend Ockham.  It will not be pretty.

 

Refer back to runnersdialzero's post above: If the autotune hypothesis is correct, Brian's lead vocals fro Tucson would sound almost exactly like this, if you heard them isolated.  These are the glitches or artifacts that people are talking about hearing.

Would you really be okay if the albums were re-released and sounded like this?: http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/2/20/800088/TIMETOGETAPHONETOGETAPHONEANDJUSTTALKTOGETHER.mp3

I mean, it doesn't matter if you don't hear it, it's fine.  The only reason to talk about this is precisely because, as we are often reminded, "people who matter" are listening in.  

Of course, not to say that you don't matter too, Ron.