Why Not Use Auto-Tune?

[Rick5150]

Why are people so upset that there is auto-tuning on the new Beach Boys album(s)? They have earned the right to use it, but more on that below...

Everyone knows that Brian was notorious for his quest for perfection, often demanding take after take of a song that sounded fine to everyone else the first time. It is no secret that he could hear things that most people missed or deemed acceptable. Mike called him Ol' Dog Ears or something similar, right?

Nowadays, with their scheduling conflicts and advanced age, it is probably impossible for the boys to get together for an entire album and do take after take and expect the vocals to be anything other than a little embarrassing – at least for a group known for their vocal harmonies.

For the Beach Boys, auto-tune is the auditory equivalent of a photographer taking a good image and using Photoshop to make it a great image. He can make it exactly what he was looking for, rather than settling for close-enough. The Photoshop effect may be apparent to some people, but the ability to portray the image as perfectly as he needs it to be, outweighs the ‘fakeness’ of the image - and the casual observer will not even notice the Photoshop use.

Many people have stated that they would rather hear the original Beach Boys with all of their mistakes, actually playing their instruments than what they have released. I think this would be a disaster. 

David Marks seems to be the only original member to have retained his ability to play his instrument with any degree of professionalism and consistency. Maybe Bruce,  – I don’t know. But even David flubs some of his solos when you watch them on YouTube. Brian seems as if he is not playing half the time (or if he is, it is so low in the mix that it is nearly inaudible). Even when he is playing, we cannot tell if he is playing well. Al Jardine is busier waving his giant hands around and clapping rather than actually playing, and again, it seems he is pretty low in the mix. Kind of like during the In Concert intro to Little Deuce Coupe. LOL.

The average listener would not accept this, and the average listener makes up a good chunk of the Beach Boys audience. Who wants to hear old men playing poorly and singing off-key? Well, I would buy it because I appreciate everything they have done, but you know what I mean.

Auto-tune allows us to hear what is left of the original Beach Boys sing the new songs the way Brian wants them to sound, and the older songs closer to how we expect to hear them.

As previously mentioned, the Beach Boys have earned the right to use auto-tune because they spent years giving us vocal perfection without using auto-tune. Auto-tune is not used to mask the fact that they are not talented. They have proven that they are, time and again. Instead it is used to maintain the level of perfection that we demand from them. If the auto-tune could be toned down to where it is less obvious, that would be perfect, of course.

A comparison would be the same way that Jackie Chan has earned the right to do his stunts with wires. In his prime, his stunt gymnastics were untouchable - just like the Beach Boys vocal gymnastics. Wires allow Jackie Chan to continue to do what he is known for.

If Brian Wilson is going to put his name on an album where he has any kind of control, he would want it to be perfect, just like he always has in the past. Auto-tune is the only way that this will happen and I will gladly take it if it means we can get new music from Brian and the boys. If they can pump out another album using auto-tune, I am all for it, especially if they can do as well as they did with TWGMTR.

There is no reason for this next sentence, but I just wanted to use this emoticon. 

[Micha]

Is this an ad?

[Peadar 'Big Dinner' O'Driscoll]

Hi Joe 

[37!ws]

Dare I say it, Brian would have used AutoTune if he had it in the '60s.

[Mr. Cohen]

Where is this mainstream audience snapping up Beach Boys autotuned material?

I'm not against autotune in theory. It's all over the radio. But the way the BBs/Brian often use it, it sounds awful. Sometimes, it seems like once the autotune is turned on, Brian stops trying to even sing in key. But then when he really tries, like on "Summer's Gone", it's palatable.

[Micha]

Dare I say it, Brian would have used AutoTune if he had it in the '60s.

Only if Spector had done it.

[lee]

It's all about moderation.

I don't have a problem with autotune if someone does multiple takes, takes the best take and uses autotune to fix a bum note or two.

I do have a problem with someone doing one or two ok takes and then just smothering it in autotune to the point that the vocal begins to not sound human.

[Rocky Raccoon]

Or putting it so prominently on a live album.  They had 70 shows to choose from and instead of painstakingly going through all of them and picking the best performance of each song, they got lazy and the songs didn't even sound live anymore.  That's not right.

[Micha]

the songs didn't even sound live anymore.  That's not right.

Then weird thing about that live album is that the songs didn't even sound anymore... at all. Can't wait for the 2062 iTunes release of the un"sweetened" recordings. Wait - I'll be 93 years old then! Who do they think I am, Kirk Douglas?

[The Cincinnati Kid]

It's all about moderation.

I don't have a problem with autotune if someone does multiple takes, takes the best take and uses autotune to fix a bum note or two.

I do have a problem with someone doing one or two ok takes and then just smothering it in autotune to the point that the vocal begins to not sound human.

Pretty much this.  When they used it on the last album though, we ended up with Isn't It Time sounding the way it did.

[filledeplage]

Is this an ad?

Seriously.

When C50 on cell phone camera footage on YouTube is truer and better sounding, than the released CDs?

Give me a break.

[Micha]

Is this an ad?

Seriously.

When C50 on cell phone camera footage on YouTube is truer and better sounding, than the released CDs?

Though I agree with that statement, that's not necessarily due to Autotune, as they used some Autotune live.

[filledeplage]

Is this an ad?

Seriously.

When C50 on cell phone camera footage on YouTube is truer and better sounding, than the released CDs?

Though I agree with that statement, that's not necessarily due to Autotune, as they used some Autotune live.

Micha - I'm no sound expert and defer to those who are ( in abundance on this board) but just a fan who did see them live for seven C50 shows.  How lucky is that? I have no frame of reference to know the difference as between the two types of autotune, and welcome learning the differences.

My ears do know the difference between quality and drek.  And, in my view, the CD's did not do justice to the fabulous performances.  I dislike and disfavor anything that makes them look bad, or falsely represents those performances that we waited decades for. 

[The Cincinnati Kid]

Is this an ad?

Seriously.

When C50 on cell phone camera footage on YouTube is truer and better sounding, than the released CDs?

Though I agree with that statement, that's not necessarily due to Autotune, as they used some Autotune live.

Really?  Someone who apparently would know told me there was no doctoring of the concerts at all.

[Wirestone]

At the beginning of the tour, they did use some sort of processing on Brian's live vocals. It was a terrible idea, given that it made him sound worse most of the time. They dropped it a dozen or so dates in, and by the time I saw the group it was definitely gone.

[ontor pertawst]

It sounded like they were processing Love's as well from the youtube videos. Thank goodness they dropped it.

[The Cincinnati Kid]

At the beginning of the tour, they did use some sort of processing on Brian's live vocals. It was a terrible idea, given that it made him sound worse most of the time. They dropped it a dozen or so dates in, and by the time I saw the group it was definitely gone.

Oh yeah I do remember being told that as well.

[Wirestone]

And overall, I don't think most BW fans mind some sort of digital pitch correction -- it does appear on every one of his solo records, with the likely exception of the IJWMFTT soundtrack. But there's a difference between using it to fix a bum note here and there and lathering it over every vocal track for a "contemporary" effect.

[filledeplage]

Is this an ad?

Seriously.

When C50 on cell phone camera footage on YouTube is truer and better sounding, than the released CDs?

Though I agree with that statement, that's not necessarily due to Autotune, as they used some Autotune live.

Really?  Someone who apparently would know told me there was no doctoring of the concerts at all.

And, I've got a bridge to sell.   

[Micha]

And, in my view, the CD's did not do justice to the fabulous performances.

Damn sure they didn't!

[beatle608]

David Marks tried telling me that there was no doctoring on the last live album. I didn't buy it then and I still don't buy it now. It's also very apparent in the early 50th anniversary shows that at least Brian's vocals were being fixed. It sounded horrible too.

[Emdeeh]

Autotune is one of the main reasons I've stopped listening to pop music stations on the radio. I prefer hearing natural voices, flaws and all.

[D409]

"Why not use auto-tune ?" Because it sounds robotic, Exhibit A : "Believe" by Cher

[joshferrell]

It's a fad like the Unplugged phase of the 90's and the disco phase of the 70's..it'll make way for some other fad one day..

[SenorPotatoHead]

My personal preference is for, not "perfection", but real, tangible, honest feeling.  I so very much would have preferred the "reunion" album to have been 5 old guys around a mic (with some some good, perhaps sparse backing instrumentation) doing as Murry once instructed and singing from their hearts to the best of whatever ability they retain.   That could have been a wonderfully vibrant and potent album, and one that, for me anyway, would have had much greater emotional impact.  I don't need "1965" again, I can have that by putting on Today! and Summer Days.   They can not sing as they used to, particularly Brian, but they have been singing together the bulk of their lives, and each were talented vocalists in their own ways and together they were incredible.   I would take a creaky oldster version of that any day over some auto tuned, overly processed fake presentation. 
Would that be the "commercial" choice?  I suppose not, but then again, who's really to say?  I have heard aged groups of vocalists sing together quite beautifully and effectively.   I believe the remnants of the BB's could have done the same.  Just my opinion though.