Mindflux said:

Yeah, that's the trick isn't it? There is nothing wrong with the effect by itself, but lazy producers tend to abuse it or shoe-horn it in where it doesn't belong. But when it works, it works. Dirty Vegas' "Days go by" is a great use of the effect actually (and I think it may be driven through a Vocoder to really come across as synthetic). It just fits that track like a glove and you can't imagine hearing it any other way. But for every track like that, there are dozens where its use is just sloppy and/or unnecessary.

Electronic music producers are likely more wary of its use than most because that trick came from the underground scene eons ago... I can remember hearing it pop up in underground electro trax in the late 90s (it may not have been Auto-tune, but it was certainly hyped pitch correction via outboard gear and/or vocoder tricks). R&B adopted it much later and took it further in its use, which is fun.

That said, I stopped hearing the innovation in hyped pitch correction years ago... but then again I don't listen to much current R&B, so I may be missing out on something interesting (i.e. my opinion should come with a grain of salt).

[Edit: Me No Spell Good]
[Edited 4/30/10 12:53pm]

Well this thread is the typical autotune debate, nothing new. Some people hate it, some people love it, and some people (like Mr. Sewell) simply don't understand it and know nothing about it.



I did notice something interesting yesterday while listening to my ipod while driving. The Morning After came on, and while the song is not autotuned, there is ONE spot where he puts heavy autotune on .... and I don't think it's for the effect. I'm pretty sure he actually corrected his pitch at this point.


The line :

"Even if you love somebody else it's only
Better if eye get the chance the moment you're done"

yup, its auto-tuned, but definitely for effect. if he was doing it to change pitxh, you wouldn't really notice (and Prince doesn't need it for that!)

Its an effect - its adding a "warble" effect to his voice, nothing more, nothing less!


Check it out.. definitely been autotuned, and not for effect.

Yea, I can agree with that, Mindflux. I just found it a bit out of place in the song.

thebanishedone said:

That's not Auto-Tune! I wish people would figure it out. Auto-Tune tunes the voice that hits a wrong note. It's what bitches like Britney & other c-list talent "singers" use to sound great on record, and lip sync in a concert.

The shit that T-Pain, Kid Rock, and Cher use is not an Auto-Tune. It's either a vocoder, or what Roger/Zapp used - which is a Talk Box. Even Bon Jovi used the device in "Livin' On A Prayer".

...but it's common knowledge that Prince is one of the best singers alive...

anthonyxanzaldo said:

Uh, not quite. Best living guitarist, yes. Most prolific composer/musician, maybe. Best singer? Not by a longshot. Sorry.

thebanishedone said:

That's not Auto-Tune! I wish people would figure it out. Auto-Tune tunes the voice that hits a wrong note. It's what bitches like Britney & other c-list talent "singers" use to sound great on record, and lip sync in a concert.

The shit that T-Pain, Kid Rock, and Cher use is not an Auto-Tune. It's either a vocoder, or what Roger/Zapp used - which is a Talk Box. Even Bon Jovi used the device in "Livin' On A Prayer".

thebanishedone said:

That's not Auto-Tune! I wish people would figure it out. Auto-Tune tunes the voice that hits a wrong note. It's what bitches like Britney & other c-list talent "singers" use to sound great on record, and lip sync in a concert.

The shit that T-Pain, Kid Rock, and Cher use is not an Auto-Tune. It's either a vocoder, or what Roger/Zapp used - which is a Talk Box. Even Bon Jovi used the device in "Livin' On A Prayer".

Jakeasaurus said:

If your falsetto is that powerful, and you can get that low (like he does in Erotic City), and be one of only a handful of people who can pull off that scream and still be able to do that in your 50's and never not sound perfect live ? Yeah, he's definitely one of the best singers, and if he's not he's for sure not off by a "longshot".

thebanishedone said:

That's not Auto-Tune! I wish people would figure it out. Auto-Tune tunes the voice that hits a wrong note. It's what bitches like Britney & other c-list talent "singers" use to sound great on record, and lip sync in a concert.

The shit that T-Pain, Kid Rock, and Cher use is not an Auto-Tune. It's either a vocoder, or what Roger/Zapp used - which is a Talk Box. Even Bon Jovi used the device in "Livin' On A Prayer".

I thought that was the vocoder Prince was using on "Incense and Candles".