Before auto tune

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moonandback
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Before auto tune

#1478191

Post by moonandback »

Hi!

My question is that before auto-tune was made available in 1997, what kind of things were available to correct/disguise the false notes during recordings?
I was born in the 80's so i have no clue. But i'm sure they used various things and tricks, especially from the late 70's on.



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drjohncarpenter
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Re: Before auto tune

#1478196

Post by drjohncarpenter »

moonandback wrote:Hi!

My question is that before auto-tune was made available in 1997, what kind of things were available to correct/disguise the false notes during recordings?
I was born in the 80's so i have no clue. But i'm sure they used various things and tricks, especially from the late 70's on.
Tape edits, drop-in replacement segments, or hiring someone else to "ghost" the vocal are all tricks of the trade.


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poormadpeter2

Re: Before auto tune

#1478211

Post by poormadpeter2 »

Or leaving the wrong notes in! Certainly not unheard of - there's a song on Sinatra's Strangers in the Night album where he trips himself up on a line and purposefully asked for it to be left in.

I never know where to stand on the autotune argument. People say it's cheating, and all that stuff. But I'm not sure it's cheating any more than tape edits or drop-ins. Whichever way you look at it, it's a manufactured performance whether the last note is cut in from a different take or whether it's autotuned.




The Pirate

Re: Before auto tune

#1478220

Post by The Pirate »

poormadpeter2 wrote:Or leaving the wrong notes in! Certainly not unheard of - there's a song on Sinatra's Strangers in the Night album where he trips himself up on a line and purposefully asked for it to be left in.

I never know where to stand on the autotune argument. People say it's cheating, and all that stuff. But I'm not sure it's cheating any more than tape edits or drop-ins. Whichever way you look at it, it's a manufactured performance whether the last note is cut in from a different take or whether it's autotuned.
Except that autotune sounds like crap compared to the artists real voice dropped in. The problem is that autotune is rarely used as an occasional aid for the odd fluffed note, and entire songs are now tweaked from start to end. It's a case of, "Here's the microphone, sing what you want and we'll sort it out later."




poormadpeter2

Re: Before auto tune

#1478306

Post by poormadpeter2 »

The Pirate wrote:
poormadpeter2 wrote:Or leaving the wrong notes in! Certainly not unheard of - there's a song on Sinatra's Strangers in the Night album where he trips himself up on a line and purposefully asked for it to be left in.

I never know where to stand on the autotune argument. People say it's cheating, and all that stuff. But I'm not sure it's cheating any more than tape edits or drop-ins. Whichever way you look at it, it's a manufactured performance whether the last note is cut in from a different take or whether it's autotuned.
Except that autotune sounds like crap compared to the artists real voice dropped in. The problem is that autotune is rarely used as an occasional aid for the odd fluffed note, and entire songs are now tweaked from start to end. It's a case of, "Here's the microphone, sing what you want and we'll sort it out later."

Well, it's the same as everything, I guess. It gets abused. But then, very few people sing whole songs anymore in the studio, doing lines at a time - and is that "cheating" any less? And bands record their work a track at a time, rather than as a group. And on it goes. Technology comes along and it gets used - I'm sure people thought the same when microphones came along and people didn't have to fill entire halls with their voice alone. I don't object to any technical jiggery-pokery as long as it's invisible and I don't notice it. When it's noticeable, then it's used too much - rather like CGI.


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