Is this auto-tuned?

billwill

Song in question.

My friend insists that there is absolutely no auto-tune in this song. Like, willing to bet money on it (he's an Akon fanatic).

I am pretty damn sure I hear it. What do guys you think?

Thanks.

garroad_ran

Yes

EDIT: I wish I could be more helpful than that, but it's pretty blatant to my ears.

billwill

It's pretty damn obvious, isn't it? My friend is fucking adamant. He said he'd put one hundred dollars on this.

He even thinks that "ooooooooooo" part that goes up and then down is all him. puh-lease.

Rent

uh

yeah?

you can hear it really clearly in the first couple of seconds of the song on the word "angel"

Davoid

Your friend is deaf or trolling you.

billwill

No, he's not. He is really serious. I think the thought of Akon using auto-tune offends him.

I just want to be 100% sure before I bet him.

admanb

Definitely.

Doesn't mean it's not a bad song though. Your friend should stop feeling like he needs to defend what he likes.

NightDragon

Absolutely. In the first 30 seconds (I only listened that far) there is minimal auto-tune, but it's unmistakeable. For the most part there isn't any, so maybe your friend was getting confused...but in the 2nd syllable of "angel" and in the later "oooooo", as was mentioned, it's obviously there.

billwill

This may sound stupid, but is there a website that says whether a song is auto-tuned or not?

I for sure believe this song is auto-tuned, but I know he won't hand over the money (no matter how many testimonials he hears) unless it definitively says it somewhere.

admanb

How does he feel about professional music critics?

Goofball

Your friend needs to visit a doctor and get his hearing checked. I don't get how anyone can hear anything like that and think it's "natural". I'll be glad when either the RIAA and this crap dies or autotune in mainstream music goes out of style.

Davoid

the first stage of grief is denial

Rent

I actually think the song is a good use of autotune

Akon is really gifted musically and has an amazing voice, so it's pretty obvious in this case he just used it to give his voice an otherworldly, ethereal quality (since it pertains to the song lyrics)

in short I really like Akon, and this song is really good, and imo is improved with auto-tune

so uh yeah

billwill

Yeah I don't mind the song at all, I actually really like Akon. I also don't care if uses auto-tune. My friend, however, is making a huge deal of it.

I just texted him

Me: I just listened to Akon's new song again! It's so obvious, you have to be pranking me...

Him: Wow, someone needs their ears checked...either put money on it or stop talking

Me: I'll put money on it...how's 50?

Him: Sounds good, I needed some extra spending money anyway

Small Time Crooked

I am not a professional music critic, but I am a hip hop recording artist. I hope it's a little more reassuring for your friend when I say, yes, that is most definitely auto-tuned. A lot of mainstream hip hop artists use it nowdays, Lil Wayne, Nikki Minaj, T-Pain, Kanye West -- Even Usher has gotten into using it and his vocal range is way broader than Akon's.

admanb

Small Time Crooked wrote: »

I am not a professional music critic, but I am a hip hop recording artist. I hope it's a little more reassuring for your friend when I say, yes, that is most definitely auto-tuned. A lot of mainstream hip hop artists use it nowdays, Lil Wayne, Nikki Minaj, T-Pain, Kanye West -- Even Usher has gotten into using it and his vocal range is way broader than Akon's.

People who are unconcerned with being "natural" (i.e. most of them) like how it sounds. The market will eventually get bored of the sound and it'll either fall out of favor or evolve into something more complex.

billwill

Quick question: Can that be done with a process other than auto-tune? Because he says he is completely sure that the song isn't auto-tuned. Maybe he's trying to get me on a technicality?

Nappuccino

If it isn't autotune, it some studio magic at work. Regardless, it isn't just him doing that.

NightDragon

If he thinks Akon doesn't use auto-tune anywhere, at all (or that he doesn't use the "studio magic" you mentioned that's something similar to auto-tune)....have him listen to Track #4 on Akon's website. SO MUCH auto-tune in the 2nd half. I just had the songs running in the background for the past few minutes out of curiosity. :P

If you can't find a website that states "yes, in this song, he uses auto-tune", making him listen to an obviously auto-tuned song from Akon may help your case, at least.

Small Time Crooked

Admanb: Yeah, the robotic sound will die out eventually. But I don't think there's anything more to come out of auto-tune, it was meant to sound more natural during pitch shifts if an artist either couldn't or had a hard time achieving a particular note in a particular octave. It'll be around for ages to come, methinks.

Billwill: Auto-tune is auto-tune, it might be packaged under a certain brand name, but it's auto-tune nonetheless. Unless Akon's producer took a whole month+ to do that on his own accord during the mastering process, it's auto-tune.

admanb

billwill wrote: »

Quick question: Can that be done with a process other than auto-tune? Because he says he is completely sure that the song isn't auto-tuned. Maybe he's trying to get me on a technicality?

Sure. Auto-Tune is just a specific processor. However, it's an industry standard and the effect sounds like it, so there's no reason to believe it's anything else.

I'm kind of surprised you haven't yet realized that you're not going to win this bet. You shouldn't lose, either, but unless you hand him a written confession signed by Akon himself, your friend isn't going to admit that it was tuned.

billwill

NightDragon wrote: »

If he thinks Akon doesn't use auto-tune anywhere, at all (or that he doesn't use the "studio magic" you mentioned that's something similar to auto-tune)....have him listen to Track #4 on Akon's website. SO MUCH auto-tune in the 2nd half. I just had the songs running in the background for the past few minutes out of curiosity. :P

If you can't find a website that states "yes, in this song, he uses auto-tune", making him listen to an obviously auto-tuned song from Akon may help your case, at least.

Are you talking about "I'm So Paid"?

I haven't heard any auto-tune in that song before...gonna give it another listen.

EDIT: I mean by Akon. Obviously the other guys use it.

admanb

Small Time Crooked wrote: »

Admanb: Yeah, the robotic sound will die out eventually. But I don't think there's anything more to come out of auto-tune, it was meant to sound more natural during pitch shifts if an artist either couldn't or had a hard time achieving a particular note in a particular octave. It'll be around for ages to come, methinks.

I guess I just meant that voice processing, in a variety of forms, could become more of a 'thing' in modern and popular music due to Auto-Tune making it both commercially and artistically acceptable.

Raneados

of course there's autotune in that

Small Time Crooked

admanb wrote: »

Small Time Crooked wrote: »

Admanb: Yeah, the robotic sound will die out eventually. But I don't think there's anything more to come out of auto-tune, it was meant to sound more natural during pitch shifts if an artist either couldn't or had a hard time achieving a particular note in a particular octave. It'll be around for ages to come, methinks.

I guess I just meant that voice processing, in a variety of forms, could become more of a 'thing' in modern and popular music due to Auto-Tune making it both commercially and artistically acceptable.

Ahhh, I think gotcha now. I was under the impression you were limiting the possibilities to the auto-tune plugin specifically. Stupid me being stupid. :P

Nappuccino

admanb wrote: »

Small Time Crooked wrote: »

Admanb: Yeah, the robotic sound will die out eventually. But I don't think there's anything more to come out of auto-tune, it was meant to sound more natural during pitch shifts if an artist either couldn't or had a hard time achieving a particular note in a particular octave. It'll be around for ages to come, methinks.

I guess I just meant that voice processing, in a variety of forms, could become more of a 'thing' in modern and popular music due to Auto-Tune making it both commercially and artistically acceptable.

This is probably the best use of auto-tune i've heard in recent years: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBh-0oHm9Ak

That said, i don't think it quite works as a full song of just like that. It's still very nice to listen to though.


edit: so i guess my point is, if you Akon uses Autotune sparingly, there's no reason to be upset at him for it. If its the only thing he does, then there's kind of a problem. But really, you friend shouldn't be upset that he's autotuning things because there is some artistic merit to it.

DodgeBlan

you know pretty much every major label produced track would use autotune, even if its not a 'hey lookit this autotune' song

Rent

Nappuccino wrote: »

admanb wrote: »

Small Time Crooked wrote: »

Admanb: Yeah, the robotic sound will die out eventually. But I don't think there's anything more to come out of auto-tune, it was meant to sound more natural during pitch shifts if an artist either couldn't or had a hard time achieving a particular note in a particular octave. It'll be around for ages to come, methinks.

I guess I just meant that voice processing, in a variety of forms, could become more of a 'thing' in modern and popular music due to Auto-Tune making it both commercially and artistically acceptable.

This is probably the best use of auto-tune i've heard in recent years:

this is mine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psuRGfAaju4

god i love owl city

mooshoepork

Nappuccino wrote: »

admanb wrote: »

Small Time Crooked wrote: »

Admanb: Yeah, the robotic sound will die out eventually. But I don't think there's anything more to come out of auto-tune, it was meant to sound more natural during pitch shifts if an artist either couldn't or had a hard time achieving a particular note in a particular octave. It'll be around for ages to come, methinks.

I guess I just meant that voice processing, in a variety of forms, could become more of a 'thing' in modern and popular music due to Auto-Tune making it both commercially and artistically acceptable.

This is probably the best use of auto-tune i've heard in recent years: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBh-0oHm9Ak

That said, i don't think it quite works as a full song of just like that. It's still very nice to listen to though.


edit: so i guess my point is, if you Akon uses Autotune sparingly, there's no reason to be upset at him for it. If its the only thing he does, then there's kind of a problem. But really, you friend shouldn't be upset that he's autotuning things because there is some artistic merit to it.

that's a vocoder, not autotune.

edit: and urgh, owl city are a pain in the ass. Check out the postal service.

Nappuccino

mooshoepork wrote: »

that's a vocoder, not autotune.

This is going off topic, but not according to Rolling Stone http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/190746

that rolling stone article wrote:

West told Rolling Stone that he flew Vernon to the Hawaii studio where the new disc was being cut, and had him rerecord the vocals from Bon Iver's Auto-Tune experiment "Woods," from the Blood Bank EP.

mooshoepork

Nappuccino wrote: »

mooshoepork wrote: »

that's a vocoder, not autotune.

This is going off topic, but not according to Rolling Stone http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/190746

that rolling stone article wrote:

West told Rolling Stone that he flew Vernon to the Hawaii studio where the new disc was being cut, and had him rerecord the vocals from Bon Iver's Auto-Tune experiment "Woods," from the Blood Bank EP.

That seems like something Rolling Stone has written, rather than what Bon Iver actually said.

Auto-tune is made by Antares for pitch correction. It uses vocoding to achieve this.

An actual vocoder is different.

I'll quote this guy because he explains it better than I do

vocoder takes a signal- say you’ve got a microphone plugged into a synthesizer like the Roland V-Synth GT. The signal that comes through that microphone (you singing, rapping, chanting, whatever) is sent to the series of oscillators and filters which create the synthesizer’s sounds (now mixed with your vocals), which you can play through the keyboard or along with the keyboard. However you alter those filters and oscillators, that will change the resulting sound.

Nappuccino

Ok, then from NPR http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98981844

NPR wrote:

Guest host Guy Raz asked Vernon about his newfound success and previewed some of the new EP. One track, called "Woods," was performed a capella, and featured some Auto-Tune studio effects.

"This for me was a way to extend my voice or to experiment with different techniques, or just sounds," Vernon says. "It was really freeing for me to do, and I'm really happy it's the last song on the EP.

Vocoder or genuine Auto-tune, the industry doesn't seem to really care. Its Auto-tune. Just like a Kleenex has become the name for all tissues regardless of style or brand (or hell, even intended purpose)

mooshoepork

Nappuccino wrote: »

Ok, then from NPR http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98981844

NPR wrote:

Guest host Guy Raz asked Vernon about his newfound success and previewed some of the new EP. One track, called "Woods," was performed a capella, and featured some Auto-Tune studio effects.

"This for me was a way to extend my voice or to experiment with different techniques, or just sounds," Vernon says. "It was really freeing for me to do, and I'm really happy it's the last song on the EP.

Vocoder or genuine Auto-tune, the industry doesn't seem to really care. Its Auto-tune. Just like a Kleenex has become the name for all tissues regardless of style or brand (or hell, even intended purpose)

That's exactly the problem. They don't know the fucking difference :P

I'd say vocoders have slightly more artistic merit than straight pitch correction.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHk2lLaDzlM

Either way, they're different, and any audio engineer or musician that knows their shit will tell you that.

edit: again, them saying "featured some auto-tune studio effects" shows that they don't know what they're talking about.

T-bolt

mooshoepork is correct, pitch correction (i.e. Auto-tune, Melodyne, etc.) is different from vocoding. And yes, that Akon song is a blatant example of auto-tuning as an effect.

Deebaser

Raneados wrote: »

of course there's autotune in that

Satsumomo

Autotune makes everything sound the same, that Bon Iver song feels exactly like something I'd hear on pop radio, and I would have never guessed it was Bon Iver. If you told me it was T-Pain being dramatic, I'd believe you.

Gihgehls

The thing is, a skilled producer can correct the pitch of vocals without adding that pitch-perfect, robotic sound. If you hear that sound, it is because that's the aesthetic they are aiming for.

Darkewolfe

Of course it's auto-tuned.

They key follow-up question here is: "Did you get paid?" Or is your next thread going to be, "How to apply a ball bat to someone's knees with just the force to produce $50?"

Sentry

everyone knows this is the best use of auto-tune.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qizNQKzatXA