Modern Music's Death By Auto-Tune

In this episode I discuss the over use and impact of Auto-Tune which has become ubiquitous in all genres of modern music.
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[@angelines29]

Its like plastic surgery. Always striving for what we think is perfect, not realizing that the imperfections are what makes us/music/basically anything interesting and unique and real.

[@wokk9543]

nah you have old ears

[@j.m1928]

❤️❤️❤️

[@danielbentley7117]

Plenty of singers can sing perfectly in key without autotune. Using the word "imperfections" sounds like you enjoy out of tune singers.

[@footos8511]

@@danielbentley7117 yes actually. That’s EXACTLY what they mean. Human imperfections, mistakes, are what make music have feel. Why do people double track instruments? For example, why do you double track a guitar? Why not just duplicate the track in your DAW? Because all’s it will do is make it louder, even if you modify certain parts of the copied track, it has no big, grand dangerous feel.

[@danielbentley7117]

@@footos8511 Double tracking doesn't disprove my point. Doing multiple takes actually hides mistakes in timing and pitch because your brain hears the average of all the takes together, instead of the bad notes or phrasing of each individual take. Similar to how a chorus effect works, by shifting the pitch above and below the performance.

[@RevStickleback]

"The only people who got record deals were people who could perform live" - that's a statement that goes so far beyond just singing.

[@Dayandcounting]

Van Halen with DLR, hold my Whisky. Terrible live band musically speaking.

[@mercaloops]

You can get a record deal as a writer instrumentalist producer or even mixing or mastering engineer

[@levigoldsteinbergowitz7391]

@@Dayandcounting dlr was never about vocal prowess, hes a front man and a showman and fronted the best work VH did, also a decent lyricist, they arent supper deep but its catchy and you can sing along to dozens of his songs which to me is the mark of a good songwriter

[@vegasdad]

@@Dayandcounting Van Hagar was a bad ass live band though. Sammy is simply an amazing singer.

[@Reno_Slim]

@@Dayandcounting I saw Van Halen in 1980 and they were the exact opposite of terrible.

[@italianhockeywall]

"The better the singer's voice, the harder it is to believe what they are saying. So I use my faults to an advantage" -David Byrne

[@ragnus78]

68

[@cybrinternational3391]

Nice handle by the way, Sudo! ;)

[@ZodiacEntertainment2]

TAKE A LOOK AT THESE HANDS Byrne's voice is great. Totally gave Talking Heads most of their character.

[@NorthernKitty]

Your pseudonym has the subconscious effect of giving system admins an overwhelming urge to backup all their servers.

[@robdoran1156]

@@NorthernKitty Honour your mistakes as hidden intentions - Brian Eno Oblique Strategy cards

[@theloniouscoltrane3778]

Auto-tune is one of the products of a fast-paced society. Everything is rushed. Music is passion. Creating music requires patience.

[@joejones9520]

no it doesnt! It requires whatever it happens to require at that moment. Hard work and patience doesnt equate great music. It's not like building a house.

[@alangeorgebarstow]

Thelonious Coltrane. Agreed in full. It is also one of the products of a plastic society; one where the average IQ of humans - all over the planet - is halving ever day.

[@Anonymous-mn3td]

@@atta1798 "progress", the word people use to ignore their moral compasses...

[@Anonymous-mn3td]

@@atta1798 There's more than one logical fallacy in that reply - and sadly nothing else. Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

[@Anonymous-mn3td]

@@atta1798 Deflect more, buddy. It's hard to miss just how unhinged you are.

[@thomascasey8171]

Auto-tune is the high-fructose corn syrup of music.

[@JasonTHutchinson]

At least high fructose corn syrup has good taste.

[@pearcy5206]

@@JasonTHutchinson but try downing the bottle

[@mm-nyc]

I was listening to Baby Love (Supremes) just the other day at it was like eating a plate of fresh vegetables after a month of eating fast food.

[@Resol26]

Only Daft Punk can makes A-T tracks masterpiece.

[@JasonTHutchinson]

@@pearcy5206 like Auto-Tune, is only good in small doses.

[@bopeep8205]

"So what did people used to do before auto-tune? Well, they would sing it until they got it right." Such a simple, grand observation.

[@larrylindgren9484]

It was easier to because most of them could sing. Today when you can't sing. It wouldn't matter if you sang it a million times it would be bad. So you have to look they get the machine behind you and write your music and auto tune your terrible vocals.

[@RhettShull]

Anytime I’m in a restaurant or a store where they play some generic “pop” playlist, all I can hear is the pitch corrected vocals. There’s lots of modern music made with little or no autotune, but it seems you can’t have a top 40 hit these days without over use of autotune.

[@AndyWarren]

I hear a lot of added vibrato these days as well. Listen to Billy Ray on Old Town Road or a lot of newer Bieber tracks.

[@tamarahhabib]

agreed. also congrats on the verification!!

[@jongarzamx]

Can you give us examples? I haven't heard a wide release record without autotune in 20 years, metal, rap, folk, etc they all have it, noticeably.

[@papo_parra]

oh man, how i hate the overuse and abuse of autotune. just a little bit is fine, but nopes... they put the whole jar of autotune on everything

[@t.sewell1513]

Truth. And it’s a damn shame.

[@MartyKeil]

My favorite use of Autotune is as a sort of vocal assistant. I recorded a vocalist who had trouble with pitches. I took the first take, and autotuned the heck out of it. Then recorded a vocal take using the tuned track as sort of a guide for the vocalist. Afterwards, muted the tuned track, and the second track without autotune is perfectly acceptable. I find that even I can sing better with my own voice as a pitch reference.

[@heliboy8762]

I would suggest that someone who can't sing on pitch when required is not really a vocalist.

[@MartyKeil]

@@cjay2 The vocalist is a good friend who used to be a fantastic vocalist and entertainer, but due to a series of tragedies and health issues, needs help and a confidence boost. Just trying to help.

[@jean-lucbersou758]

A " VOCALIST who had trouble with pitches " ....HAD TO STOP and shut up .!!!!!

[@Joetime90]

I can see it being a good tool for learning. I play bass but can't sing, but wanna find my voice more or less.

[@eltemplariodetierrasanta7234]

@@jean-lucbersou758 Stfu dude, read his other comments before spouting nonsense.

[@ramseyvoicestudio]

"Your imperfections in your playing or your singing is what gives it character." Truer words have never been spoken. As a vocal coach, I'm always amazed at how many of my students come in expecting for AT to solve all their problems. I have to remind them that by the time they get to the studio, it's too late to become a good singer. That AT should be a LAST resort, not the first move you make. Not only because you'll have to hold your voice together live, but as you mentioned, pitch correcting takes away what makes you sound like you. Great video my friend! Keep it up!!!

[@neilmeadowcroft7569]

My playing has lots of character. 😄

[@jtollefson1973]

Check out any Motown recording to feel what humans were doing on the level. …or Kind of Blue…in three recording sessions of probably 9-10 hours total. Daft Punk is cool too, but a different creative approach as mentioned.

[@barrywerdell2614]

Early painters used to purposely put flaws in their paintings because only God is perfect.

[@Timliu92]

@@barrywerdell2614 Word mate.

[@ke6igz]

Even most popular music is void of real people playing real instruments. With midi you can quantize and go back and correct notes.

[@ricktrenkler3254]

I miss harmonies in music. People like The Beach Boys, CSN or the Beatles. Beautiful stuff when people work together to make a sound.

[@eallison9]

Fleet Foxes first EP and album is probably the best harmonies I’ve heard in recent years.

[@brushstroke3733]

Have you discovered Larkin Poe yet?

[@DirkvanBoxtel]

It's part of why groups like System of a Down worked for me :)

[@MattMcConaha]

I was under the impression that most modern vocals were layered and harmonized. Something like the beach boys might have more acapella style harmonization with the addition of instrumentation, which isn't a typical modern sound. But just because most vocals aren't harmonized in that style doesn't mean they aren't harmonized. It's usually done subtly where you mostly hear the main melody and there's just some extra layers to fill it out.

[@defoperator7993]

Most people can’t understand the harmony of the spheres they just want a marching beat to help them mindlessly grind through the day back then people with money and taste actually had the sense to invest in actually masterful interesting music but now it’s just corporate bottom lines no extra money for experimenting with a risky band

[@flowoodpiano717]

And here's where we acknowledge that Neil Peart was more than a drummer and lyricist - he was a prophet. "All this machinery making modern music can still be open-hearted. Not so fully charted, it's really just a question of your honesty."

[@nicholashylton6857]

Can't go wrong with Rush. The lyrics of "The Spirit of Radio" re. the music industry, ring true to this day.

[@grogueQ]

coldly

[@flowoodpiano717]

@@camk6566 The way I interpret NP, he's saying studio technology is a good thing when used to enhance creativity, but it's a bad thing when it's used as a substitute for talent and skill -- 15+ years before AutoTune existed.

[@RJs_CC]

Great side note. Indeed. Neil was possibly as good A LYRISIST as he was a DRUMMER. Wait a second … Is that even possible?? Mind-blowing talent, that's it. I think.

[@Islander2112]

From the same album: "Computerized clinics, for superior cynics, who dance to a synthetic band. In their own image, their world is fashioned; no wonder they don't understand" ~Natural Science

[@sara505sings]

How did I manage to stumble upon this genius? Rick, how do you even sleep at night with all of that knowledge in your brain? The names, the words, the vocabulary, the theory, the notes, the chords, the genres. Amazing.

[@heysolley]

If we could save people's brains in a jar to keep their knowledge, Rick's brain would be one I would choose.

[@sara505sings]

@@heysolley not if I get to it first

[@heysolley]

@@sara505sings : That sounds like a challenge LoL

[@dharma404_]

@@heysolley No need to save it in a jar, Rick is sharing it openly here for everyone's benefit :)

[@screamingjefferson]

My daughter and I were listening to a teen pop "artist" (used to date Justin Bieber) several years ago and she said to me that she wished she could sing like that. I told her, "So does she".

[@Reno_Slim]

@@hal2098 I think you meant he doesn't understand soul sucking overproduction.

[@KnivingDispodia]

Breaking news: local man thinks he’s super cool for dunking on his child daughter.

[@mhm3766]

@@KnivingDispodia it's only dunking if you ignore the fact that she can totally sing and autotune is mostly just an effect

[@NotJoegoldberg]

I mean u are right lol. Selena Gomez is a very average singer, her live performances are trash.

[@intensi_t]

​@@hal2098 this comment section is full of bitter failed musicians looking to blame someone for why they haven't made it

[@johnplunkett2004]

Don't get me started on "Fly Away." The lyrics read like poetry from 12 year old school girl: "I wish that I could fly, into the sky, so very high, just like a dragonfly." You know it's bad when the best lyrics are: "oh, oh, oh yeah!"

[@rumblehat4357]

Those lyrics are awful. I would have been embarrassed by them. They sound like temp lyrics.

[@lulimas]

Everything in this song sounds so derivative yet i still like it

[@ricardojorgeproenca]

@@rumblehat4357 who cares man, he is a successful artist and millionaire, he just don't fkn care for others opinion or whatever.

[@LCA84]

This is something only native english speakers notice. To a foreign non-anglophone audience, these primitive rhyme and the no-rhyme get away/fly away sounds pretty natural - and I say that as a portuguese native speaker. However, these first verses are really annoying to anyone with a basic comprehension of english.

[@rumblehat4357]

Ricardo Proença true, he probably doesn’t care but it’s amazing what Hollywood connections can do for people.

[@clemcadiddlehopper5706]

Plays himself singing: “Terrible right?” My favorite Rick is self deprecating Rick.

[@BillPeschel]

I laughed when he cut himself off on the second track.

[@fl00d69]

My favourite Rick is Pickle Rick.

[@MrReasonabubble]

I don't know whether Rick got himself some vocal coaching, but I would say his singing has improved a lot in the time that he's had this channel. In his early videos, I did think it a shame that such a talented multi-instrumentalist had such a terrible voice - but in the more recent ones I'd describe his singing as, at worst, 'average'.

[@areallemone]

This isn't only informative, it's also entertaining. Great storyteller, and teacher. Keep it up, Rick! Cheers

[@unaphiliated5090]

When the producer told Neil Young that he was a bit flat on one of those charity songs, he just said "That's my style man".

[@deanjonasson6776]

Not surprisingly, that producer was David Foster and it's on the "making of" video for "Tears Are Not Enough". Classic moment. The same video also has another sequence where Foster makes Anne Murray sing her part over and over again. She finally says something like, "I think I got it on the first take, David." He later admits she was correct.

[@lexusls4305]

@@deanjonasson6776 Foster is an ass. I was at a songwriting workshop where he said, without irony, that you should take the chorus and make that the verse and write an even better chorus - and then replace that verse with your new chorus and write an even better chorus. The circular, endless and ultimately useless logic in that escaped him.

[@kolumbijcan]

@@lexusls4305 sounds like an interesting technique, to make better song, but for me personally, i often get a good verse and then making even better chorus is hard work, or long time waiting for idea to come by itself. but then usually the chorus is too good to be used as verse and it wouldn't work as a verse. guess every songwriter has their techniques

[@rodschmidt8952]

"Artists don't make mistakes, they make choices"

[@Julian-yd5uk]

There's something about hearing an artist straining for a note and then finally reaching it that gives me goosebumps

[@MrFusion]

That's what I love about singing. If it's a really hard note, like a Bb4 and up, getting that note is so satisfying for me because of how much work I had to put into getting it. Autotune just kills any satisfaction in singing.

[@BigHenFor]

Not strain, reaching for it. Straining for a note means poor technique which will damage the vocal cords. One of the singing technique channels does a series on how the voices of singers like Mariah and Whitney for example, changed over time. Both of them did damage to their voices - Mariah through bad technique and Whitney through her addictions, and even they started to strain. So, straining is a sign something's not right.

[@PFDarkside]

One… twenty one GUNS! Oh, not like that.

[@johngavin1175]

A good example would be Judas Priest and Iron Maiden for the metal genre. There are instances in their songs where the singers are doing as you described. Its awesome.

[@Kipperbob]

Quantized drums are a real peave of mine, I started playing drums by learning Hendrix tunes, tempo variation to me is just as important as pitch variation for adding emotions to the music.

[@EphemeralTao]

All forms of quantization strip the real organic humanity from music.

[@mustakahmed9094]

@@EphemeralTao exactly they just lack that human touch

[@jerkerjansson386]

Absolutely! I thought about this a few weeks ago when I listened to Deep Purple's Fireball record. Would it sound as good if it was recorded with a click and locked to a grid? Hell no!

[@brushstroke3733]

I had a friend who used to scream at me for not playing like a metronome all the time. He was a lifeless soul.

[@ryanmalin]

@@brushstroke3733 sounds like it. Real bands dont stay perfectly in time 100% of the time.

[@john-zwaan]

Freddie Mercury was capable of double tracking his vocals so perfectly that it started to fase/chorus. Brian talks about that during an interview.

[@notaspeck6104]

He's a great example of an amazing vocalist with great accuracy who still had tons of imperfections. To me imperfections add character and aren't always a bad thing. If singers like Freddie didn't try cover their imperfections up I don't see why the industry nowadays wants to.

[@blueg8731]

Because he didn't cheat. He was a true artist, a genuine singer. He did the hard work and it paid off.

[@KerTon4]

Rick: "you want it to be out of tune a bit". Me: "my time has come"

[@karashimaoficial]

LOL

[@geoffrey4513]

I feel ya brother

[@maddruid840]

I've trained my whole life for this...

[@DarrenMiddletonMusic]

Ha!!!!

[@fallinginthed33p]

50 cents is still fixable, a few dollars isn't.

[@TimGallant]

"Typically the singers were just better singers." Bingo.

[@elcookiemonsteru]

Can´t be more true that that! :D

[@FosterZygote]

I always think of Mary Ford singing How High The Moon.

[@Mr_Bollie]

idk... that's almost a grandad-thing to say. I bet there are still amazing singers out there, no matter if they are Annie Lennox or some young talent rocking out in a local band. I mean, I thought blues was dead for years and then John Mayer showed up and made it sexy to listen to, even among teens. Kemper wasn't the death for tube amps, and autotune won't be the death for great vocal talents.

[@bennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn]

@@Mr_Bollie "a grandad-thing to say".. is that supposed to be an insult? Someone who is older like Rick, or "grandads", are perhaps in a better position to evaluate how music has changed over time. We shouldn't disregard the opinions or insights of older individuals simply because of their age. In fact, we should value their opinions and consider that perhaps they possess a wisdom that maybe younger people do not. Of course, you can disagree, but it's sad to say "that's a grandad thing" like its an insult.

[@mvp019]

@@Mr_Bollie Nobody is saying there aren't amazing singers out there, but the mediocrity of the music industry is a summation of a lot of little things, autotune being one of them. It's not a "grandad" thing to expect quality and excellence...or wait, maybe it is.

[@JC-rb3hj]

Amen, say it again. When I go out shopping or to dinner with my wife I can hear this stuff being played constantly. It's like having a rash that won't go away.

[@guitarado]

yeah, hard to avoid that crap. only headphones or earplugs

[@CindyBarg]

Omg... the first thing that happened when I clicked play was a horrid commercial came blasting out volume 11 straight away a perfect example of the auto tune that has, indeed, killed the soul out of modern music. Great episode Rick, as a session vocalist I have never needed auto-tune and am not interested to use it in my own productions.

[@nicholashylton6857]

I was just listening to Queen's, "Love of My Life" on KZbin. A gentle and romantic ballad with Freddie and Brian on his 12 string guitar... And then it was immediately followed by a commercial with a uber-loud, crazily AutoTuned version of "Jingle Bells." The dissonance was jarring! (Did KZbin just give me 'the finger' or something?)

[@CindyBarg]

That stuff is offensively rampant.

[@electric7487]

And this is one of the reasons why I absolutely refuse to ever turn off uBlock Origin on KZbin.

[@RadCenter]

I sing with two choral groups, and the amount of effort we spend perfecting our pitches is considerable (think 30 hours of rehearsal for a 90-minute concert). Ans we're not even soloists! If I were a recording artist, I wouldn't be able to respect myself if I didn't put at least that much rehearsal in before a recording session. Pitch problems are caused by one of two things: a weak ear or a weak work ethic.

[@TheLinuxYes]

i'm always in perfect pitch in the shower with all that water and echo effect. giggle

[@hounsdjentlow3074]

@@lovemusic324 young musician and producer, some of us still practice ❤

[@stephenadamsmusicalinterpr4203]

Preach

[@AdAstraCan]

Yes, pre-COVID I sang with a symphony choir and we probably put in a similar amount or more in terms of rehearsal time together, not counting self-practise at a piano and with sound files. I also took over a hundred lessons with a voice coach before I auditioned. The upside is that I learned how to sing and appreciate great singers (I have even more appreciation for the Beatles now - or contemporary singers like The Good Lovelies) but the downside is that autotune and poor pop singers bother me even more.

[@hounsdjentlow3074]

@@AdAstraCan yeah -_- that tends to happen :/

[@timothydaniels504]

I remember watching a video of the making of We Are The World. David Foster, producing the record, cuts in and tells Neil Young that he’s kind of off pitch, to which Neil replies, “that’s my thing man”.

[@steveclements5783]

That was "Tears Are Not Enough", the Canadian version of We are the World. But yeah, Neil just doesn't compromise!

[@mupicap7927]

Lol

[@Maltloaflegrande]

"A man needs a maid" is pretty near the knuckle but then again, he can sing alongside CSN and fit in perfectly. Then again, check out "Don't be denied" where his harmony singers are Ben Keith and Jack Nitzsche - hardly the world's best sets of pipes - and yet it really works.

[@christiaanrabie6508]

Alanis Moresette's Jagged Little Pill album is a great example of great vocals. The imperfections gives it character.

[@grumpymechanic2692]

The imperfections and her anger made that a great album... And maybe some Chili Peppers...

[@megatop412]

Excellent example. I wasn't a fan of it but man, could she sing

[@shayxtreme]

I had this album when first released but I cant stand her voice anymore. Does she sing awesome? Yes and the music arrangement is good. But I cant change the song quick enough now when it comes on. Lol

[@shayxtreme]

Adam Levine music is awful

[@michaelhignight1239]

You are preaching to the Choir!!!!!!!!!!!Alanis the best

[@stevesloan5935]

Rick, you articulated the state of auto-tune very well. I'll personally take the Freddie Mercury, Joni Mitchell vocals every time.

[@daro9582]

How did Freddie Mercury tune his vocals? He went into the studio day after day, week after week for months, that’s how it’s done

[@tabularasa0606]

Hard work and passion.

[@footos8511]

Instead of pressing a couple buttons on a computer, he poured time and effort into training his ears and mind to pitch, to understand, but not to rely upon what’s at his fingertips, to learn and not to be done. To sing, and not to be sung.

[@chuckrogers5077]

In live shows, Queen used Eventide Vocal Harmonizers. I don't know what they did in the studio, probably just multitrack.

[@footos8511]

@@darkprose that’s not auto tune or pitch correct, thats dozens of takes until you get the right one. Pitch correction wasn’t available in the 70’s and 80’s

[@benkleschinsky]

The amazing part is we have digital recording now. Back in the day they had tape and limited resources. Today we can literally take as many takes as we want and it's easier than ever to hit the record button. Yet it's made us lazier.

[@edwarddejong8025]

I was watching a clip about Doris Day, and because she was so well trained singing with a big band as a very young woman, when she had a solo recording career almost all of her songs were done in 1 take.

[@RaymondHng]

Same think with Karen "One Take" Carpenter.

[@EK-gr9gd]

The same with A. Franklin etc..

[@Leftatalbuquerque]

Same with Donna Summer.

[@christopher8116]

She was insane in another way.

[@zarlok5294]

Imagine auto tuning Elvis, Jerry Lee, Chuck Berry, The Temptations, The Supremes, Aretha, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, the Eagles, or Celine. Auto tune? Nah! It’s just another step towards soulless emptiness in my worthless opinion. I’m just a fossil. I grew up in the fifties when singers could sing or they didn’t make records so what would I know about good music? Oh!!’ Sorry! I used the “G” word. How pretentiously judgemental of me. Don’t worry though young folks. My generation will soon disappear into oblivion along with our antiquated values and the world we destroyed with our disgusting meritocratic tyranny and you’ll all be truly “free” to soar to new heights of “inclusivity”.

[@baldpaulstudios7023]

Hey Rick, I'm a 35 year musician and now recording/mixing in my own small studio. I learn something new, something I'm doing wrong or something I could be doing better in almost every video you make. I appreciate you!

[@JohnnyRedvers]

I always viewed Auto-Tune as like athletes using PEDs. Also, it takes uniqueness away from what made artists special in the past. I don't think someone like Bowie or Sting would be able to make it these days because of the push for "perfect" voices by producers and labels, yet Bowie and Sting were amazing. These "perfect" voices are uninteresting. Live music used to blow me away. Not so much anymore because of auto-tune. I know someone who auditioned for The Voice. She had a beautiful unique voice but was told by a producer "no thank you, but we're just looking for certain types of voice". And pretty much all we end up with are carbon copies that can be "perfected" with auto-tune. maybe that's why it's hard to tell the difference between modern artists. Just my point of view.

[@therickman34]

Autotune is part laziness, but mostly "this artist is hot but can't sing in key. Eh, we'll make them a star anyway. Just autotune it."

[@bryscorpio]

exactly this

[@purplemicrodot58]

Video Killed the Radio Star.

[@jennypai1776]

Sounds like Katy Perry

[@glengamble526]

I remember doing sessions and band recordings in the late 90’s-early 2000’s where AutoTune was used as intended: to clean up one or two notes in an otherwise stellar vocal take. The singer would nail the part, or section, but one or two notes were off-so you go in and fix the little mistake to not lose a great performance. This is what it was basically meant for…not to be a crutch for bad singers! As with most tech developments, it became abused and taken out of its context. The sad part is, it’s completely changed (destroyed?) modern music.

[@Alpha_7227]

Lazyness on the part of producers, just seeking attractive people to make an image with no talent let alone musical or singing ability. eg K-Pop, and most music on the charts at the minute.

[@Alpha_7227]

@@IncredibleGoliath Massive time saver, ie lets make some money. What about making music that means something, that will stand the test of time - that is art.

[@ofdrumsandchords]

And now, a lot of drummers play with a click during concerts. No more problems of tempo, they don't need to listen to the other musicians. That also is taken out of context, I understand you do that for a recording, or in a show with many things happening, but to play with a band ?

[@deltab9768]

Of course, once it becomes an accepted option to edit one or two bad notes, now the competition is on. Who can have the most perfectly tuned recording? Who can do it fastest and cheapest? Before you know it, you're not even sure which artists are actually good singers, especially since it works on live performances in real time.

[@Alpha_7227]

@@deltab9768 Unless it's used as an effect like a vocoder, sparingly it's B.S. Now that I think of it, there is one recording of K.D Lang where she struggles to hit the note on record. On a compilation it was fine. They must have cleaned it up. I appreciate the rawness, fraility of the first recording.

[@pysgodfish]

Love this Rick. As a vocal coach,and producer, I get them to sing it right. My mantra….our vocal imperfections, make it sound perfect

[@Nobddy]

Just listen to William Hung

[@ke6igz]

Music is a human expression. It's not supposed to be perfect. Perfect is void of the human aspect of musical expression

[@ryo-kai8587]

I've said for a while now that "nothing is perfect, but moments can be" This applies to music as well - the performance, timing and pitch may not be perfect, but the synergy, feel, and experience of the moment it creates can be perceived as perfect and profound.

[@Nobddy]

@@ryo-kai8587 very true. Great insight.

[@MrStupidHead]

Sure teach them to sing it right. Thats what vocal coaches do. That is what they get paid for. But when you are in the studio, and the clock is ticking, engineers get paid to bring in great tracks. The NOW sound. Autotune it Baby! Got bills to pay.

[@fedortrofimovich9192]

Rick, honestly, it is a blessing having such a channel on KZbin! You speak out what we - true music lovers - always thought))

[@Terraceview]

@@PureHoney_ASMR Nonsense.

[@dave2132]

"Sounds small." Dude, that is a perfect description.

[@kunipeg8706]

More like "sounds thin"

[@Niccks]

Small pipì

[@khersy]

I was just think about that lol

[@leomilani_gtr]

Also sounds silly

[@RobertLBarnard]

The autotune "effect" initially creeped me out and continues to until today. It reminds me of the sadness I felt when, as a child, I met a man who needed an electrolarynx to speak.

[@torbjrnlund903]

I hate it. 😫

[@jonthomas8569]

I take voice lessons for fun, and any time I've obsessed over how a note sounds, my teacher usually says something like this: "The note was there. I heard you do it. And frankly, it doesn't have to be flawless. Perfection has no place in art."

[@JK-js2td]

Well said sir!

[@granthambeard]

Awwwww mine said the same when I was a kid! A good teacher stays with you forever

[@tuckasamms]

What I would give for a fraction of Rick's musical knowledge. Genius.

[@terrypeck3948]

That's why songs like "Helplessly Hoping" by Crosby, Stills and Nash, and "Seven Bridges Road" by the Eagles, will always be classics...sheer pure unadulterated talent.

[@seed_drill7135]

The Eagles were just copying Ian Matthews arrangement of Seven Bridges Road. Our local classic rock station has taken to playing the Matthews version.

[@redensign1757]

both songs, the harmony is just amazing. great examples of a 'bigger' sound.

[@troyundroy1]

I haven't even heard those songs, but I know those bands & exactly what you mean. Their harmonising emboldens the sound so much

[@whatskraken3886]

ok boomer

[@Gargvarr]

I remember hearing the Cher song for the first time and thinking it couldn't get worse. How wrong was I?!

[@BTheBlindRef]

I like that song just fine. Cher can sing great in pitch. Listen to her old stuff. She is spot-on. On Believe it was done simply for effect, not because Cher needed to have her intonation faked. The problem was when it became the new cure-all for everything rather than an occasional creative tool.

[@SyntheticFuture]

T-Pain be like: hold my beer

[@Ryan-kc5pl]

They played that damn song constantly on the radio. Like everyday going to school it would be on the radio. Same with coming home, lol

[@JoeyBongas]

"One more time", is still, twenty years from when it came out, a perfect example of how to use auto tune properly.

[@5roundsrapid263]

Daft Punk were masters of vocal effects. That’s really more of a vocoder, BTW.

[@fran6b]

Agreed! That song is a masterpiece! But the thing with Daft Punk is that they actually want to sound like robots. Acting like they are robots is in their DNA. But as Rick states it, the problem is when you a human character sound like a robot. That's not great. It's intellectually, and emotionally dissonant.

[@5roundsrapid263]

@@fran6b Autotune has always been a huge part of EDM. It’s kind of obligatory.

[@fran6b]

@@5roundsrapid263 Yes. And it makes sense as electronic music emerge to echo the predominance of industrialisation, and specifically the sounds of the industry, if I'm correct.

[@pigknickers2975]

@@fran6b well put. This is the problem. Fine if you are pretending to be robots....

[@WickedScott]

I was amazed recently to discover that many young people can't hear it. I was complaining that everyone sounded like robots and they have no idea what I meant.

[@blueg8731]

Shocking and yet... not surprising.

[@scottpatrick8645]

It's stripping the soul right out of the music. Many of these young artists might actually have decent, unique voices, but we will never know.

[@fl00d69]

I'd wager most of them are actually garbage.

[@TigerRogers0660]

@@fl00d69 I'll bet if some of them actually tried - & the producers forced them to sing it many times - they would improve.

[@joellebrodeur1015]

"Gimme Shelter" background vocal by Merry and that vocal crack she hits would have been autotuned out or rerecorded if it were done today. That raw character of her vocals on that track is what made that song great.

[@thesundog8833]

Great example. One could write a thesis on this

[@mrwaterghost]

Perfect example. Greatest back up singing ever. Autodumb would pour bleach all over it.

[@dashphonemail]

@Jugizet Good point. Gimme Shelter voice crack was one of those perfect happy accident musical moments. Usually, voice cracking doesn't sound that good because it's off pitch. "Imperfection" in music can be great and necessary, but most imperfection is bad. Great music is still 99% perfect

[@michaelcarper2185]

Very good example!

[@williamcampbell7387]

And The Stones knew that and left it in.

[@djee02]

I want to see more of that black haired Rick Beato interview!

[@OhNoNotAgain42]

Yes! I can’t believe that none of the other comments mentioned that!

[@crazierthan-u7571]

Me too!

[@markflapper6001]

Always love it when one can get back on their own favourite saying and turn it around. Couldn't agree more: 'Pitch is not a place, it's an area.' Beautiful :-)

[@duncanmcneill7088]

There is an anecdotal story about a model who was signed to a major as the “next big thing” - when she arrived at the studio to record her first single and was asked to sing, she delivered the immortal line “can’t I just SAY the words and you make it sound good in the computer?”

[@alexbowman7582]

It’s just a pity they don’t have an auto talent effect.

[@orlock20]

That's what session singers and musicians are for.

[@stylis666]

@@orlock20 LOL XD I laughed way too hard at that XD

[@conan5885]

Bahahahahaahaha.... 😂🤣 That was bloody brilliant mate... 👍

[@Matt_Houlihan]

ROFL

[@58BURST]

You have obviously never seen the Boss brand "talent simulator" pedal for guitarists! 😂

[@daf827]

Adam Levine is Mr Autotune. And to think he coached singers on “The Voice.” Rick, I share your sentiments about Maroon 5.

[@prabhatgautam7888]

Adam Levine is actually a weak vocalist, and what's worse is that ge has got shitty musicality and goes off the pitch often. Contrary to someone say the lead vocalists of the beatles who were actually weak vocalists as a whole, but they had excellent musicality and great projection. (edit: sry for my English)

[@realasadoughnut]

I honestly would be the last guy to defend Adam Lavine. But when I heard his cover of "Seasons" which is one of my favorite songs by my favorite singer C.Cornell , I was sold and convinced the dude can sing.

[@colintraveller]

Crap band ... Everything they released is and was Crap ..

[@itsme9679]

Wait he coached ? I don’t think he can even sing a complete song without auto tune. It’s 100% because he is popular that he coached in my opinion, for the marketing

[@sbeve6559]

@@realasadoughnut Yes. It's all about the type of song he is singing. He has the perfect voice for soulful jazzy types of songs. But the high power belted pop songs are not suited to him unfortunately.

[@varsityathlete9927]

Believe is a really good dance song, the autotune at the time was completely novel and sounded like nothing else. She also had a well known and recorded voice so it was obvious there was an effect on it.

[@Timliu92]

Agreed, and besides Cher is a good singer without it. She can reproduce her parts live without trouble. AutoTune will not make a bad singer sound like Freddie Mercury.

[@chrismarple]

@@Timliu92 if you’re a good singer then why use auto tune? That’s part of the problem.

[@electric7487]

@@chrismarple It's used as an effect to spice things up.

[@rhythmandblues_alibi]

Exactly. It was obviously an effect, just like you'd use on any other instrument.

[@gatesurfer]

My uncle was a professional musician in Hawaii, and when he passed away, I was able to go through his stuff. One of the things he left behind was an accordion. I had no interest in it, but I could tell it was playable and so I decided to put it up for sale on eBay. That got me started researching accordions, and I found out that there is something called "dry" tuning and "wet" tuning. An accordion is a reed instrument, basically a bunch of harmonicas, with three reeds tuned to each pitch. "Dry tuning" is when two of the reeds are tuned the same, resulting in a tighter sound around the fundamental. "Wet" tuning is when all three reeds are out of tune with each other. Interestingly, wet tuning tends to sound brighter, richer and "happier." You wanna Roll Out the Barrel, get an instrument with wet tuning. But something more romantic, maybe dry tuning would be easier to sing to.

[@nirfz]

Everyday there is something new to learn...I learned to play accordeon as a child, but i had never heard about that.

[@tonyperiphoto]

Dry tuning is no tremolo. Wet tuning is a heavy tremolo. But you also have diatonic accordions tuned to play harmony chords and chromatic accordions tuned to equal temperament. A well tuned accordion can make a big difference to an out of tune one, as a number of reeds are played for each button/key across 2, 3, 4 or 5 reed blocks. This leads back to Rick's video. You can auto tune, but if you dont auto-tune harmony correctly, it sounds wrong. Sing a major chord with the 3rd -14 cents flat and the 5th +2 cents. Its better. The barbershop quartets did it. The Beach boys did it. Hohner Harmonicas did it for the Blues. And diatonic button accordions do it.

[@p39483]

Additive synthesis with sine waves has the same issues except more extreme. I quit doing it and now look to recording IFFT results into a wave table. What you typically want is a smooth bump (maybe gaussian distribution) in the spectrum around a pitch rather than a zero-width line, and then harmonics that are also smooth bumps. So a natural sounding 440hz has some 439.825 Hz mixed in as well as thousands of other frequencies between that and 440 Hz as well as above. This creates timbre and helps us hear chords vs harmonics of a single voice. It also smooths out mathematical problems in equal temperament tuning whereas pure sines require perfect just intonation to avoid dissonance and low frequency beat notes. Adding a second detuned reed is basically the same concept. It does sound tremolo of course since there are only two. But if you had 30 or so slightly detuned reeds that would be a very rich sound.

[@sharmatime]

Thank you for sharing.

[@krissymarklewis1793]

also one of the hardest instruments to play so im told.

[@truthfirst1893]

Dimebag said it best. He said that the little imperfections in music are what keep music honest. I think that those same imperfections are what keep music human as well. Great video! ✌🏼

[@johngavin1175]

@@hal2098 Awesome. Do you always get things wrong?

[@johngavin1175]

@@crankfotton So since some of these comments were made while ago,supposedly what was I arrogant about exactly? Because whatever comment I was arrogant about seems to have been erased,so tell me why you would be mad that I was arrogant,without knowing what I was being arrogant about?

[@LanceCampeau]

I have always liked Lenny Kravitz's work ("Circus" is an incredible album) but too this day I can't stand "Fly Away". You can be repetitive.... but you can't be robotic AND repetitive. That's what makes the song so grating to listen to.

[@radiok2ua]

"The singers were better singers, and they would sing it until they got it right." Yes! This!

[@bostonseeker]

Yes. Go home and practice your scales. Do Re Mi Fa ....

[@Bernaeumesmo]

Therapist: dark hair rick isn’t real and cannot hurt you Dark hair rick: my name is rick beato

[@DTrecording]

I wish he would grow out his hair just for a single reprisal of that beautiful intro

[@No1KCfan6]

he was a babe.

[@DTrecording]

@@No1KCfan6 110%

[@alexinthemix00]

best comment hahaha

[@jsnell126]

I don't know why this is so funny.

[@popi12ed]

Them bones by Alice in Chains. The vocal harmony is insane..

[@jerm6539]

A LOT of Alice In Chains harmonies were great!

[@mogsy2112]

Their use of vocal harmonies, I think is what set them apart, for me, during that period of time. Two voices, that perfectly complemented each other. They're one of my favorite bands.

[@andersonpimentel5151]

All I Am, from Rainer Fog album, is just beautiful

[@Stefan-]

Layne and Jerrys voices really go together incredibly well also, the voices are very different and i think that is part of why they complement each other so well.

[@whoathatsanicememe3093]

Jerry is an amazing singer on his own but nothing could compare to the pure pain in Layne's voice..what a shame it would have been to lose that sound to auto tune....thankfully the rock Gods didn't allow that to happen.

[@liamthompson9090]

What it comes down to is that a lot of modern singers and bands, simply, lack musical creativity or are too lazy to put forth the creative effort.

[@MarioTorre]

Fun fact: in the A Night At The Opera documentary, Brian May said that Freddie Mercury was doubling the takes and they had a problem that he would phase with himself so close he would sing each take :D

[@oldnelson4298]

I heard this when I was a music student, but I'm pretty sure it is apocryphal. No matter how phenomenal his voice was, he was still human, so I don't think it is possible to purposely sing in phase with a recording of yourself for any length of time. Certainly not an entire take, a melodic line or even for more than just a split second.

[@swanneez5246]

"robs people of their own sound" > that is what makes us relate to an artist: their own sound.

[@gmills5763]

Indeed. Look at Rick's video of different artists playing the Stairway to Heaven solo. No fiddling with tones. Just raw performance. Same applies to vocals. The programmatic, roboticized pablum churned out doesn't inspire. It numbs.

[@patriciolegett1757]

The Beatles "Because", THAT'S how things used to be done by real singers!

[@atomicsmith]

That's a great example.

[@bernardjharmsen304]

That song is just "WOW"... triple-tracked 3 part harmony = 9 vocal tracks

[@QuidamByMoonlight]

Yes! That song, Bohemian Rhapsody, and a handful of Beach Boys tracks are the best humanity has to offer for harmonized vocals with some smart use of technology.

[@ChefClary60]

EXACTLY!

[@andriealinsangao613]

Pronto!!

[@kuikukui5077]

I'm against autotune. You can just say it, nobody will grab all your money because of it

[@meow_meow_J]

I know, right, he spent so much time on the negatives, but almost none on the positives, personally, I am for autotune, because it can’t fix your bad singing, get somebody truly bad, no amount of vocal editing will fix it.

[@Zack-xv2yc]

To me, AT is *only* great when it's intention of usage is to actually sound inhuman, not just to "make your voice better". It's kinda like the difference between an acoustic and an electric guitar. We don't say that an electric guitar sounds like a distorted acoustic because that's not the point. Both don't sound "better or worse", they just produce entirely different sounds.

[@MyMotherTheCar]

Auto-tune is also great when you have one or two bad notes in an otherwise killer vocal take.

[@taezakny]

@@MyMotherTheCar one or two "bad" notes, create the unique feelings of the song

[@hillie47]

@@taezakny They can also be very distracting. You can still keep the uniqueness by just lifting it a little closer to pitch, instead of "snap to grid" of course. It obviously depends on how bad these "bad notes" really are and how detrimental they are to the performance. If it adds character, I agree, keep it.

[@taezakny]

@@hillie47 ha you're right, I just realize now I'm wrong a little bit, because I was not talking about the bad notes very far of the good pitch

[@hillie47]

@@taezakny Yeah, I don't think one should iron out every tiny unevenness and make it sound smooth and fully unnatural, but just patching up a mistake or two, I don't see a big issue there.

[@RG-ja34sep]

Isn’t it amazing that Rick is so knowledgeable about anything to do with music? We are so fortunate to have him dissect a song and analyse all the incredible parts of the song.

[@livingthehardlife]

it's literally his job... so... not really surprising but wonderful nonetheless.

[@allendean9807]

This video takes me back to Steve Perry..... his imperfections WERE perfection.... I am anti auto tune. Enjoy the rough edges.....

[@colinellicott9737]

This 'splains why I haven't followed popular music for decades.

[@cerebrumexcrement]

who fell off their chair seeing a young rick beato? i thought he was born with silver hair.

[@cerebrumexcrement]

as for autotune, i dont mind as long as it is used creatively and sparingly. what i cant stand is when they slap it on bad singing. i hear some songs that are so autotuned, its unbearable.

[@kevin_kevinson]

This shocked me as well.

[@mikeorr7567]

I had to go back and watch it again!

[@marcpatzelt2430]

@@mikeorr7567 Me too!

[@raisa_cherry35]

I too was caught off-guard seeing young Rick 😂😍

[@242-f5u]

This reminded me of the documentary, "Sound City," and a snippet featuring Tom Petty. He talked about missing the days of cutting tape and literally recording live over and over until they got it right. He said it wasn't perfect but in a way it was because that's how it was supposed to be.

[@giancarlogarcia9108]

“Pitch is a place, not an area” !!!!! LOL!!! Rick, this must have been one of the best episodes, ever!!!

[@corychang3901]

This is so true, though I couldn't quite figure out how to explain it to people. I used to play fretless bass slightly sharp during fills to make the licks pop out over the guitars and keys (which I discovered you can do on accident because my intonation wasn't always spot on). Thank you Rick, for always encouraging musicians to be themselves and play the best you can be!

[@Draxtor]

When I grow up I want to be like Rick Beato. Also: I am 50 ….

[@Oneslice]

Gotta grow lamb chop side burns

[@MysticFogGarden]

That mindset is Hollywoodish, don't you think....its what got us to this point of Brittney spears Disney club characters and non existent boy bands.

[@victorhawkins3461]

Shoot, I'm turning 67 in a few weeks...and just like Draxtor, I wanna be like Rick Beato when I grow up. But like Nic, now that I've retired, I find I ain't never had to grow up at all!

[@Draxtor]

@@victorhawkins3461 you give me hope! I am working towards that direction. Currently inside I am 17 although my wife alleges I am more like 13. Ah well, tiny diff ;)

[@darrenholmes8217]

Rick is like Wolverine’s father!

[@KeyOfGeebz]

Man, I love this channel! "Your imperfections in your playing or your singing is what gives it character." - If I may add, IMO, this goes the same in the way of overly engineered projects that clip off the front and tail nuances for intense riff clarity, nudging audio (not midi quantize) performances to lock tighter performances. Though it sounds fantastic, I wouldn't mind hearing the occasional string buzz just to give it that hoooman element.

[@kingcrimson2168]

Hello verified KZbinr

[@CitizenSniiiips]

Geebz on Rick's channel. Must be in heaven

[@KateStantonSings]

Key Of Geebz!! Love your reactions to TOOL. Subbed!

[@stevencouch5691]

Love your page, Geebz

[@chukka215]

hello fellow hoooman

[@GuitaristInProgress]

I always assumed that that Lenny Kravits backing vocals effect was just mixing a keyboard vocal pad in with the vocals. I'll tell you what killed me, was trying to watch "Glee". They didn't make the vocals sound "computerized" but they autotuned them to death for sure, every held note was straight as an arrow. It drove me nuts.

[@RogueError617]

You're actually right, they used to have a glee karaoke iOS app where you could get the same effect

[@OctoberMusicIsLife]

that was a great breakdown. I remember when Neil Young say in an interview that they would make him record over and over again because they said he was out of tune and he said thats my voice. And you know what that is why Neil Young has such a distinct sound. Same with Perry of Janes Addiction

[@J_Trask]

That’s what makes music great to listen to. I hate hearing music that has vocals that sound absolutely perfect. Music is art. IMO subconsciously, you lose the human connection when the music is pitch corrected, you cant hear the emotion in the music. Imagine if Willie Nelson’s music used auto tune. Auto tune is why new country music is so awful sounding.

[@reputablehype]

I always come back to the painting world when I think about music. We went from realism to impressionism, we went from abstract expressionism to pop art. There is always a swing of the pendulum, I'm actually excited for the next swing of raw artists who rebel against technology in music. For every Warhol there is a Basquiat around the corner. :)

[@JohnBrown-nm3pd]

Yeah, I think this is right on. We'll rubberband back in the other direction as we're certainly hitting the limit of how far we can stand stretching in this direction.

[@romancultist6089]

There's been plenty of that. It just doesn't usually chart. The 20th century concept of popular music is dead. These days it's just models who dance, sing, and take on whatever personality their fan base wants to see. It's not about the music anymore. This is why I invest zero time looking at top hits or charts. Just listen to whatever you like. It's not worth lamenting over. 1950-1995 was a great moment for music. Things have changed too much. I don't expect to see something like that again.

[@aarongreen4358]

I had read years ago that Elton John's piano sound is recorded with 3 different layers - one just slightly out of tune higher than the original and one slightly lower than the original and it's why his piano sounds sooooo HUGE!! It actually sounds like 3 different pianos are playing exactly the same thing at exactly the same time.

[@matturner6890]

Plus two LA2A's at once!

[@alexbowman7582]

For a great example of a natural vocal, flawed but beautiful in it’s imperfections, look to Merry Clayton’s backing to Gimme Shelter. It wasn’t exactly improvised but she was hired late and turned up in her pj’s. She sang her heart out, her vocals cracking a few times.

[@erikwashburnmusic]

Yes !

[@tonybates7870]

She sort of squeaks on the third "murder!" and you can hear someone, Jagger, I think, shout "woah!" or similar. It's a great moment.

[@lesterunwin]

her backing vocals elevate the song from 'good' to 'great', in my humble opinion.

[@alecr666x]

Heard the isolated vocal in the documentary "20 feet from stardom" and actually cried. Don't know why, just did. Phenomenal vocal and a phenomenal film. A must watch.

[@alexbowman7582]

@@alecr666x there's a KZbin video of all the songs tracks isolated can't remember what it's named though but you should be able to find it.

[@1mlb704]

I got absolutely blasted on another KZbin page by other rock musicians/fans for saying I refused to use autotune on my voice for my band's album we just put out. It's nice to know other people aren't into the idea of constantly "fixing" imperfect human vocals

[@fl00d69]

Can you point me to those people? I'd like to go tear them a new one.

[@half-arsedmusic]

I'm the same as you. Many years ago an ex bandmate of mine was studying sound engineering and needed a band to record, so he asked me to do it. Which I did, but when all was done he told me he'd used autotune to correct some parts of my vocal. It instantly rendered the recording useless to me.

[@dylanadams1455]

In the fantasy of my deluded mid 40s mind, where I somehow get a recording deal for my muck around band that barely exists, I would stipulate no autotune, no quantising.

[@StudioLodge]

I sent my new single out to an engineer for mixing. All recorded here. No autotune on any of the vocals. Except one really high part I wanted in the chorus. Was going for that Mutt Lange thing. I gave it a shot. Anyways... He sent it back saying he autotuned some little bits here and there. I was "sigh.." but became ok with it. I couldn't tell where. So if it was minimal, all good. I started thinking that maybe we just hear things that maybe aren't really there nowadays. And throw on the autotune just in case we doubt what we're hearing. Just a thought. But to use it for the whole vocal track? That just defeats the purpose, doesn't it? Personally, I'll sing it till I'm blue in the face and hit the note. Unless it just ain't happening that day. Then I'll rest and come back. But I'm old school that way.

[@1mlb704]

@@StudioLodge that's totally fair. I really don't have an issue with tweaking something here and there, especially if you're tight on studio time. At the end of the day the artist should be able to have their song sound the way they want. My guitar player sang lead vocals on one of the songs for our album and he didn't love how his voice sounded, so he had our engineer touch it up with autotune. I opted to keep redoing my vocal takes until it was at or close to what I wanted. Like Rick mentioned, we've reached the point where a lot of these singers sound like robots because they're so autotuned, as a listener that does nothing for me. I like hearing the singer sing with the least amount of effects as possible. A little bit of slop in the instruments or a hint of flat/sharp pitch in the vocals is good for me, it makes it sound more real.

[@QuidamByMoonlight]

It’s interesting that two of the people he mentions that can’t sing well without autotune, Adam Levine and Paula Abdul, both went on to be judges of SINGING competitions on national television!

[@bryscorpio]

And that....says it all....

[@JohnLnyc]

What do you mean by “sing well”. Levine can clearly sing he has chosen to use auto tuning as a vocal effect most likely NOT to compensate for singing ability. I don’t think Abdul was ever pretending to be a great vocalist..she is a dancer who can probably carry a tune. It was about the songs and dance moves first and foremost. There’s a huge problem here, because pitch correction software was first used as a means of “fixing” vocal performances there’s a notion that any and everyone who “uses” it it using it because they are unable to sing. Today, autotune and other software are utilized intentionally to create a “sound”. Madonna (we can quibble over this if you like) is a modestly talented singer (she is no Whitney Huston) who makes artfully produced records with well written songs. Live, she is an exceptional stage presence who often resorts to backing tracks and “help” from backup singers. Mostly due to the rigorous dance routines. POP has always been about image and song writing and production. Finally, both Levine and Abdul as successful veterans of the pop scene are qualified to judge a pop singing/performing contest…they’ve achieved what the contestants are striving for. Most qualified vocal coaches can’t sing like Pavarotti. Rick isn’t a particularly great vocalist but I’d say he’s well qualified to “judge” vocal talent. As a producer he has to be.

[@powbobs]

@@JohnLnyc Adam Levine is very pitchy. He needs auto tune to sound good.

[@Matthew_Klepadlo]

When Iron Maiden was recording their song, “Number of the Beast,” the producer, Martin Birch, had a habit of pushing his clients when he was recording them by doing takes over and over again to get it just right. Bruce Dickinson, the singer, got furious, throwing chairs at Birch, saying “WHY CAN’T I JUST DO THE SCREAM ALREADY?!” Birch said not until we get this right. So it went on. And on. And on. Until Birch said, “Ok Bruce, I think we got it. Now we can do the scream.” That scream Bruce did UNBELIEVABLE!!! Listen back to the Number of the Beast, holy moly was that scream insane, powerful, amazing, psychotic, epic, beastly, but most importantly, HUMAN! If they used autotune, Bruce would’ve done one or two takes maybe, used autotune to add clean soap to your delicious dinner, then did the scream. Everything that would’ve made the scream sound amazing would be thrown right down the shitter if they used autotune.

[@ictogon]

ah yes, autotune bad because it makes singers less angry

[@Matthew_Klepadlo]

@@ictogon Go and listen to your whiny, sanitized autotuned metal like Pierce the Veil or Sleeping with Sirens. That's what real metal is, right? Not like Metallica, Megadeth, Judas Priest, etc.

[@ChildOfThe1970s]

Karen Carpenter's voice was so perfect that she didn't need auto tune. I just can't stand what they call music today.

[@markrigg6623]

Karen was so good she could auto tune autotune.

[@PM_yearsago]

@@bw2937 they called beatles satanic just because of john lennon's bigger than jesus issue. And nobody says beatles are garbage even the boomers.

[@philip6502]

@@PM_yearsago Uh... so-called boomers grew up with the Beatles.

[@thislazylife]

I agree, modern pop music is unpalatable schlock. But there's a lot of really great modern bands making very good music right now. You just won't hear them on corporate radio.

[@darrenhirst9900]

Her voice was simply wow. And she did re-takes to get it even better. Karen you cannot beat perfection.

[@ianjames1270]

When I was taught to record back in the day I was always told “you can’t polish a turd, but you can roll it in glitter” seems times have changed. Auto tune used wisely can be a god send but understanding, less is more is key.

[@1stNlass]

Roll it in glitter? Halarious.

[@Nicolailund15]

Absolutely true. But what people forget is that music with autotune present is a specefic genre/style. Therefore it is a tool/instrument. It's not artists cheating you to think they can sing. It's a sound they go for. Same with Phil Collins reversed gated reverb, specific sound he was going for.

[@mnewm21]

@@Nicolailund15 sometimes...I don't think some studios have ever "turned it off" since it was "turned on" regardless of who enters the studio! If it was used an effect sparingly then I would agree with you more but it isn't. It used to such an extent that you often can barely tell what the voice of the singer sounds like. Then they do something live and it is utter crud sounds nothing like the studio version and people wonder why when a half decent band can actually play their studio stuff live and sound similar it is held up and lauded as amazing!

[@kalebrosenberg8294]

Kiss from a rose would sound so bland and horrible with autotune. A really good example what makes vocals without autotune special.

[@Granaldigirl]

As a vocalist for over 40 years, I appreciate that you made this video on auto-tune. I've worked with people who are not vocalist, but (because of auto-tune) the listeners believe this is what they sound like. It infuriates me.

[@TheDuke7997]

“They were just better singers” Rick is almost apologetic about having to break this to people….

[@ralelunar]

Selena Gomez stans grabbing their pitchforks, lol

[@wendyc7730]

@@johnbuchman4854 Good singers and harmonizers Brian Wilson is a genius

[@wendyc7730]

@@johnbuchman4854 Just a side note about this whole video. Auto tune has it's place in the music industry as long as it's used properly and not overused on everything. Unfortunately, it has taken over. It was supposed to be a tool to enhance and make parts of the songs a little unique and different. I like Cher Believe, Lenny Kravitz Fly Away and Daft Punk

[@coreyclark6505]

But, Adam Levine judges people’s singing voice... hilarious.

[@VocalMolly]

quite possibly one of the most irritating top 40 "artists" there are- you can also tell *he*thinks he's completely amazing, Maroon 5 is your perfect example of a "man band".

[@darris1939]

@@VocalMolly someone didn’t watch his purple rain cover

[@VocalMolly]

@@darris1939 Did it happen after Prince died, I hope?

[@Ms.GreenJeans]

Hahaaaaa! OMG, Can you imagine Maynard from TOOL as a judge on the voice🤣🤣 he would hate it and be so weird and sarcastically mean...that would be epic!

[@Ritzi66]

Yeah they sound fake as can be and the fucking kids love em ..

[@TheChristOfRockNRoll]

In the words of Robert Plant (liberties taken): "I don't know but I been told, an auto-tuned singer ain't got no soul!"

[@rolandzoske448]

Perhaps the indigenous people were right when they feared that their souls would die if they were photographed - or recorded.

[@artamussumatra6286]

The singer may have Soul, but autotune won’t let you hear it. It makes real singers sound like a generic computer simulation of a human voice. They only used to have that on shuttle announcements at air ports - now it’s literally become marshal law in the music business…. How it got so popular is amazing - and not the good kind of amazing.

[@rolandzoske448]

@@artamussumatra6286 I fully agree with you. The path to knowledge is a long journey with many wrong turns - and not everyone gets there. I'm already a big fan of technical achievements - which I personally cannot afford or achieve. But in doing so, like probably others, I often overlook wonderful things that would also be achievable and enjoyable for me if I weren't so fascinated by the idea of achieving the unattainable (and perhaps disappointing). I have to remind myself of that over and over again.

[@MattBargain]

Isn’t that Black Tune?

[@TheChristOfRockNRoll]

@@artamussumatra6286 That's what makes my edited quote of Robert Plant from "Black Dog" so good and cheeky......you ruined it by explaining it with proper logic and facts. Damn you! 🤣🤣🤣

[@TroubadourJuggernaut]

The Everley Brothers never had auto tune ... flawless sound right there

[@JK-js2td]

I totally agree

[@hurstdevin]

Beach Boys as well. Brian Wilson used to listen and say "I can't hear you smiling!" when listening to the track played back in the studio. BTW my grandfather built their music room/studio.

[@TroubadourJuggernaut]

What ! So cool

[@jaredtetzlaff1590]

I believe that the entire "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack was recorded w/o auto-tune. "Man of Constant Sorrow" is my gold standard for harmony. It's rich and resonant b/c it's not perfect.

[@Timliu92]

The Everly Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Queen, Bee Gees, Eagles, Crosby, Stills & Nash, etc - all these groups are legendary and absolutely do not need AutoTune to harmonize.

[@LostPlanet2024]

“Before there was ProTools there were pros” ~Jay Graydon

[@stevecook3181]

Outstanding.

[@jean-pascalheynemand3271]

Being a classically trained singer, it boggles my mind that any so called “professional singers” can’t sing in tune.

[@johnnicholson8345]

they don't spend any time on their craft. It's all about getting to the finish line with no work.

[@walkeranderson730]

You’re so right the irony hurts 💀

[@RicardoMarlowFlamenco]

They don’t learn vibrato for starters … that simple technique teaches pitch correction as a technique and ear trainer. Worse, some great old metal singers get criticized for wide accurate vibrato, “I don’t like operatic rock singing” etc. Zero pop rock and now even metal singers do vibrato anymore for this reason.

[@Thelius42]

Agreed. Basic technique would solve the issues but many of them have never had a lesson

[@AndrewSouthworth]

Think of it from another perspective... Someone loves writing, recording and releasing music, they can sing reasonably well but are a bit pitchy. They could do 25 takes of the verse to get the absolute most perfect take thats both amazing and perfectly in tune, or stop at take 5 which was a fantastic take except it had a few slightly off pitch notes and use pitch correction to fix it and move on to the next part. With modern day pitch correction this can easily be done in a transparent way, so the end result is the same aside from one of them taking 5X longer. Why put in 5X more work for a 0% increase in quality? On top of that even with a pretty much perfectly in-tune take in many genres you'll still put some extra pitch correction on top to get it dead-on, or you risk sounding less polished than everyone else. Even the best singers in the world get pitch correction if they're in a mainstream genre. This is my approach to making music because all I care about is the end result. In a perfect world i'd nail the pitches every time, and i'm always working on it, but I won't lose any sleep over using pitch correction in an otherwise perfect take because on 2 of the notes in the verse I was a fraction of a note off pitch.

[@PaulMcElligott]

This kind of reminds me of a story I heard when drum machines were becoming prevalent back in the 1980s. Supposedly an engineer programmed a small timing error into a drum track to give it some humanity. The producer heard it and said, “If I wanted mistakes, I’d hire a drummer.” Sometimes it seems like the record industry doesn’t even want humanity in the music.

[@Cyber.Lynx.]

All prep work for the day that AI generates pop tunes for pennies on the dollar (since there are no human artists involved).

[@heggy_69]

@@Cyber.Lynx. honestly after hyperpop has gotten big, I don't doubt people would hate ai music

[@rdc2724]

According to my wife, there's no autotune on this planet that can handle my voice ........

[@Mxulin]

Congrats

[@micheleparker8123]

Same here, buddy.😂

[@dumbinfp7951]

RdC Dave Mustaine, is that you?

[@andrewgarcia3136]

sadly there actually is, you could be literally creaking into a mic and autotune could make it sound like something melodic

[@AJBtheSuede]

Buy her a set of headphones or in-ears with good active noise cancelling. OK, that's more of a "mute" button than an "autotune" button - but still :) And rock on, you sing you, dude :)

[@michaelscerbo35]

Perfect example of why bands like XTC, 10CC, Jellyfish, etc. sound so big yet don't destroy your speakers on 1 volume. It's all real because they were so talented and mixed so gracefully

[@davidanderson_surrey_bc]

Autotune: How they killed good music. Autotoon: How they killed the Cars movies.

[@PaintGuy]

What!? Rick hasn’t always had white hair? Weird…

[@vooveks]

Maybe he has, but dyed it back then? 😀

[@GottaloveMuse1]

Remember folks: music isn't dead - there are plenty of bands and artists still making legit, natural work

[@CAGED1702]

Yeah, you just gotta find it! Snarky Puppy, Dirty Loops, Jacob Collier, just to name a few!

[@Nairrrrrrr]

Charlie Puth.

[@MM-vs2et]

black midi, thundercat, polyphia, king gizzard

[@atomiccritter6492]

yes THIS. I honestly dont know why Rick keeps making these sort of videos. Doesnt he realise he aint going to change the industry by whinging about the various ills of pop music. Each one of these videos is too regressive, too much looking to the past when things were supposedly better

[@papambye9293]

as if the use of auto tune makes the music illegitimate. music dies in redundancy - let bit evolve. you might not ever like it, but don’t ever undermine it

[@blueg8731]

When Cher did it, it was for effect, not to cheat. She can sing. But then everyone else started doing it, and it changed from interesting to annoying. Unless you like that sort of unnatural sound.

[@virginiapicker]

I remember when this was referred to as “running it through the JLo” - lol. The Cher song was pretty cool, IMO, because it made no attempt to hide the effect and used it to enhance the song in an interesting way. It has been done to death now, but it sounded snappy when it came out.

[@rhythmandblues_alibi]

And the song still holds up today, imo. Its a fun dance track!

[@davekimball3610]

So what we're seeing here, or hearing, is that whenever a vocalist receives a Grammy for best vocal performance, they ought to hand that Grammy directly to their engineer.

[@ScubaSteveCanada]

Same goes for the studio musicians ... band members have no clue how often their parts are re-done by the true pros.

[@bagel7080]

I think vocal performance means that there is a voice on the record, but I could be wrong. Not quite sure

[@lucaszacharias138]

@@ScubaSteveCanada 5% studio musicians, 95% machines.

[@Durwood71]

@@ScubaSteveCanada Pretty sure the bands know they're not on the album since they're only called when it's time to tour.

[@larrylindgren9484]

Pretty much.