I think we had a thread on Auto Tune a few months back, but hell, we're here, let's talk about it again because I
love taking a huge dump all over Auto Tune.
The reason why auto tune is used is basically what Becker said, it covers up the artist's deficiencies as a rapper or a singer. I've heard stories from people who have seen T-Pain live, and since he can't use Auto Tune live, he sounds like absolute shit. I can't stand Auto Tune, I hate it with a passion, and to me it's hurting hip hop like no other. It's turning hip hop, basically into Techno. You ever listen to a Techno song that has that robotic voice over the beat "singing" the same chorus over and over again? That's what auto tune does to hip hop for me. Suddenly it's a slowed down Techno beat with an artist's robot voice over it, and the people that use Auto Tune are the ones that sing the chorus over and over again, so let's just call it Techno and get it over with.
According to Wikipedia:
Auto-Tune is a proprietary audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed singers to perform perfectly tuned vocal tracks without the need of singing in tune. While its main purpose is to slightly bend sung pitches to the nearest true semitone (to the exact pitch of the nearest tone in traditional equal temperament), Auto-Tune can be used as an effect to distort the human voice when pitch is raised or lowered significantly.
So based on that, it's basically used to smooth over any issues with pitch and vocals in general. If used in minimal amounts, I don't see that as a major problem for the production aspect of an album. If it's minimal you wouldn't be able to tell Auto Tune was used. The biggest problem is the distorting effect it can provide, and that's what artists like Wayne, Kanye, and T-Pain are using. They are so off pitch and out of tune that using Auto Tune distorts their voices so much to the point of getting that robotic sound.
From that artist's point of view, would you rather sound horrendously out of tune and incorrect pitch, or sound like a robot? Some people like the sound of Auto Tune and the different sound effects it creates. It's gotten to the point it's almost gimmicky, just as gimmicky as speaking out against Auto Tune. Some artists truly have an Anti Auto Tune feel, while you have someone like Jay-Z releasing D.O.A. and then proceeds to have Kanye West on the same album. This is extends out not only from hip hop, but the pop genre as well.
I think what we're looking at here, are artists that have become too reliable on the technology that is available today. The need to perfect music in every way has become possible. The technology that producers have available to them, can make anyone sound like a million dollars on a track, and this is a pause for concern. Where or how do we draw the line between what the technology was able to recreate, and what talent the artist him/herself utilized in the making of the track? How can we tell? This problem creates a dilution of actual talented artists, because those that may not be as talented, suddenly can use technology as an advantage and suddenly sound better than the artists that are more talented.
I read "The Wu Manual" by the RZA, and he has a section in the book discussing how he handled production in his studio and about the technology at his disposal. What strikes me the most in this section was his discussion of the technology he used. RZA stated that you must master the technology or you will become a slave to it. So let's apply this to Auto Tune. If an artist is so heavily dependent on Auto Tune, he/she will never develop the actual ability to use proper tune and pitch in his vocals. So he/she will be a slave to Auto Tune for as long as they continue to make music in the same style. However, if an artist can develop better tune and pitch in their vocals, then Auto Tune could be used to be a small boost to the vocal track, rather than relying on it to completely create the vocals on the track. That is the difference between mastering the technology, and becoming a slave to it.
So in short, I see Auto Tune as a tool to bring less talented artists up to the same level as the more talented ones. It's a tool that has caused dilution and has allowed horrible singers seem to be better singers. It has also caused a lot of hip hop artists to sound like they're creating slowed down Techno tracks with robotic voices. A lot of artists are dependent on the Auto Tune then we may know about, and it's basically become a crutch for those artists. The rawness and legit sound is being lost to those using Auto Tune, and I hope that people get away from it and make music that is true to them, not through a computer program.
