Autotune vs. Melodyne

Autotune vs. Melodyne

Has singing Become a lost art?

Artists such as T-Pain, Cher, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna, Akon, Aphex Twins, Chris Brown, Miley Cyrus, The Dream, Jason Derülo, Jamie Foxx, Jeremih, Ke$ha, Sean Kingston, Avril Lavigne, Lil Wayne, Drake, Madonna, Maroon 5, Nicki Minaj, New Boyz, Owl City, P. Diddy, Daft Punk, Taio Cruz, B.o.B, Jennifer Lopez, Colby O’ Donis, Sugar Land, Justin Timberlake, FAR EAST Movement, LMFAO, Pit Bull, Timbaland, Usher, Rebecca Black, Natasha Bedingfield, Kanye West, Faith Hill, Alice Cooper, Billy Joel, R. Kelley, Rascal Flatts, etc. use Autotune to their advantage (Ason). As you can see, Autotune makes millions of dollars in various genres of music.

Nowadays, there are stories circulating around the music industry that many recording artists can’t sing. Since the invasion of Autotune, many artists have relied solely upon its automatic pitch correction parameters to make superstars. Well, I am here to dispel that myth. There is actually a sister tool, Melodyne by Celemony, which auto corrects artists that can sing but may be slightly off pitch. It is a hidden gem in the industry. However, I have been using both for many years. Each has its own distinct characteristics. Simply put, Autotune the News, are adjunct instruments. One must still be able to manipulate parameters or presets in order to get desired effect. There are also many spoof videos such as the Gregory Brothers Autotune the News, which has penetrated into YouTube’s popular culture with over 385 million hits (Youtube). They definitely understand how to connect with their target audience.

Albeit, the artist must have some form of talent. If one cannot sing at all, it would be very difficult to fix. In fact, Autotune works better on an artist that sings slightly flat. Bottom line, a song has to be catchy before it can become a hit-Love it or hate it. Fact still remains; the song must come before the artist.

 Autotune vs. Melodyne Pt. 1

Autotune vs. Melodyne Pt. 2

                                                                              

Gregory Brothers. Autotune the News. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hMtZfW2z9dw

Jones, Ason. (January, 2012). Rate Your Music.com Retrieved from  http://rateyourmusic.com/list/Thrashisawesome/artists_who_have_used_auto_tune

Mic Courtesy of MXL 

Vet Boi™_How to Record Live Horns

Today's Music Producer

Many people covet becoming a music producer. They see the flashy lights, the paparazzi, the money, the parties, the girls or guys, and the Grammy Awards. They hear names such as Timbaland, Teddy Riley, Prince, T-Bone Burnett, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Dallas Austin, Polo da Don, David Guetta, Rodney Jerkins, Quincy Jones, Trent Reznor, RedOne, Max Martin, Dr Luke, Dr. Dre, Scott Storch, David Foster, and countless others.

What does it take to become a producer? What are some of the characteristics a producer should entail? First let’s clear the air on what a producer is not. Although a rising job title, a producer is not a beat-maker. There a plenty of misconceptions a beat maker is a producer. This is simply not the case. A beat maker is an integral part to the complete process, but is, in most cases equivalent to a musician, which is a hired hand.

Despite the digital evolution, today’s producer is the same as it has always been. He must be able to deliver records. Long Live Analogue.  I digress.

First, there are two types of producers: the executive producer and the record producer. The executive is primarily the business entity, label, or money guy. He has some say of the overall direction and creativity of the project such as Clive Davis. The definition of a record producer is one who delivers a record in a commercially viable form within budget and time constraints. The producer manages budgets, personnel (such as musicians, songwriters, background vocalists, vocal arrangers, engineers, and editors), selects studios, and oversees the creative process until the record is mixed, edited, mastered, and delivered to the label.

The producer does not have to be a full fledge musician, but has to know when to hire the right musician for the job. It would help if the producer knew some musical theory and had some arranging skills. There is nothing worse than an artist singing flat and/or in the wrong key. His job is to bring out the best artist performance. Perhaps, the song is too slow or fast. A producer must have some technical knowledge of the computer equipment and software he uses, whether it is Logic, Protools, Ableton Live, Record Reason, FL Studio, Garage Band, Sonar, Cubase, etc. These formats are known as Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs). Otherwise, he can hire an audio engineer or a technician to assist with his acquisition.

A producer has many characteristics or hats to wear to ensure delivery. He has to be an effective communicator, be able to read one’s emotions, be honest, be firm, be flexible, stage the right recording environment, be an avid listener, influential, have business savvy, and effectively manage time. Nonetheless, he has to be both A and B personalities. He has to deal not only with the creative side but the business as well. Meaning, he has to deal with the clients (investors), managers, attorneys, studios, musicians, A&Rs, and artists. In some cases he may be involved with the marketing, promotions, and radio personnel…

Ricco Lumpkins

www.platworldprojx.com