Wondering if any of you guys/gals use one and waht do you think of it. We have a garage band and none of us are the best singers and I don't see us finding a really good one anytime soon so I was thinking maybe one of these would help out.
I know most do harmonies etc and that would be great but I think I'm looking more for pitch correction.
How well does the pitch correction work on these units. I was looking at a Boss VE-70 which retails for like $249 and it got great reviews but I'm a bit skeptical.
I guess what I am asking is the pitch correction software capable of making a mediocre singer sound good?
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Hi cnev,
It's capable of making a mediocre singer sound better, but it's much more likely to make a mediocre singer sound like crap. :)
I use one on occassion, most often when I'm recording, infrequently when performing. I think it might work best in one of two scenarios:
1. you have good relative pitch and are usally within a few cents of the pitch.
2. you hit the pitch pretty often, but due to breath control issues you flatten as you run out of breath.
I hear myself a few ticks sharp of what I am actually singing, (I keep meaning to get my sinuses tuned), so I tend to sing a a little flat of what I think I am. I attack this problem with breath control and striving to go up and over the pitch, but it's nice to have a vocal processor to catch you when you forget.
I think the trick with any of these devices is to make sure that no one can tell you are using it. They assist, they don't fix underlying vocal problems.
I love mine though. I'll have it sing harmony for me, record it temporarily, learn the harmony part and then sing it myself in the final production.
Auto-tune's a hot topic this side of the pond as it's just been admitted that they've been using it on the X-Factor talent show for years to make rubbish singers sound better. There was a "industry expert" in yesterday's paper talking about how you can hear it being used in any number of big songs by current million-selling artists. Apparently, you're listening for a slight "bubble" sound, and one of the examples he trotted out was Avril Lavigne's 'Complicated' where you can hear it in some of the long "a" sounds. I don't know if that's right; I haven't gone running to the CD rack to have a listen. Do I care? I happen to think it's an ok song.
I don't know what I think about it. Am I being conned by someone using auto-tune? I've never used one and I'm sitting here thinking that if you use a gadget to make yourself sound better then you're no better than Britney Spears, miming to a backing track and pretending it's live. At the same time, I'd probably use one myself if I had one cos my voice definitely goes off tone and the cats start wailing. Why should artists who have something to say be denied an audience just because they can't hold a note? If I'm at a concert, I expect the singer to hit the odd bum note because he's not just standing there singing, he's putting on a show and some thing's got to give.
Good question. No idea.
A :-)
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OK thanks Nick based on what you are telling me at this point I may hold off. Since there are 3 of us that sing and we all have different singing deficiancies I'm not sure how much improvement this would actually make.
Alan I've seen some of the articles about the X-Factor and for something like that Auto-tune might be a bit dirty pool but I have no problem using one. The way I look at it is if someone comes and hears us play whether we are in a bar or my basement why subject them to sub-par singing if I could make it more pleaseing to their ears.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
