Lady Gaga Uses An Auto Tune

Sep 11, 2010 Although the program is best known for the singing-through-a-fan, robotic vocal style that has dominated pop radio in recent years with stars like Lady Gaga, T-Pain and countless others, Auto-Tune.

updated 6/2/2009 10:01:02 AM ET2009-06-02T14:01:02
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The following sentence might come as a huge shock to teens and Millennials, so stop tweeting for a second, kids, and get prepared for a totally outlandish statement. Here it is: Once upon a time, pop singers were actual singers.

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Yes, I know. That’s hard to comprehend since the pop charts are now dominated by artists who use Auto-Tune, the software plug-in that corrects the pitch of those who can’t really cut it in the vocal department and turns their vocals into robo-voices. While everyone under 30 recovers from that revelation, here’s what I mean by “actual singers.”

Back in the day, pop artists like Frank Sinatra and the Beatles used to be able to record albums in just a few days. Country musicians like Patsy Cline and George Jones trudged through grueling tours in out-of-the-way rural locales yet still missed nary a note. R&B musicians like the Supremes and the Four Tops navigated their way through complex choreography but still belted out songs out like their lives depended on it.

And while today, we still have singers with massively impressive pipes, a whole lotta them could never have rocked it for real like the Motown gang. These days, artists are able to get by on looks, publicity and aid from Auto-Tune.

You can hear the robotic, processed sound of the plug-in on recent hit records like “Blame It” by Jamie Foxx and T-Pain, “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga and “Right Now (Na Na Na)” by Akon. It’s also heard on tracks by Kanye West, Britney Spears and Lil Wayne. When West attempted to sing “Love Lockdown” without the plug-in on “Saturday Night Live,” the results were none too impressive and got ridiculed online. You can hear 10 examples of “Auto-Tune Abuse in Pop Music” on Hometracked, a blog geared toward home recording enthusiasts.

Paula Abdul also uses Auto-Tune on her new song, “Here for the Music,” which she performed (i.e. lip-synched) on “American Idol” May 6. It was evident just how artificial Abdul’s vocals were when she was followed by Gwen Stefani, who gave a warts-and-all live vocal on No Doubt’s “Just a Girl.”

Country and rock singers are said to use Auto-Tune to protect themselves from hitting bum notes in concert. Pop singers use it when they have a hard time singing while executing complicated dance moves (raising the question as to why they’re letting their dancing take precedence over their music). Auto-Tune has become so ubiquitous that indie rockers Death Cab for Cutie wore blue ribbons at this year’s Grammy Awards ceremony to protest its overuse.

Building the ‘perfect’ beast
The prevalence of Auto-Tune comes from two longstanding pop music traditions — the desire to alter the human voice and the quest for perfection at the expense of real talent and emotion.

Lady gaga uses an auto tune video

The first of these can lead to inspiring moments, as the New Yorker’s Sasha Frere-Jones noted in an essay last year. Pioneering voice tweakers include producer Quincy Jones, who punched up Lesley Gore’s vocals with double tracking on “It’s My Party,” and George Martin, who gave us a childlike sped-up John Lennon on “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Later on, Peter Frampton wowed audiences with his talk box guitar effect and a decade later, vocals were being put through harmonizers to get jarring outer space effects.

Of course, to pull off any of those effects, you had still had to be able to sing. With Auto-Tune you don’t.

Then there’s the quest for perfection. By the 1970s, producers were able to edit or splice together vocal takes from various tracks and eventually they started to use hardware that corrected vocal pitch to create “perfect” performances. When the sound editing program Pro Tools became the industry norm in the 1990s, kludged-together vocal tracks became the norm.

But too much meticulousness in pop music strips away passion. And the very reason we listen to music, noted the late rock critic Lester Bangs, is to hear “passion expressed.” Auto-Tune makes people sound like robots. And if there’s no feeling, why listen at all?

Some people apparently aren’t listening anymore. Sales of major label CDs are down. But more authentic sounding music still has fans. Paste magazine recently reported that indie music is selling more, and the one area of commercial music that’s remained popular is “American Idol,” where you can’t fake it (unless you’re Paula Abdul).

The producers speak
A lot of producers like to use Auto-Tune because it saves time, says producer Craig Street, who has worked with Norah Jones, k. d. lang and Cassandra Wilson. “If you have a smaller budget what you’re doing is trying to cram a lot of work into a small period of time,” Street says. “So you may not have as much time to do a vocal.”

Craig Anderton, a producer and music writer, observes that Auto-Tune “gets no respect because when it’s done correctly, you can’t hear that it’s working.

“If someone uses it tastefully just to correct a few notes here and there, you don’t even know that it’s been used so it doesn’t get any props for doing a good job,” Anderton notes. “But if someone misuses it, it’s very obvious — the sound quality of the voice changes and people say ‘Oh, it’s that Auto-Tune — it’s a terrible thing that’s contributing to the decline and fall of Western music as we know it.”

One producer who dislikes Auto-Tune is Jon Tiven, who cut his musical teeth in the punk rock era with his band the Yankees, and went on to produce soul singers Wilson Pickett and Don Covey as well as Pixies founder Frank Black. Tiven thinks Auto-Tune has led to the destruction of great singing.

“I don’t know how many levels you want to drop the bar for what it takes to become a successful musical person,” Tiven says. “You could sacrifice on some levels, but it would seem to me one of the first things you would really be hard pressed to sacrifice is if the person could sing in tune or not.”

Street says the like or dislike of Auto-Tune largely comes down to aesthetics, and likens people’s feelings about listening to unnatural sounds with the way some people feel about unnatural body modifications, such as breast implants.

And that makes sense. After all, today we have models and actors whose faces and bodies were never intended by nature, reality TV that’s not real, and sports “heroes” whose strength comes from pills not practice. It’s totally understandable that the commercial pop world would embrace an unnatural aesthetic. Whether audiences will someday want pop singers who are first and foremost singers remains to be seen.

© 2013 msnbc.com. Reprints

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Lady Gaga Uses An Auto Tuneup

Today we bring you a rundown on the very best Autotune Plugins (VSTs) available right now in 2020 for your DAW or Beat Maker. We will review their cost, which ones are free Autotune VST plugins, their pros and cons, pricing and our recommendations for purchase.

Before we get started, let’s clarify what Autotune is and how this is different to a Vocoder.

What is Autotune (aka Audio Tuning or Auto Tuning)? The Autotune definition is an Autotune program that corrects any pitch issues either in post-production or in real-time whether you’re in the recording studio or performing live.
This auto tune effect is widely used by many studio personnel and usually comes standard as part of the production workflow in modern pop music no matter the vocalists’ natural abilities.

So how does autotune work? Well, in simple terms it takes any audio file and measures it’s pitch perfect and key through a software audio processor device and measures it against a specific key and pitch, altering it (correction) so that the pitch of a vocal or auto tune voice is matched to an instrumental music recording or performance.

How to use Autotune? Whether you’re using it to subtly fit slightly off-tune vocals into place or using it to achieve the obvious autotune software effect used in many popular records and trap songs heard on the radio today, you’ll be sure to learn a lot in our rundown of the best pitch correcting plug-ins on the market.
How is an Autotune device different from a vocoder?

Vocoders and the vocoder effect, on the other hand, are techniques used primarily in electronic popular music and Hip Hop, to give the voice sound a synthetic fine tuning sound by setting an instrument such as a synthesizer as the input to a filter bank and this being blended with the vocal recording.

There are many plug-ins on the market that can achieve this effect and many daws come with stock plug-ins that have a vocoder preset available such as Logic’s classic EVOC 20 synth.

1. ANTARES AUTOTUNE PRO by Antares Audio Technologies

Pricing – $399 | Standalone Plug-in
Considered by many to be the best auto tune and pitch correction software, Antares has been at the top of the game for decades. Their software is used as the standard go-to when it comes to the big leagues in many of the top recording studios worldwide due to its ease of use and trusted reputation, Afterall, Antares do own the trademark “Autotune”.
It all started with them back in the mid-’90s after it was launched by Andy Hildebrand, a PhD specialist in digital signal processing and it became an instant hit. It quickly grew to fame & notability after it was used on Cher’s 1998 classic “Believe”. And has since been the go-to plug-in for many music producers & recording artists.

PROS

User-friendly interface

One of the best features of the auto tune program is its ease of use and how simple it is to figure out while achieving a super high level of accuracy and a natural tone. It’s aesthetically pleasing to the eye but beneath the surface, it’s a machine.

Autokey included for faster workflow

Trying to figure out the key of a song can be a time-consuming challenge for the many artists who haven’t yet developed knowledge of music theory or those who lack the skill to tell by ear.

With this challenge is eradicated as the software comes with Antares Autokey which automatically detects the key of the song with high accuracy and sends it to the processor for a streamlined workflow.

Has the option to switch to classic mode

Some of us just like to stick with what we know when it comes to the way something functions, it makes things easier as its muscle memory.

The OG users can switch to the classic auto mode they’re used to all while reaping the benefits and high-quality processing Pro has to offer.

CONS

Expensive

As with anything, quality comes at a price. At almost double the price of Logic Pro X, $399 is steep for a standalone plugin, but you can rest assured it will get the job done with no hiccups.

2.WAVES TUNE REAL-TIME

Pricing – $69.99 | Standalone Plug-in & Bundle
Although not quite as notable as Antares Autotune, Waves Tune Real-Time is still one of the classics and is used primarily for live vocal performances due to its accuracy, precision, and ultra-low latency.

It boasts the ability to achieve studio-quality, pitched vocals in a live setting without the need for manual post-editing and is the go-to for many singers on tour.

PROS

Super-low latency ideal for live use

Great for live performances on tour, this plug-in has super-low latency and can deliver an outstanding result. You can also set your own presets for different songs, or for different parts in the same song.

Hey, you can even fall offstage in like Travis Scott if that’s your thing, although, please don’t actually do this, a far too extreme auto tune EFX.

High-quality audio processing for natural sound

Set your retune speed to 0.1 milliseconds or have it slow, however harsh you want your effect you can be sure to always have pristine human-like sound with no artificial artefacts getting in the way of the performance.

CONS

Requires low latency computer system for live settings

Although the plug-in itself causes little to no latency issues, it does require a low latency set up to achieve its full potential. If you or your labels budget allows, It’s worth having a separate MacBook for live audio & production purposes only.

The interface can be hard to learn

You’ll want to make sure you’re aware of how the plug-in operates and what the parameters actually do to be able to get the most out of the software, it’s not as simple as just pressing one button and it doing the job for you, but this can also be a good thing as it allows further manipulation of sound.

3. CELEMONY MELODYNE

Pricing – €99 – €699 | Standalone plug-in

This plug-in is used by many studio engineers and producers due to its advanced capabilities such as being able to create superb background vocals from a single vocal take, along with its melody building & time stretching functionalities.

It’s highly advanced direct note access feature also allows for singular manipulation of individual notes within chords and polyphonic recordings.

PROS

Multiple Algorithms

Choose from a selection of advanced algorithms designed for different instruments and types of audio including percussive, melodic or polyphonic to fit your recording and enable the best possible editing experience for whatever you’re working with.

Ability to adjust timbre and shape sound

Use the “formant” tool and sound editor to colour the tone and adjust the characteristics of your recording while maintaining an authentic sound.

CONS

Most of the best features only available in full version
If you’re paying the lowest price for the basic version, you’re gonna get the most basic version. There are no free rides with Melodyne and if you want the best features and updates you’re going to need to splash out. Is it worth the investment? We certainly think so.

4. REAPER REATUNE

Pricing – $60 | DAW

Not a standalone plugin, but a great feature for those on a budget looking to increase the quality of a take and achieve a more professional sound. Whilst it isn’t a free autotune plugin, it’s the cheapest one available.

If you’re new to this software it may be worth reading our beginners’ guide to Reaper for an easy to understand but a detailed rundown of what this daw has to offer.

Reaper Reatune can be used to create harmonies as well as fix out of tune vocals. This is a great alternative to Antares Harmony Engine for those on a budget who want big-sounding harmonies and choruses without needing to spend $100 and upwards for a stand-alone plug-in to do the job.

PROS

– Low CPU load
Another CPU friendly option for those with busy sessions and a lot of heavy processing. This is great for the low price Reaper comes at, not to mention all the other amazing features the daw has to offer.

Good for users on a budget
What you’re getting for the price is impressive, not to mention you get to trial the full version of reaper for 60 days to see if it’s a good fit for your needs and how you work.

CONS

More noticeable tonality
The biggest downside to Reaper’s Reatune feature is the audibly noticeable artefacts that start to pop up when pitch correction is applied. This is okay for beginners diving into audio production who just want to get good at what they’re doing on a mechanical level but not so great for audio engineers looking to achieve pristine, natural-sounding vocal effects or instruments.

Lady Gaga Uses An Auto Tune Free

Lacks more advanced features
Again, you get what you pay for. Sure you can do what it says on the tin and knock off-tune vocals where they’re meant to be but you can’t go all out with gain, tonality, vibrato and pitch drift edits the same as you can with some of the more high-end plug-ins.

5. LOGIC PRO FLEX PITCH

Pricing – $199.99 | DAW

One of Logic Pro’s most popular features is its flex tune mode, capable of advanced audio manipulation. It has many different algorithms for different types of audio signals and instruments.

For vocals, this is flex pitch. Visual representations of notes can be moved into place, cut, glued and time-stretched. There’s also the option to smooth or increase vibrato in the voice or change the drift from each word in or out of one another as well as the gain.

For a tool this advanced that comes with logic, it’s well worth the price for the entire daw.

The only downside is it’s processing abilities and tonality. It’s great for changing a few problem areas in a take but once you start moving things around too much you start to notice the decrease in audio quality. If you require a plug-in or tool that has better processing abilities it may be better to go with a standalone option.

PROS

Great for the price
As opposed to Reatune, what Flex Pitch has to offer is actually far greater in terms of how far you can go with sonic manipulation. You can also use Logic’s Flex tool to time-stretch using separate algorithms for different types of audio, similar to what Melodyne offers but on a more basic level.

CONS

Lady Gaga Uses An Auto Tune Online

Noticeable audio artefacts
Flex Pitch has been prone to bugs and glitches in the audio, especially in earlier versions of the software that have since been mostly smoothed out. Logic has since come a long way but if you do too much editing or lower the vibrato any lower than 60% the audio still starts to develop a robotic tone (robot voice).

The algorithm is less advanced and can mistake breaths for words or splits single words into two causing a pop sound.

If you want to make the most of Flex Pitch correction plugin, make sure to have a dry and clear of a recording to work with from the offset as possible, although this should go for all recording in general.

CONCLUSION

Lady Gaga Uses An Auto Tune Youtube

Ultimately, whatever option you choose to go with really comes down to your budget, what your set up looks like and your requirements.

With this being said, Waves Tune Real-Time really does give you the best value for money and is a good option for both those starting out in music as well as experienced studio professionals and experienced artists.

Lady Gaga Uses An Auto Tune Lyrics

Some notable artists that have had big hits through the use of the VST are Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga and Cher’s 1998 hit “Beleive”.

We hope you enjoyed reading this post and that it has given you some indication as to what plug-in or DAW to go with for getting you or your artist’s vocals to sound their best.