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Posted by: tonymiro Aug 24 2010, 03:57 PM

Yesterday the UK media ran a story that the makers of the TV program 'X Factor' had received complaints that Autotune had been used to improve the vocals of the contestants in this 'talent' show's audition.

I had a brief talk with my wife and both of us agreed it was a manufactured controversy done for publicity. I was also a bit more cynical and made the point that why would the audience really care given that the eventual winner will be autotuned every time they release a single anyway and the millions of adoring fans will still happily buy it .

One thing it did demonstrate clearly enough even for the BBC news anchor to comment on was that as good (or as bad) as autotune etc are they can't sufficiently correct a really awful vocal. Personally I only watch X Factor for those really really bad performance . The rest are just bland, mass manufactured pap rather than pop.

Posted by: Staffy Aug 24 2010, 04:25 PM

In my opinion the Autotune fills only one need - to prevent us musicians that can hear that a note is out of tune to puke every time we put on the radio. (it happens sometimes anyway, a good example will be the flute-solo on "California Dreaming") The most people dont hear if You're out of tune neither on record or neither live anyway, so why bother??? Its just to satisfy a small amount of people. But I would love to have a law that say's: "You are forbidden to enter a recording-studio if You cant sing a C-major scale in tune". There can the auto-tune come in handy to measure who can or cannot - and the production of records will drop by 90% or so.....

//Staffay

Posted by: tonymiro Aug 24 2010, 04:33 PM

- got my vote Staffay

Posted by: The Uncreator Aug 24 2010, 04:39 PM

Like Gene Simmons says no publicity is bad publicity.

Posted by: MickeM Aug 24 2010, 05:46 PM

I wish they had used one here. This must be the worst song ever, and it was a big hit too for some reason. That made me lose faith in peoples taste for music.

Posted by: Mudbone Aug 24 2010, 06:44 PM

This song became a hit because of one thing: the ear worm. It may not be a great song, but it has one catchy ear worm, you'll be humming this all freaking day It is even written down on an umbrella and rotated in an hypnotic fashion Damn, even I'm humming this now Get it out of my head!!!

Posted by: Gitarrero Aug 24 2010, 06:49 PM

Given the fact that "X-factor" just started in Germany (along with other casting shows...) it seems like they're fishing for publicity. I actually thought you would hear that awful auto-tune effect everytime it is used (yes Kanye West, I'm talking to you...)?!
Would be interesting to see and hear some videos of the british x-factor where it was used (if the story is true).

Posted by: rokchik Aug 24 2010, 07:18 PM

Great I'm gonna be singing this the rest of the day I also have an uncontrollable urge to do the "running man"

And as for X-Factor, American Idol and all those other shows... the artists are pretty much manufactured so the controversy may as well be too. Although they do get a few contestants who can actually sing, but the pop machine usually ruins it.

Posted by: Jerry Arcidiacono Aug 24 2010, 07:49 PM

Good reason !!

Posted by: Staffy Aug 24 2010, 09:25 PM

Aoowww, yeah, I remember this one too. My daughter liked it... for some strange reason, she has a musical ear... but I guess it was the totally silly refrain.... disgusting.

//Staffay

Posted by: Vasilije Vukmirovic Aug 25 2010, 02:18 PM

Well, here in Serbia they use autotune software for years because half of the female singers don't have a clue about singing.
Software should help us be better, not cheat.

Posted by: Santiago Diaz Garces Aug 26 2010, 12:42 AM

This is sooo bad pubicity for all this kind of shows. There are versions of that program everywhere.

Posted by: Adrian Figallo Aug 26 2010, 04:40 PM

im not really against auto tune, i find myself having great takes on the studio with 1, 2, 3 or some notes bad, so i admit i use auto tune to save time, but specially to keep those takes i love, i don't think is cheating if you do it correctly.

now if you have to cover mistakes thru the whole thing, that's not a great take, so go back and record it again.

Posted by: Daniel Realpe Aug 26 2010, 04:45 PM

that should be a law or something

Posted by: thefireball Aug 29 2010, 03:08 PM

I like autotune. I also like to the way they use to make your voice go everywhere in the song, if you know what I mean!

Posted by: sted Aug 29 2010, 04:46 PM

Interesting debate actually, playing devils advocate is it any more cheating than using any other types of musical aids to get a better vocal such as reverb or delay or the auto harmonies that are applied everywhere to recordings?

Personally I couldnt care less about the X factor and its garbage, they might as well use the auto tune because they rate image, publicity and production way, way more than the actual talent of the individuals, as Ive always said I dont hold the performers responsible, theyre just persuing their dreams, fair enough, its greedy, horrible, manipulative little (Insert expletive of choice!) like Cowell who I reserve my hatred for.

Posted by: kahall Aug 29 2010, 08:47 PM

Auto tune is really good for doing the news.