Auto Tune help

[Hope209]

I don't know if Im retarded or what, but I just cannot get the hang of graphical mode. I need desperate help on an ENTIRE vocal track.

I duplicated the vocal track and blew it up and inserted Auto-Tune on it.
I have it set to Alto/Tenor voice in C chromatic.
Click Track Pitch for a segment. Stop playback in sequencer
Click Make curve
And now Im just lost. Everytime I do any edit it sounds completely robotic. Also sometimes when in Correct pitch I play back the audio in the sequencer and I hear the Auto Tune but sometimes it's the original audio instead.

[DAWgEAR]

There is a brief tutorial in the manual regarding graphical mode. Highly recommended. "Make Curve" is your friend. Then use Ctrl-drag to constrain horizontal movement. And use it sparingly.

Also, which DAW are you using?

I can't speak for others, but in Nuendo/Cubase, and possibly some other hosts, you want to slice up the track into lines/phrases/words and apply Autotune in graphical mode as an offline process on the individual events. You do not want to use it as a track insert as you would for automatic mode.

Hope that helps.

[Hope209]

Im using Pro Tools LE. I'm sorry I don't quite know what you mean by offline processing. So instead of using AT as an insert highlight the desired audio and then use Pro Tools in AudioSuite and process that audio after tuning it? So should every phrase/line be on a separate track?

http://cherryhillrecording.com/jpeg/autotune.jpeg

Thanks for helping a newb out!

[DAWgEAR]

I'm not experienced with PT, but what you described sounds right. In other words, separate the vocal into manageable sized pieces and apply the process to just one piece at a time. "Offline" (at least in Nuendo/Cubase) means "not in real time", i.e. not as an insert on a track.

I wouldn't put each line/phase on a separate track, at least not in Cubase/Logic/Sonar, which are the only hosts with which I have experience. I don't know if PT is different. I would just create separate events, or select sections one at a time and apply the processing as you described.

Perhaps some PT users can chime in as they will have a better handle on how to best utilize the plugin in a PT environment. Sorry I can't be of more help.

[mrbobb]

Do a search on the DUC. There was a post on there the explained graphical mode and how to use it very effectively. I can fly through a full vocal in 20 minutes and haven't used auto mode since I learned this technique.

M

[DontLetMeDrown]

Originally Posted by mrbobb

Do a search on the DUC. There was a post on there the explained graphical mode and how to use it very effectively. I can fly through a full vocal in 20 minutes and haven't used auto mode since I learned this technique.

M

goodness

I just tried to search the DUC for it and now i need a break. Their search engine sucks nutz. mrbobb, do you remember what section you saw it in? I need to go take some aleve now.

[Hope209]

This is kind of sad, but I think I have to outsource this autotuning. I need three songs done ASAP but my AutoTune skills just aren't cutting it.

Anybody know of any Autotune gurus out there who might be interested in this? I would be willing to pay and I can set up the .wavs so they can be downloaded off my website. I don't need any vocal processing/fx, simply Autotune. Here's what I'm dealing with.

http://cherryhillrecording.com/mp3/line_drums.mp3

[jchas]

How soon is ASAP?
Do the tracks have good isolation?
Can you supply a mono instrumental mix too?

[aetucker1]

holy shit!!! that is horrible. i think you are running into the fact that stuff usually this far off does sound digitized when you AT it that much. no offense, but was this as best as this guy could do, or did you know that it wasn't going to be good and you planned on ATuning the hell out of him? I personally would call for a redo on vocals if you think that he can do better. if not, learn graphical in audiosuite and almost go word by word. if this band is giving you shit because of the time involved, i would call them up and say that their singer wasn't on tune at all and you have to fix it for almost every line....who cares if they dont come back....less headaches for you.

[doorknocker]

Originally Posted by Hope209

This is kind of sad, but I think I have to outsource this autotuning. I need three songs done ASAP but my AutoTune skills just aren't cutting it.

I'm not trying to be sarcastic here but maybe it's a blessing in disguise.
Retrack the vocal, people just get too lazy these days.

On a similar note, I downloaded the 'VocAglin' demo the other day and hit a personal record. 30 seconds of use and then I deleted the thing. It sucks, why should I waste my time and money for something that helps recordings sound like what you hear on the radio these days? If the performances are a bit loose I still might shift something a BIT, sure.
But if it's way off (the same applies to AutoTune) then it's just polishing a turd that should die a lonely death in the first place.

Make musicians perform again and the world will be a better place!

Rant over, I feel better now. (I just had to deal with a keyboard editing nightmare that seriously is changing the way I see all editing/time stretching/re-humanizing tricks. THEY SUCK ASS!!

[doorknocker]

o.k, I listened to the mp3 now. IMO, the only cure would be to retrack EVERYTHING. Unless you get payed big money already I would just charge for another session or call it a day.

BTW, the singer will probably sound worse (if that's possible) after AT. What little you got now could still (VERY optimistically) be 'sold' as attitude/Emo-core/or whatever......though 'selling' isn't a word I would easily connect to the recording you posted.

[mrbobb]

I listened to the MP3 as well and have to agree, it's retracking time. That whiney s@!# bothers me, and when it's out of tune, I find it unbearable. That being said, here is the link on how to AT with Graphical mode. It is great once you get the hang of it, but this song really needs retracking, then fine tune it with this.


M

[Hope209]

Unfortunately this was the best he could do. It was even his THIRD day coming back to retrack vocals...

[mrbobb]

OK, then you only have one option left. Take a look at this it may help.

M

[Hope209]

haha, i think this singer might benefit from -10db of Stephen Hawking

[aetucker1]

Originally Posted by Hope209

haha, i think this singer might benefit from -10db of Stephen Hawking

i think this singer might benefit from -10db on the fader.

[Stick]

Sheesh, after reading all the replies I thought the example was going to be way worse than it is. Yeah, he doesn't sing right on it, but at least you know what note he was going for. I've fixed up way worse.

I could easily get this to sound in tune without Cher-ing it...

PM me if you want. I'm not sure how quick I could do it... maybe on Friday or Monday.

[Improv]

Yeah I'd be happy to do it as well... PM me if you're still interested. It's not unuseable but yeah it's pretty ****in bad.

[Dr. Nutz]

Stephan Hawking would make a better lead singer!


the notes can be fixed, its just about getting to know graphical mode...but the performance still sucked.

[tgrokz]

honestly, the one thing my recording teacher always told me was "you can't turn shit into gold...no matter what plug-ins you own." and he is soooo right. thats why i hate singers (even though i am one). they just think they can track whatever they want and expect it to be fixed with "autotune." the drummer will go in, and if he messes up, guess what. if he can't punch in, hes retracking. guitar player messes up, same deal. but a singer will walk in the studio, lay down a sub par track, and in some casses that happened to me, give you an attitude if you tell them it wasn't at all good.

i have never used the graphical funcction on AT, seeing as i had the demo for 7 days or whatever and never used it, but honestly...get him to retrack. tell him to put as much heart and soul into it as possible. i always tell a singer "this is YOUR song. these are YOUR lyrics. put everything you have into this." that usually gets them. if he messes up, tell him "that was good, but (insert how it should have been sung here)". if the track still sucks, then too bad for them. autotune isn't magic. it can only do so much.

sorry. i didnt mean to tell you what to do. i just kinda went off based on my personal experiences. good luck with the track.

[dB7]

Originally Posted by mrbobb

OK, then you only have one option left. Take a look at this it may help.

M

Man, ya gotta check out v 2.0. They added a number of new models, including David Hasselhoff, Nigel Tufnel, Claudia Schiffer and Luke Perry. Along with new parameters like "Open Talkback Mic" and "Illegal Substance Present".

[JPF]

Originally Posted by mrbobb

I listened to the MP3 as well and have to agree, it's retracking time. That whiney s@!# bothers me, and when it's out of tune, I find it unbearable. That being said, here is the link on how to AT with Graphical mode. It is great once you get the hang of it, but this song really needs retracking, then fine tune it with this.


M

that's a great way to use it!i change one thing instead of recording via bus i duplicate the selected region, paste it on a "Work" track below my audio trck,do everything explained in the graphical mode,then from the left side of AT pull down COPY from menu and copy it.. then from AUDIO SUITE i pull up AT and the "PASTE" from left side pull down menu of AT then w/ duplicated audio selected hit process on the audio suite version and it pastes/copies the tuned audio and you have it on your work track ..i find this isn't so DSP intensive since i'm running PTLe w/ G5 etc. and if i don't like the tuned version can fade it in out etc. cheers great thread on the DUC cheers oz!