Melodyne pro vocal tuner needed

[Bounce]

Hi. I'm accepting resumés, references or contact info for anyone who's really good with tuning vocals using Melodyne, has a decent knowledge of music theory (enough to know what a key signature or chord is or how to know what notes the vocal SHOULD be tuned to and when to use and when to ignore the Melodyne grid), and is easy to get along with :-) I will be hiring this person intermittently for constant ongoing projects as they arise. If you are this fine person or know them, please send the info over to me at:

mckay at b-oz.com

Please include e-mail address, phone, and your rate for this gig.

Someone knowing Melodyne and knowing HOW AND WHEN TO USE Melodyne is what I've found tricky to find around here ;-)

(bonus if using the Pro Tools plug in but not necessary),

I'm pretty good with the ol' Melodyne (and a ninja on the somewhat dormant Auto-Tune) but need projects to get done faster so I'd like to hire someone to be tuning/editing while I'm doing other tasks :-) Any suggestions?

NOTE: I've been getting PM's from a couple nice accomplished folks here and there with rates of $1000 (starting rate) to $5000 to tune vocals. While I appreciate your engineering achievements and I understand if I have 47 stacked vocals that need tuning I'd have to consider the time needed, I have to state again that I'm not looking for $100+ per hour rates for this task. Sure, I could hire an attorney to mow my lawn and he/she may do a fine job but let's be realistic, I'm not out to pay major label mixing engineer rates for this gig. Yes, of course I want quality work but there are a lot of folks out there with skills and without a huge facility's overhead that can kill this kind of gig with finesse :-) Thanks for all the replies!

Here's a recap:

Please e-mail me as a primary means of contact. If you want to PM as well, fine but please, if you PM me, I will just ask you to e-mail your info :-)

Include your rate within the above parameters

Include your contact info.

Thanks everyone!

Thanks, gearslutz!

[A27Hull]

Are you looking for local folks, i.e. LA area?

Or would you be open to FTPng across country?

[Bounce]

Local would be great but I ain't afraid o' no FTP! Some projects may not be cleared for transfer but many will so either way for the most part.

I just have high standards for retaining natural character in the vocal and having it usable even as an a capella (often for remixes, etc.) if needed :-)

It's been hard finding a guy/girl with the ears and the trackball ta do it!

[AlexLakis]

PM sent.

[Tony"CD"Kelly]

PM sent

[b-magical]

Hey Mckay,
My name is Brian Yaskulka and I use melodyne on a daliy basis. I'm fast good and accurate. My Studio 7th Level Productions is located in Hollywood. We run PT 7.3 on and HD 6 rig. I'm a former studio singer so I know how to tune vox so they sound natural of flat lined if you want that way.
The studio number is 323-957-9033 if your interested. I also use vocalign to tighgten up BG VOX and Doubles.

Hope to hear from you soon.
Brian

[greyskull]

pm me

[allencollins]

how can someone not be good at tuning vocals with any vocal tuner on the market??

Youd have to be brain dead to not be good at it. Even someone you
doesn't play an instument could figure it out. It's easier than using
notepad or paintbrush

[beyond]

Originally Posted by allencollins

how can someone not be good at tuning vocals with any vocal tuner on the market??

Youd have to be brain dead to not be good at it. Even someone you
doesn't play an instument could figure it out. It's easier than using
notepad or paintbrush

Actually, using Melodyne in a good musical way is more of an art than anything else.
dfegad

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by beyond

Actually, using Melodyne in a good musical way is more of an art than anything else.
dfegad

What does pitch correction have to do with art?
I don't even think someone who sings in key is necessarily artistic.
Maybe if you wrote the melody. Fixing an out of key singer is neato
but not artistic

I just don't think using melodyne requires much intelligence or
artisic ability

[beyond]

Originally Posted by allencollins

What does pitch correction have to do with art?
I don't even think someone who sings in key is necessarily artistic.
Maybe if you wrote the melody. Fixing an out of key singer is neato
but not artistic

I just don't think using melodyne requires much intelligence or
artisic ability

I rest my case.

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by beyond

I rest my case.

Actaully I only used it a couple times since I only work with clients who can actually sing and play in key.

But if I did need to use it I know I could find someone at a half way house
that I could pay in beer and cigaretts to run it for me since I like to help people with special needs

duh

[Bounce]

I really appreciate all the messages and referrals I've received thus far. Please send me an e-mail if you can instead of PM's and include your rate for tuning/editing. I know some of you don't want to quote a rate but for this gig, it needs to spill out some time! LOL. Also, I know some of you are very accomplished in many areas and your rate may reflect your triple titanium records so please keep in mind that I'm looking for someone very good but in a reasonable budget for this kind of work (not $100 per hour). I really can't afford myself either- ha ha!

As for the comments about vocal tuning being a no brainer, this kind of filters itself out as I've tried to hire MANY folks who say they know the software but just can't hear what's REALLY in tune by today's standards (which are very different from 20 years ago). The competition is fierce these days! I'm not trying to make robot boy band sounding vocals here. I want natural vocal inflection retained but solid pitch center as an anchor. It doesn't seem like rocket science but to tell you the truth, a lot of engineers just don't hear it in this area. Heck, I've got some stuff on my site that's kinda fruity in spots but that's what the budget, tools,or time allowed for the project. The projects I'm talking about here need the attention to detail of this post :-)

Sometimes you can't go by what's on the Auto-Tune/Melodyne grid as the pitch center of the tune. Sometimes one particular guitar chord is a bit flat but sounds cool in the track. Gotta tune to that. Some artists may have a sample as the basis for the track that's 22 cents detuned (this happened recently to me when tuning a very famous singer's vocal and though, the grid said it was in tune, the main piano and horn sample was slowed down just barely and was flat 22 cents so I had to tune the vocals differently or pitch up their sample).

I've been using Auto-Tune since version 1.0 came out in 98 but Melodyne is just a whole different magic wand in my opinion. Sure there are threads about audio quality, but in the tuning department, I haven't found anything better!

Thanks again, everyone!

[Musiclab]

Originally Posted by allencollins

Actaully I only used it a couple times since I only work with clients who can actually sing and play in key.

But if I did need to use it I know I could find someone at a half way house
that I could pay in beer and cigaretts to run it for me since I like to help people with special needs

duh

More pearls of wisdom from the great Allen Collins. There is a degree of skill level and musicality rather than just putting everything robotically in"perfect" tune. It's the difference between pretty much undetectable and something obviously tuned. It requires a musician with an ear and a sense of what sounds right and whats not right.

[stevep]

I think it would be hard to be an AE and not be a musician, or know music theroy



.

[Tantrum The Cat]

Originally Posted by allencollins

HI, I HAVE NOTHING CONSTRUCTIVE TO ADD TO THIS FORUM, BUT WILL COUNTER A SERIOUS REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE BY WEIGHING IN WITH MY OH-SO-EDGY OPINION ABOUT THE PRODUCTION TECHNIQUE IN QUESTION.
SOMEBODY PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO MEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

*sigh* Only on Gearslutz...

Anyway, bounce, emails sent. Hopefully someone on here's got the goods!!!

[u b k]

Originally Posted by allencollins

I just don't think using melodyne requires much intelligence or artisic ability

it doesn't *require* intelligence or artistic ability, but if you've got them and you apply them to the task at hand, you can produce some exceptionally musical and convincing results, oftentimes downright transparent. melodyne is not unlike photoshop, it goes deep and the results are very much user-dependent.

i know some folks have a generalized distaste for the very idea of vocal tuning, and i have no need for them to feel differently. personally, i've often used melodyne to fix one or two really bad notes in an otherwise amazing performance, and once i used it to correct almost every note in a shaky but heartfelt performance by someone who never sang before, never claimed to be a singer, but wanted to give his wife a 40th anniversary gift of him singing one of their favorite love songs.

he cried, she cried, even my girlfriend cried when she heard it. melodyne, ball pene hammers, whatever; in the hands of an artist, every tool has the potential to shape art for the better.


gregoire
del
ubk
.

[Bounce]

"melodyne is not unlike photoshop, it goes deep and the results are very much user-dependent." -UBK


Well said :-)

[b-magical]

Originally Posted by allencollins

I just don't think using melodyne requires much intelligence or
artisic ability

You are so wrong. I told my assistant who graduated from a so called "prestigious" recording school to tune some vocals for me. He knows all the shortcut commands and functionality of Melodyne the final result was a train wreck that I ended up fixing. Keeping the natural inflections, scoops, slides and intentions of the vocalists melody is an art and using the program and all of it's tools takes some degree of intelligence to achieve professional results. I'm happy to hear that the singers that record with you have such great pitch. We have had some outstanding vocalist record at our place as well but the funny thing is their the ones that request to be tuned the most. The singers that suck are the most reluctant to it because their insecure and think it's cheating. I thank god for Melodyne every day.

Brian

[picksail]

Truer words have never been spoken.

Hell, I expect bass tracks to be tuned with Melodyne.

You name it-I'll tune. Except for maybe a fish.

Call me crazy.

[picksail]

This particular thread was started by a professional seeking the service of someone who is proficient with Melodyne.

If there are those here who feel compelled to debate the topic of 'pitch-correction" the bitching forum is located here:

i hate auto-tune and it has taken over.

Otherwise, allow this gentleman to go about his business.

[Gregg Sartiano]

B's words remind me that it will forever mystify me that many people consciously choose recording school over music school -- even when their desire and ambition is to create music and not to capture it.

And...oh yeah...recording schools are typically private for-profit (VERY LARGE profit for some SAE >AHEM< SAE!) ventures which are bought and sold to investors who know good financial opportunities when they see them (M.I. >AHEM< M.I.), whereas colleges and universities have music programs which are subsidized by the state. But they don't have the slick ads with the cool people in front of the mixing console (notice they're never in front of a DAW screen with some impossible drum edit in front of them). And you'll be sitting there learning the Picardy third in Music Theory saying to yourself "when am I ever gonna use THIS?" (well, I thought it was pretty cool) -- don't worry, those MI people have ADAT day...

But, trust me, those ear training/dictation courses will do more good for your session playing instincts than just about anything -- 'cause nobody writes charts anymore. And...side effect...you may get a real degree at the end of it...

--

I mean, what proportion of a music-maker's time SHOULD be spent in the recording process? Many people go to recording school so they can make 'their album' -- it's analogous to someone going to mechanic school...just so they can avoid paying somebody to touch their car. Yeah, SOME people are meant to go the all-in-one self-production route -- but not many...not many at all, in my experience. And great sound means nothing if the musicianship/musical conviction (for all you punk rockers) isn't there on the recording. Suffice it to say, take care of the music and the music will take care of you.

And don't get me started about the "I'm a young entrepreneur, and I want to be ready for anything" types. Yeah, right -- turn on a mic, design your clothing line, write your screenplay with the strangely familiar lead role to be played by...you...No, I don't want to be a naysayer, and I don't want to dissuade you. I just want you to know that someone could be gifted in ONE of these areas, pursue it to the exclusion of all else for a lifetime, and STILL not break through the walls between him/her and personal + artistic fulfillment and (possibly?) public acclaim. Division of labor is the very >DEFINITION< of civilized society. So you saw an ad, signed on the dotted line for a college loan, and started progress toward your 2-year degree (which will never help you get ANY job) -- cool. Engineering is a Grind with a capital "G," although they don't put THAT in the ads. And that loan you just got (even though GC won't give you enough credit for a Digi 002) represents enough money to hire an engineer to make...HOW many albums which you can put your business instincts to work selling?

And I disagree with B. that it takes "intelligence" to do a proper Melodyne edit. OK, it takes intelligence -- but the critical factor is MUSICALITY. Melodyne (graphic mode of Auto-tune, too) is so intuitive that the user is "playing" the existing audio as if it was an instrument. As far as I'm concerned, there should be a "Best Vocal Tuning" award in the Grammys. It's a drag that this is a craft that can never be recognized -- the best credit you can hope for is "Additional Engineering" or some super-hip term like "Digital Wizardry by:"...and you'll STILL be at the bottom of the food chain, even if you're the "invisible link" between the singer and...ummm...listenability.

Yeah -- tune it right, the singer's friends all think he/she sounds great. Tune it wrong, the singer takes the CD to the next engineer (straight out of Music Connection, for sure, all you L.A. people) saying, "I just don't think (previous engineer) got the mix right. Oh, yeah, I can't afford your rate 'cause I blew all my money on the last engineer. How much can we do these tracks for?"

And don't you love the "we don't need to pay you to tune the vocal 'cause we did it ourselves" types? I mean, how many times do I have to get a note nailed to C# in a straight, unadulterated G major pop song...dammit, leave me a playlist with an untuned comp vocal!

[patrox247]

Yeah...I'm posting about the ad for a "pro Melodyne tuner".
My name is Earl, and I can tune anything!
I can tune a piano,I can tune a guitar,a banjo, YOU NAME IT - I CAN TUNE IT!
Now I ain't never heard of no Melodyne, but I'll be darned if I can't tune the thing!
I'll tune any Melodyne for just $99.95!

[b-magical]

Originally Posted by Gregg Sartiano

And I disagree with B. that it takes "intelligence" to do a proper Melodyne edit. OK, it takes intelligence -- but the critical factor is MUSICALITY.

Thanks G......Couldn't agree with you more.

[Bounce]

Well said, Gregg :-)

[Bounce]

(Added to my original post as well)


NOTE: I've been getting PM's from a couple nice accomplished folks here and there with rates of $1000 (starting rate) to $5000 to tune vocals. While I appreciate your engineering achievements and I understand if I have 47 stacked vocals that need tuning I'd have to consider the time needed, I have to state again that I'm not looking for $100+ per hour rates for this task. Sure, I could hire an attorney to mow my lawn and he/she may do a fine job but let's be realistic, I'm not out to pay major label mixing engineer rates for this gig. Yes, of course I want quality work but there are a lot of folks out there with skills and without a huge facility's overhead that can kill this kind of gig with finesse :-) Thanks for all the replies!

Here's a recap:

Please e-mail me as a primary means of contact. If you want to PM as well, fine but please, if you PM me, I will just ask you to e-mail your info :-)

Include your rate within the above parameters

Include your contact info.

Thanks everyone!

mckay

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by b-magical

You are so wrong.

prophetic......

But I still don't think it requires all that much skill. Maybe just a little patients
and a little scale theory.

Sorry but this is my last post on this thread. You guys can discuss how talented
you are by being adept at Keeping the natural inflections, scoops, slides and intentions of the vocalist's melody.

[allencollins]

Originally Posted by Bounce

(Added to my original post as well)


NOTE: I've been getting PM's from a couple nice accomplished folks here and there with rates of $1000 (starting rate) to $5000 to tune vocals. While I appreciate your engineering achievements and I understand if I have 47 stacked vocals that need tuning I'd have to consider the time needed, I have to state again that I'm not looking for $100+ per hour rates for this task. Sure, I could hire an attorney to mow my lawn and he/she may do a fine job but let's be realistic, I'm not out to pay major label mixing engineer rates for this gig. Yes, of course I want quality work but there are a lot of folks out there with skills and without a huge facility's overhead that can kill this kind of gig with finesse :-) Thanks for all the replies!

Here's a recap:

Please e-mail me as a primary means of contact. If you want to PM as well, fine but please, if you PM me, I will just ask you to e-mail your info :-)

Include your rate within the above parameters

Include your contact info.

Thanks everyone!

mckay

thats insane 5k?
I'll do it for free. seriously.
you have nothing to lose. I will come out perfect... pm me

[jamwerks]

Just PM'd you...

[Bounce]

Attention everyone that replied to me by posting or via PM:

Please know that I will be contacting some (or one) of you in the coming months for various projects. If you haven't heard from me in a while, it's because I haven't needed your services yet (I have been mixing and traveling a good bit lately and getting a new central A/C installed in the studio), I'm not ignoring you :-) If it works out well, I will refer you to other potential clients. Thanks everyone!