I found this article interesting, it explains studio trick that I had no idea about. It sounds like eventually a studio singer will not need to know how to stay in tune.

Time Magazine article

Yep, it's true. It's been used for years now.

I have downloaded and used it once. Didn't really figure out how to do it properly, though...

For you who are musicians - how do you rate Mick's pitch and would you suspect he's used such trickery before?

I do not believe Mick - or Keith - has used it. He can get smarmy enough without any tricks. And if he did use them we've got 2 LPs and 4 tracks from a hits comp to figure it out with.

Stones, that is. Now his solo album, I dunno. Wouldn't surprise me.

From Arlen Roth's Blog

Blog


I’ve decided to stray a little from my previous blogs, which were more about my past, and about the music business in general, for today’s “rant”! The problems with the music business are one thing, and yes, I’m sure it is connected to problems with the music in general, but there are some serious issues I have with what is taking place in today’s music.
First of all, be sure I am talking about “mainstream” stuff here … I am aware there are still great audiences everywhere for great music, but the stuff we are getting shoved down our throats these days that is considered “pop,” or Pop Country for example, is really getting hard to swallow.
The number one culprit in the “unlistenability” of today’s music has got to be AUTO TUNING! This is a device that with the advent of digital recording, has made it easy for producers and engineers everywhere to correct the pitch of any singer or instrument they want. The problem is that when overused, which is usually the case, it gives the voice an incredibly artificial sound bordering more on the sound of an electronic keyboard than the human voice itself! Also, depending on how it is set, and how out of tune the singer may be, it creates these really annoying “bumps” in the vocal that sound like an obvious effect. Just think of Cher’s “Do you Believe in Life After Love,” and you’ll know what I’m talking about.


The saddest usage of this effect is on country recordings. I mean, after all, isn’t it Country music that really embodies the best of people playing and singing in tune?! I have actually heard contemporary Bluegrass recordings that have heavily used this auto-tune thing that makes it sound like a totally artificial creation! What ever happened to real human beings using their own ears to tune to each other??!! This little device totally defeats all the originality and soul that hopefully was there to begin with at least, and just renders it useless, in my opinion. Worse than all of this, I can hear it being used LIVE! I mean why not? These artists are so dependent on auto-tuning, and their audiences are so used to hearing it, that they must feel they’d not be giving a real “show” unless the auto-tuning was being used. So now, the “fake” recording gets to be replicated at a “fake” concert!
The whole sound of it sickens me, and I can’t help but hear it everywhere! If I walk into one more convenience store and hear Rascal Flatts in the background sounding like a bunch of auto-tuned “Chipmunks,” I’m gonna scream! More on this “blight” of the business next time! Till then …



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-02-10 19:12 by liddas.

Mick and Keith don't use autotune. Both of them have a way of singing that isn't perfect pitch, and it doesn't have to be. Either way their pitch is much better now than it was in the '60s and '70s.

[www.reverbnation.com]

Madonna is a devotee of this as are most of the talentless young girl singers working today (Brittany Spears, Hannah Montana et. al.) They use it in the studio then lip-sync to the tracks in concert. This eliminates the need of actually having to sing well. It gives them the freedom to focus on their appearance and their dance routines instead of worrying about that distracting, silly singing stuff.

It's called making the dumber dumber - because when they actually attempt to sing live, like that stupid chick did with her I Kissed A Girl song on the...whatever awards show that was Sunday - I caught the very end of it - and the New Orleans thing with Lil' Wayne was STOOPID. I know New Orleans got screwed over but ENOUGH of this coddling shit - that chick tried to sing and she was TERRIBLE.

Reports on Jennifer Hudson using a backing track have so far been false - she had one but didn't use it from what I've read - that was the real deal.

Sheryl Crow,

This is just getting worse!

Since I work - ocasionally - in a studio, I´d say that Mick and Keith never used it...they´re too good and have the money and time to do it all over again if shit would happen. When do you use it? When people get out of pitch...And you can hear it, that metal-sound...Cher made a thing out of it...

i know it's very widely used for many a year now; very prominetly even in low-end studios. i don't like it personally...tho even greatest of great pop singers will use it quite a bit...it sounds plasticky to me...serves it's function i guess. allows the dubious gift of red hot chili peppers and very many others...
one more ultra spiffy production tool that takes one further away from a continuous authentic performance from the soul. imo

Quote
audun-eg
Mick and Keith don't use autotune. Both of them have a way of singing that isn't perfect pitch, and it doesn't have to be. Either way their pitch is much better now than it was in the '60s and '70s.

Perfectly stated - They have gotten better at their craft but it is the groove and feeling we love in Stones music!

This is just my opinion ( which means nothing!) but I believe MICK is definately helped out with live performances!

i am quite shure he used auto tune, maybe not on a whole track, but in some spots.
you do not hear it too much if used wisely. to edit 100 different takes together can sound a lot more artificial, which is overdone these days too, also in the rolling stones, i think.

No way. Neither Mick nor Keith need auto-tune, they're both singers of some quality. Autotune was invented to keep the boy / girl harmony groups in tune. Btw Keith's claimed to have perfect pitch before now, and I'm happy to go along with that. KR out of tune? Na, must be the piano.