Is Autotune (aka Auto-Tune) merely a helpful tool for those who can’t sing, or might it be a cause of pestilence and halitosis? I suppose it’s not quite that bad. I even enjoy it sometimes when it’s set high enough that it becomes a tone color, a particular fun futuristic bizarro tone. And let’s not forget my favorite Autotune use, setting irritating celebrities’ public statements to music.
But like any special effect, it’s only effective if used judiciously, and that means actually stopping once in awhile. So the basic problem you see is profligate use.
But now there’s a special annoying new development: excellent singers using it. This is baffling to me; if I were a top singer, it would be a badge of honor not to use it. I’m not fond of Kelly Clarkson’s music, but I do think that she’s a skilled singer. So why does she need Autotune? To me, it’s unmistakable on her latest big ballad hit. It’s possible to set it more subtly so that the uninitiated will not know. But even at a low setting, to me it’s like a very phony coating over the note, kind of like gold-plated Jello. It’s especially obvious when the singer does an interval jump. I’d rather hear the Autotone cranked up high and obvious, like Cher did with her big hit she had when Autotune was first heard in the wild. It’s just more honest, and to me, somewhat more respectable than trying to scam your way through undetected.
I’d bet that the reason for good singers using it, apart from occasional laziness and not wanting to do yet another take, is simple budgeting, just like everything else now: it’s cheaper to fix something with Autotune, or even have the singer (or in some cases, “singer”) use it up front to make absolutely sure there will be no mistakes. Boom, one take, you’re done, lower studio time bill. Like, totally cool? So the old work ethic and self-respect are replaced with a Walmart cheapo approach to record making. Hey, the record sounds perfect, and is cheaper to make. Break me off a piece of that perfect corporate gold-plated Jello, cheapness rulez!