So, I'm mixing a project and the vocals are just so very out of tune. I'm going to try and have him sing the songs over and get closer, but, I'm afraid this dude just can't even hear that he is out of tune. So, what I'm needing to find out is, what is the best way these days to achieve the most natural sounding tuning? Trying to stay away as much as possible from the "Auto-tune sound"
I know just enough to be dangerous with Melodyne. Lately I've just been using Waves Tune.
I'm on Mac, using Studio One. I have Melodyne, auto-tune, and Waves Tune available.
Do you ever stack them? If so, what is the order.
When I say this dude is out of tune, he is sometimes up to 3 half steps away from the actual note, and usually just 'surrounding' it, either flat or sharp.
Ideas?

 

Melodyne. One instance. First in the chain.

 

you just don't understand his artistic feeling: they are all able to sing in-tune out there, now you try to sing in E ♭ on a C major scale ...
he is the Picasso of music

 

Same here.

 

in the past when dealing with singers who were close but not quite there (read: not entirely tone deaf), I would plink out the vocal lines on piano, in their range, and let them practice with that a bit before bringing them in to record. As you've described, I would try to get a better performance before hitting up autotune

 

Could someone coach this guy? Only lemjello knows for sure!

 

All that being said, auto-tune is designed for real time, melodyne for offline. Of course you can process offline with auto-tune, but Melodyne is like the king of the kings in that field.

 

Ear training

One method sing crap
Use melodyne to correct ( musically interesting

Practice to it

Make 4 part harmony vocals to practice (4 sep notes at time)
Because they have to be in tune each other as well

 

Melodyne------ or a new singer....

 

Melodyne seems to be the way.
Should I still go for first in the chain, or do the right click 'edit with melodyne' that S1 has? Does it matter?
Thanks everyone

 

i would let him sing the scale of the songkey to warm up and give him a tuner on the screen. so he has the opportunity to correct himself.

 

Melodyne.

Some people just can't sing, and some people who can't sing can't tell. If you use Melodyne and they cannot hear the difference that's ok, everyone else will benefit that listens to it. Sometimes it's all about smoke and mirrors and just getting through a job.

A bunch of years ago a fellow who actually wrote some very fine songs wanted me to support him on guitar and keyboards on an east coast tour that he booked, but even though the guarantee was really good bucks (and I was in a hungry skid) I just wasn't comfortable and would have been downright embarrassed to stand out there behind all that harsh tone. As an engineer or producer nowadays with amazing tools like Melodyne it is wonderful.

 

Choice 1: Getting a great singer with great pitch sense so the amount of processing is negligible and doesn't sound like most vocal sessions these days - edited and processed. Then the question of tuning is unnecessary.

Choice 2: However not always possible, so do it manually only on the notes that really need and only if necessary, and in a professional DAW. Melodyne is among the better ones for auxilliary processing.

 

Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and a few of others my favorite artists don't always sing in pitch. Depends on the performers abiliy to make you like it anyway.

 

Sure - but they are also not overly processed nor do they feel the need to use autotune or pitch correction.
Which is the point. If people want perfection and processing, fine. If you have a great singer and it feels and sounds great, then the work post-recording is halved.

 

Hm, many old rock'n'roll songs are based on this along with the typical 12 bar blues major chord patterns...

 

And as previously told