What bands use auto tune live now?

I heard somewhere so many artists are using auto tune in concert now. That Elton John is one of the last real live performers. I always couldn't help notice that something seemed fake about Paul McCartneys live in New York album or even Rush in concert, Eagles? Not talking about studio albums because theirs no doubt so many are using the technology but during live performances.

 

These guys..

 

I have seen Macca and Rush in recent years and there was definitely no autotune going on

 

I wouldn't call it like robotic auto tune. They use such subtle auto tune you can't really notice the difference. Maybe not even auto tune. Any kind of digital vocal enhancements.

 

I'm sure McCartney's live albums are doctored, they've always been. But I doubt any of them use that crap at actual concerts. Recent Rush live albums explicitly come from one show, so I don't think there's much post-production going on. Geddy is definitely struggling to hit the notes, but I didn't hear anything awry as far as technology was concerned.

 

Lol Rush don't use autotune...

 

Sampled vocal parts and harmonies, yes. Autotune, no.

 

which is worse?

 

Rush are pretty clear about the line they draw: Any recorded sounds have to be triggered in real time by the guys onstage, so it's a performance and things go wrong if somebody blows a cue. That is better than pressing one button to correct all the vocals.

 

I don't think there are many examples. I never experienced - the pitch correction/non-creative way - by a live artist anyway. It's just too unpredictable in a live setting. The Beach Boys 2012 reunion tour is one example, with had horrendous live AutoTune on the vocals of Brian Wilson during the first gigs of the tour. By the time they came to The Netherlands they fixe... oh wait they never came to The Netherlands.

Many live projects by Paul McCartney in the last 5+ years were being manipulated vocally. Broadcasts are being pitch corrected, sometimes subtle, sometimes not. A nice example is the Isle Of Wight show in 2010, the television broadcast was corrected, the on demand online stream was not (or the other way round, can't remember). The CD/DVD-release 'Good Evening New York City' was drenched in AutoTune with extreme and technically flawed settings, as being extensively discussed in horror at the time over here. The latest Japanese tour television broadcast on the other hand, was done very tastefully, with a bit of Melodyne - much more natural note for note pitch correction - at bits here and there.

But. He never ever ever ever used the tools live on stage.

 

Does the OP even know what auto tune is??? Rush do not use auto tune jeeez!

 

I have a feeling it's pretty widespread, although the technology has gotten so good now that it can be done with hardly anyone noticing. I suppose it's better than lip synching entire concerts, which I believe a famous country star was recently caught doing.

 

Yeah, and not talking about Kanye West Auto-Tune. Subtle changes here and their to enhcance the voice. Lets not stop at autotune though. I'm talking about any digital vocal enhancements in concert live. A lot of concerts I go to it almost seems their vocals are being processed before it gets amplified. Weather to sound more crisp, more echoey, add effects to certain songs. Its just not the kind of live experience I'm looking for.

I really love a band that plays just themselves without help from computers in the back, no backup singers, no extra drummers or guitarists. Just raw pure power from the microphone to the speaker. A lot of the concerts I go to lets say The Eagles, Rush, The Moody Blues, Paul McCartney. They just sound too perfect to me. Willie Nelsons honestly the only raw performance I've witnessed, one of the better concerts I've been to. Enjoyed it very much. Kind of like if you want the drums louder, hit them harder! Hate shows that are too processed. That's what I'm talking about.

 

I saw them in Houston and I can promise you Brian Wilson wasn't using auto tune. Go to youtube and watch the videos.

 

Watching this video got me wondering? Don't like the title of the video because not all of it is crap (just for the money) but give it a watch.

 

Looks like the Beach Boys definitely did use autotune but it was probably altered after the fact for this video.

 

Tim McGraw

 

Heres Brian and you can see he's not using autotune in 2012 in London. Skip to 13:18

 

Instead of a big production I want some concerts like this! Those horns send electricity through my spine! I am curious if anyone has an answer to what kind of digital voice enhancements older artists are using. I'm sure it's not completely raw.

 

Maybe so, but seriously, they actually sounded this good when I saw them live. I've been to hundreds of concerts and it was one of the best I've ever seen.
Getting back to Brian Wilson, when he sings solo, it's obvious he is not using auto tune, for instance when he sings "Sail On Sailor".

 

Read what I said. First few gigs of that tour. After that they rightfully ditched it.



And before we get into that again: no, it doesn't sound pitch perfect, at times it's still off key, the warbling notes are still there. That's why no sain engineer would use this plug-in in a live setting (or in a studio, with Melodyne available): it's simply not made for it, even less so with less steady singers, and even less when applying the wrong settings, like what happened during that tour. AutoTune is no magic tool.

Anyway, still the only example I can think of. Not counting that famous Billy Joel national anthem incident, but that wasn't his decision.

 

Singing starts at 0:55. Every night in 2009 when Bono sung this song without the band there was some kind of filter prevented any bad notes. What's odd is that it's not hard to find Bono pitch imperfections from any song on that tour except MLK.

 

There is something very fishy with Ozzy live these day's.

 

Lots of performers use it, but I find it unacceptable. I want a truely live vocal when I go see a show. I'd rather get a sloppy off key performance than some fake autotuned crap. Might as well lip sync, it's pretty much the samething as far as I'm concerned.

 

Autotune is minor compared to the number of musicians who, in my opinion, deceptively use protools, ableton live or other playback devices instead of actually
playing live. To a certain extent I understand how the complexity of an arrangement can "require" the use of recorded tracks, however , perhaps live arrangements can be written to perform a song. There is no justification for a live performances to be little more than hitting a play button.