Rick Beato: Modern Music's Death by Auto-Tune

IBitePrettyHard

Senior Member
To say Autotune is being abused by the music industry is an understatement. The same thing can be said about drums being quantized and snapped to a grid to sound "perfect". Sure there are legitimate reasons to use these plugins, but it's gone way too far. Computers and Pro Tools are doing all the heavy lifting now.

Whatever happened to striving to be a great player? Now the mindset seems to be "Who cares! We can fix it in post!"

No wonder so many bands suck live!

 
If you think about it, is anybody delusional enough to think that this wasn't an inevitability?

The history of music has always been about making music more interesting and easier. Similar arguments can be made about Midi replacing a gazillion synths, or rock bands replacing "proper" ensembles, or electric amplification ruining intimacy, or recordings ruining live performances forever, or mass produced instruement manufactering removing the craftsmanship from hand making everything.

This is just the next step. Nothing more. People still play in rock bands, people still use analog synths, people still do live performances, people still play acoustically, orchestras still exist, handmade instruments still exist......this is just the latest chapter in humanity's musical progression.
 
Whatever happened to striving to be a great player? Now the mindset seems to be "Who cares! We can fix it in post!"
And yet there have been many threads on here about how many technically amazing players there are out there making videos with, in the opinion of many, no taste, showing off stunning chops at every opportunity, no matter how unnecessary.

I'm not disagreeing with you, mind you, just saying that it's interesting that we've got both extremes these days. And the autotune issue is really the producers, and not the players, who are to blame, yes?
 
I would respond to this but I'd rather go sit in my toilet recliner while drinking "Brawndo" (the thirst mutilator!) and watching guys get kicked in the nuts on tv.
 
It is what it is and change is inevitable. I would like to hear music from 50 to 100 years in future. I’m wondering if it would really be that novel or different or more just a fusion of centuries of music and old music returns?
 
Funny - didn’t this issue pop up at the dawn of rock n roll too? And then again at the dawn of the MIDI age?
Yes, people complained about rock too. But here's the thing...the dawn of rock and roll wasn't the end of musicianship. It was just a new genre.

The difference now is that people are getting lazy and relying on computers to do the hard work for them.
 
Yes, people complained about rock too. But here's the thing...the dawn of rock and roll wasn't the end of musicianship. It was just a new genre.

The difference now is that people are getting lazy and relying on computers to do the hard work for them.

Sure the dawn of rock and roll was the end of musicianship.

"What, you only have to learn four chords? What type of musicianship is that?"

Get a little perspective here. It's just the next change.
 
Yes, people complained about rock too. But here's the thing...the dawn of rock and roll wasn't the end of musicianship. It was just a new genre.

The difference now is that people are getting lazy and relying on computers to do the hard work for them.
Playing devil's advocate couldn't the same complaint be made about multi-tracking, overdubbing, triggering, and bunches of other studio processes? The best musicians have their work pieced together without expecting them to get the best possible performance and best sound in a single take.
 
Rick keeps pumping out these videos raging at the modern industry and it's methods. His viewership are older males (exactly like me) who don't like the music being made today. He knows it hits their button and the fact it gets reposted to many forums, such as this, is exactly how he builds his Youtube subscriptions and earns his money.
It's never been harder to be a professional musician. The young musicians I meet are way more advanced than I ever was at their age. they can play multiple genres at ease, they are comfortable with click tracks and computer music. They have a strong work ethic.
Back in the day I used to replace 'band' drummers if the producer didn't like what they heard. Nowadays, not so great drummers aren't replaced by 'better' drummers, they have their groove and sound fixed in the computer.
Nothing has really changed, just the actual process.
In the end, I find it deeply sad this generational divide is exploited just to earn someone a few extra bucks.
It is the proverbial "things were better back in my day".
 
Yet after all is said and done we have old tunes being used regularly in TV advertising selling stuff for young people (a Doobie Brothers tune being the latest) and tons of young people are digging the old stuff.......there really was a golden age of electrical pop music and it was between 1965 and 1984.
My point is who cares about the way its gone, we have a tone of old back catalogue to keep us warm, the way classic music does. I really feel a bit sorry for young musicians now who think clever tech is gonna make great music, it doesn't ....
And its not just autotune. Compare those crisp Philly Soul orchestra productions supporting the odd wobbly vocal from the past to the dull mush of today......there is no comparison.....classic music will prevail...cream always rises to the top.....and as long as a vocal has character and heart it don't matter a dime if it goes off a bit.
 
Rick keeps pumping out these videos raging at the modern industry and it's methods. His viewership are older males (exactly like me) who don't like the music being made today. He knows it hits their button and the fact it gets reposted to many forums, such as this, is exactly how he builds his Youtube subscriptions and earns his money.
It's never been harder to be a professional musician. The young musicians I meet are way more advanced than I ever was at their age. they can play multiple genres at ease, they are comfortable with click tracks and computer music. They have a strong work ethic.
Back in the day I used to replace 'band' drummers if the producer didn't like what they heard. Nowadays, not so great drummers aren't replaced by 'better' drummers, they have their groove and sound fixed in the computer.
Nothing has really changed, just the actual process.
In the end, I find it deeply sad this generational divide is exploited just to earn someone a few extra bucks.
It is the proverbial "things were better back in my day".
This 1000% He know his audience and he's been ranting about this for years. I like his stuff but in order to stay at the top of youtube, influencers (or whatever you want to call them) have to crank out a certain number of videos a week. This is basically a "shooting fish in a barrel" video for him. It'll get lots of comments, lots of shares (especially on facebook which has a lot of older people)
 
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