Set the Record Straight for Ya'll!! re: AUTOTUNE

Check out this article over at XXLMAG.COM called "Out of Tune" where they grade some of today's artists on their use of Autotune on their tracks...pretty funny stuff! Before you hit the link, I have to address this point! Its been bugging me for some time and I need to get it off my chest. First, as some of you all know, I was a teacher and I pride myself on the fact that Maestro actually means teacher 'en espanol.' Furthermore, I got my start in production doing West Coast music (whatup Dwan & Mario) and Roger Troutman was the inspiration for many of my early cali tracks. So here's my beef - I DESPISE MISNOMERS!! (For example, saying that a pencil is made of lead when pencils actually contain graphite and clay) so I am LIVID that dumb ass people keep referring to the audio effect that is taking the radio by storm as a VOCODER. IT'S not a freakin' Vocoder, It's AUTOTUNE!! What's worse is that dumber dumb asses try to correct the dumb asses and say that the Vocoder is the effect that Roger Troutman and Teddy Riley used...NO!! That is called the TALKBOX! The Talkbox is an effects box similar to an effect stomp box connected to a plastic tube. The output of an instrument is connected to the input of the Talkbox, and the output of the Talkbox is channeled thru the plastic tube. The sound from the instrument resonates from the end of the tube (which is close to the throat of the user) and is 'shaped' by his tongue, mouth, and vocal chords. The artist actually has to PLAY the notes that he wants his voice to produce while he moves his mouth to control the annunciation and expression. IT TAKES MUCH SKILL AND PRACTICE TO SOUND LIKE ROGER OR TEDDY OR STEVIE BECAUSE YOU MUST FIRST KNOW HOW TO PLAY THE KEYBOARD AND ALSO KNOW HOW TO PROPERLY MOVE YOUR LIPS (no homo) TO MAKE IT SOUND GOOD!! The resulting sound is amplified by a microphone and voila! Computer Love!! NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH ANTARES AUTOTUNE!! Autotune is a computer based application that analyzes a sound wave and corrects its pitch according to the key of the song. A low correction speed yields a subtle result and has been used by r&b performers for YEARS!! A faster and more precise correction setting yields the robotic sound that most laymen have come to associate with the effect. As for the vocoder, which unfortunately gets MOST of the credit, NOBODY REALLY USES THAT SHIT!!!! The vocoder (VOice-enCODER) is similar but does not yield the same level of intelligibility and annunciation that the talkbox and autotune produce. To keep it real, you can hardly understand words sung thru a vocoder, it sounds extra extra computerized, like Kraftwerk or somebody...nothing like T Pain or Weezy F. The vocoder was used on a lot of pop records and still finds its home on many techno recordings.

So I hope I didn't bore you to death with this. If you are one of those people who truly believe that ignorance is bliss, forget that you read this, and go back to searching for albums to download. For everybody who likes to be informed and can appreciate me taking some time out to set the record straight, you are very welcome :) Young Mula Baaabaaaay!
Set the Record Straight for Ya'll!! re: AUTOTUNE