PRO

This goes out to the audio engineers out there... So, while I have been a part of this community for about four months now, I am still figuring some stuff out. I have been going into the mixing process assuming that someone who says they can mix, can actually mix, thus not feeling the need to say anything about my feelings on mixing my vocals with autotune, vocoders, pitch correction, etc. My thoughts on autotune, vocoders, etc... I am not a fan, unless used properly, meaning, VERY minimally, so as to not even really notice it. Any great sound engineer will tell you that pitch correction should only be used sparingly and only if absolutely necessary. It should not even be noticeable in the mix. I am here to have fun and take pride in any finished collaborations I am a part of. If I sound like a robot or the notes I am singing are completely altered, I immediately become disconnected from the tune and bummed out. Making music is ALL feeling for me. Fuck it if there are some pitchy spots on a dry vocal sep. As long as the mix sounds good and everyone sounds like their hearts are in it, that's the sweet spot. And completely altering the notes I sing is a bit offensive to me. If you want something other than what I contribute, you could get anyone's vocal to change all the notes you want, but I'm really not okay with that. That said, I suppose I work best with people who play music that makes them feel something, over people who are strictly technical. I think the worst part is that instead of letting you know where you are off and giving you a chance to correct it yourself, many engineers just take the liberty of doing it themselves without even telling you, and that's just a shitty way to work with people if you ask me. I would never do that to any tracks that people contribute to my collaborations. If I can't fix it, and very minimal pitch correction isn't doing it, then I am not the right vocalist for your tune. It's that simple, and that's perfectly OKAY! :) I'd much rather be given the boot than have my vocals so mutilated that I become detached from the project altogether. With that, the question I have for the audio engineers out there is this... Do I need to immediately make this known prior to mixing? I feel like it would come across as offensive to those of you who understand the concept of the proper use of pitch correction. I certainly never want to offend anyone, but I also want to be very honest about this subject in particular because it is hands down the most reoccurring issue I have had during my short time here. Oh, and one other thing I have noticed... a few times, people have actually listened to my thoughts on the subject, but tend to limit actual vocal effects altogether, which end up not mixing well with the instrumental in many cases. I love vocal effects, and use all kinds, depending on the song. At the end of the day, the effect/s are added to my natural vocal and the notes are not changed. So, what would you all consider the most effective and respectful way to communicate these things, and when should this communication occur without offending anyone? I'm going for quick, blunt, and respectful. :) I really appreciate any insight or advice on this!!!