Don Felder Auto tune

[YoungEaglesFan]

I know many people claim Don Felder uses auto tune but have we conclusively decided that? His live concert stuff sounds very robotic and it very smooth (Not necessarily in a good way) and it often screams auto tune usage especially since he's singing songs he has never done and ones that don't fit him that well. But if you listen to some other stuff it seems that maybe his voice is just like that. This version of HC with Sammy Hagar has no mic shown and it sounds like his vocal in concert. It seems like that weird quality might just be his normal voice. He has also called out musicians who use it and although I side with the band over the firing, he is still seemingly a genuine good guy and I don't think he would contradict himself like that. Any help would be appreciated because it's a debate i'd like to see solved

HC clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mHdbknoNrY

Normal concert clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swFT_f8KRMs

[WalshFan88]

I definitely don't think he's using AutoTune at all...that's just his normal voice.

I quite like his singing, I think he's far better than some give credit for. Is he Don Henley or Glenn Frey, no, but not many are, lol. I think he does justice to the tunes. I would love to see him in concert. I wish he'd tour more actually.

I was and still am a huge Felder fan, though I've grown to appreciate or at least understand Frey's opinion on the subject too. I still think it was a mistake firing him, though in recent years he's kind of proven that he can be difficult to deal with and I lost some respect for him after some of the things he did or said after Glenn passed. That's when my mindset changed some, though I still love Felder, I think he's one of the very best guitarists and underrated, even moreso than Joe, but he isn't as perfect as I once thought and I feel that maybe he wasn't so innocent, though I don't think Glenn was an angel either. I'm over it now. That said, I'll still defend him where it feels right. And this, for me, feels right.

[chaim]

We have discussed this in some thread. Seems to me he often uses a prerecorded and autotune'd lead vocal. Compare different live versions of the same songs and they are identical.

Here, in Take It Easy, the prerecorded track appears on the wrong beat when the final verse starts (I guess the drummer lost the click at some point) and Don must sing the rest of the song live. You can hear the difference soundwise. And no Autotune -> more pitch "problems": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HegtSeolbcM

Don sometimes misses the word "'cause" in the line "'Cause I'm already standing on the ground", but still we hear the word. Like here at 1:03 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjUj8qF47xA

It looks impressive how Don always nails the high wails in the middle of Witchy Woman in the original key, but I don't think he sings them live. But like I've said before, personally I don't mind him using a prerecorded vocal track, because I don't think it's his singing people come to hear. It's the guitar playing.

[YoungEaglesFan]

I definitely don't think he's using AutoTune at all...that's just his normal voice.

I quite like his singing, I think he's far better than some give credit for. Is he Don Henley or Glenn Frey, no, but not many are, lol. I think he does justice to the tunes. I would love to see him in concert. I wish he'd tour more actually.

I was and still am a huge Felder fan, though I've grown to appreciate or at least understand Frey's opinion on the subject too. I still think it was a mistake firing him, though in recent years he's kind of proven that he can be difficult to deal with and I lost some respect for him after some of the things he did or said after Glenn passed. That's when my mindset changed some, though I still love Felder, I think he's one of the very best guitarists and underrated, even moreso than Joe, but he isn't as perfect as I once thought and I feel that maybe he wasn't so innocent, though I don't think Glenn was an angel either. I'm over it now. That said, I'll still defend him where it feels right. And this, for me, feels right.

I don't know if it's clearly not auto tune, it still has that metallic and fake edge to it when he sings. But I never hated his singing. I really like Visions and I wish there were more times when you could hear him sing. His solo stuff doesn't help, the music drowns the vocals out. But there is a reason why he was singing the bass notes on SBR LOL. The hiring was a mistake but I don't care particularly for Felder's argument. I think he's ok, definitely not bad but some songs are just not good for his type of voice. Heartache tonight is not a song he should do and I'd prefer if he focused more on songs where he had a tangible effect, there really isn't a reason why he should PFE. I do hope he tours more so I could see him sometime.

[YoungEaglesFan]

We have discussed this in some thread. Seems to me he often uses a prerecorded and autotune'd lead vocal. Compare different live versions of the same songs and they are identical.

Here, in Take It Easy, the prerecorded track appears on the wrong beat when the final verse starts (I guess the drummer lost the click at some point) and Don must sing the rest of the song live. You can hear the difference. No Autotune and more pitch "problems": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HegtSeolbcM

Don often misses the word "'cause" in the line "'Cause I'm already standing on the ground", but still we hear the word. Like here at 1:03 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjUj8qF47xA

It looks impressive how Don always nails the high wails in the middle of Witchy Woman in the original key, but I don't think he sings them live. But like I've said before, personally I don't mind him using a prerecorded vocal track, because I don't think it's his singing people come to hear. It's the guitar playing.

The publisher blocked that video but I'll try to see it a different way. Sorry for going over a talked about subject I looked it up and didn't find anything.

[chaim]

The publisher blocked that video but I'll try to see it a different way. Sorry for going over a talked about subject I looked it up and didn't find anything.

I could be mistaken. Perhaps Autotune wasn't discussed. I remember talking about my lip sync suspucions and posting links.

[UndertheWire]

It was discussed in a couple of threads:
https://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/...totune&page=20
https://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/...une#post332551

I can't tell if it's auto-tune or pre-recorded tracks or he's singing live. There are some videos where I assume he's singing live, because I can't hear him.

[webvan]

Well I finally got to see him last week and up close I'm not sure what to think. The vocals don't sound too natural indeed most of the time, very "processed" ut even on close inspection of my videos I find it hard to believe he's lip syncing (unlike say Roger Waters where's it's often pretty obvious). On the other hand there are guitar parts in HC that are not being played live so I guess it's possible. That would mean he's perfected the "art" of lip syncing

Here's HC : https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7lktik

GREAT SHOW BTW

EDIT - oh and he seems to be reading lyrics off a phone under the mic (although he had a large prompter at his feet) so would he bother if he was lip syncing ?

[chaim]

Well I finally got to see him last week and up close I'm not sure what to think. The vocals don't sound too natural indeed most of the time, very "processed" ut even on close inspection of my videos I find it hard to believe he's lip syncing (unlike say Roger Waters where's it's often pretty obvious). On the other hand there are guitar parts in HC that are not being played live so I guess it's possible. That would mean he's perfected the "art" of lip syncing

Here's HC : https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7lktik

GREAT SHOW BTW

EDIT - oh and he seems to be reading lyrics off a phone under the mic (although he had a large prompter at his feet) so would he bother if he was lip syncing ?

IMO he has been lip syncing for a few years, but it's just my opinion based on hearing several identical vocal versions of the songs and also the fact that he sometimes forgets to "sing" the word "'cause" in PEF, but we still hear it.

[webvan]

Yeah I looked at the HC video for London and the "crowd singing" part came at exactly the same spot.

That could also explain why he didn't restart "Rock You" in Paris when he had no sound coming from his guitar for 3/4ths of the song ! I suppose the loops are triggered by the keyboard player ? A bit disappointing I must say...