Abusing Auto-Tune

Let The Professional be forthright--she is definitely in love with Kanye West and his "808's & Heartbreak." Further, though she tried and tried, she just could not help but to allow T-Pain to become her guilty pleasure. She fought it hard, but found it impossible not to sing along to his infectious hooks. She has submitted to the fact that she hearts T-Pain a little bit.

This post isn't about hating. That, its certainly not. What it is, however, is a confused woman attempting to sort out her thoughts and arrive at some type of answer for her own sanctity. With so many artists using Auto-Tune to infuse the Roger Troutman sound into contemporary music, The Professional has one basic question that she needs closure on, in order to fully embrace the Auto-Tune nation: The "warbled" electronic sound of Auto-Tun'ed vocals--isn't that an indicator that the vocalist is in fact, off-pitch?

Many years ago when The Professional took her turns in the studio, she remembers that sound being bad--something that one wanted to avoid, as it meant yo' ass was OFF. If Auto-Tune made an electronic adjustment to your note, it was embarrassing--and cause for a re-take. Is this still the same general principle? Has hip-hop just taken something and remixed it to use to its own advantage, or is this a different Auto-Tune being employed? Please, somebody... Clarify! Because it's driving The Professional officially bananas wondering what the heck is going on. Will the peanut gallery of professional recording engineers and producers pretty-please speak up on this one? Because its making it very difficult for The Professional to just enjoy the daggone music. Thank you.