The Official April 14, 2018, Public Auditorium, Cleveland, OH, U.S.A. thread

No filter. Yes, you fix each note that needs adjustment. It's called Melodyne. Auto tune does the trick but it may be more noticeable. Melodyne isn't meant to be used the same way Auto-tune is. Melodyne is really meant for fixing things, whereas auto-tune can be a creative tool. Waves

- watch this if you have the time.

Very cool

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I'm full of mixef feeling after watching the show. I got emotional since it's a special moment for the band and us.
On the other hand...I didn't know that Jon's vocals were that disatrous. Richie played three solos and messed all of them. And the doctored version - yeah, it sounds great but it's all a cheat

Did you notice that Phil has the talkbox ready onstage? He didn't play it at all. Or did he? What if he was supposed to play the solo in IML with Richie doing the same without talkbox? I can't imagine Richie forgetting to use the talkbox.. I think it's the reason IML was skipped in the official broadcast. I also don't uinderstand why they can't have the backup guitarist (guitarists here) to play the riff during the solo as it is on the record. It's so missed from the live version and when they actually have other guitarist there, they don't do it.
Can you hear Alec play? I can't hear two bass players unless they were totally in synch. I like to watch him there - he does the same moves as he did back then, like nothing has changed.

I also don't understand why they don't try to hide Jon's bad vocals. For example Def Leppard cleverly mix the vocals into the music and backing vocals so you don't notice if Joe has any problems. Joe is a better singer now but he would also sound awful using Jon's mic. Instead we have Jon's terrible vocals upfront plus he is cupping the mic so it sounds even worse. I just don't get it. I understand that the voice is gone and he still doesn't want to retire. However, why they don't hide his vocals is beyond me.

It's not really cheating!!! ALL bands do it and have been for years. Jon just needs it more than ever nowadays so it seems like cheating but it's just a standard edit that goes along with all professional releases.


I did notice Phil's talk box. I don't think it was set-up as any type of precaution. I just think it's his gear and his tech just sets everything up. It's like only setting up a partial drum-kit if you don't plan on playing all songs. It's an all or nothing thing.

Hmmm... I don't think 'hiding' the vocals is necessarily a good option but it may be a lesser evil than doctoring them. funny thing you mentioned the cupping of the mic. I'm a sound engineer who constantly struggles, whilst on the road, with singers cupping their mics (especially rappers). Cupping the mic does two awful things: it changes the pattern from cardioid to almost-omni (in other words, it stops the mic from rejecting off-axis sources) and it changes the frequency response dramatically, making it sound 'honky', meaning that the high mid range is emphasised in a bad way. It also makes it more prone to feedback, which in Jon case isn't really an issue since they're all on in-ears nowadays, I think.

In his case, it's the 'honky' bit that makes it dreadful, since his voice is already very nasal. anyways... you'd think someone with 30 plus years of performing would know these things...

Then all bands cheat one of the reasons I love rock music is that the guys really play and sing. Using Melodyne I could be the singer..

I've once discussed talkbox with one guiatrist who played Bon Jovi covers. He told me that talkbox is a bitch to set up - I'm no sound engineers so I can't describe it. It just causes problems with feeback etc. Given that info, I doubt that they would go through that hassle. I don't say you're wrong though. It might be that his gear is so complex that not including it would be more complicated. I don't know how it is during the normal show but Richie's talkbox has always been lowered during the show and ready only for the songs he needed it. You can see him here lowering it during the second chorus. Phil's is ready throughout the performance

The Lepps know the way they should sound to sound good. They've always paid a lot of attention to this. If they didn't have the sound in their own hands they sounded much worse (Freddie Mercury tribute for example). The guys in Bon Jovi can sing so I'd expect using them as much as possible to cover for Jon.
I've already read your post about cupping the mic earlier here. It amazes me that he even helps it to sound worse..

Here's the whole pro-shot performance uncut and without autotune in great quality:

https://youtu.be/QfGF_2OFSCk

Damn, Jon sounded rough on Bad Name and When We Were Us. It's My Life and Prayer are actually a bit better than I first thought, but still not too great...

The question is: how long has Jon been cupping the mic? I think the first time I really noticed it was at this show:

https://youtu.be/7119w1jD_mU

EDIT: He was obviously cupping it at least back in 2010, and the death grip was also there already:

https://youtu.be/vf4DXrEpaNI

What will you say about this? This is a recording from a TV camera on Bulgarian television. Probably not properly plugged into the mix. I was there, and I did not hear that - https://youtu.be/iJ4bXYtM4rc?t=109