Voice, why does it change, or is it me?

[Karmela]

So why is it when we sing we hear a different voice than that of when we play it back. As if it sounds better when we sing to ourselves in the bed room, but in the studio you hear it back its different, why is this?

[BOWIE]

Originally Posted by Karmela

So why is it when we sing we hear a different voice than that of when we play it back. As if it sounds better when we sing to ourselves in the bed room, but in the studio you hear it back its different, why is this?

Because your ear is picking up vibration from inside your head and throat, coupled with the fact that your mouth broadcasts away from your ear vs a speaker that is projecting toward you.

[ArcCirDude]

It's the Wizard of Id putting a spell on you.

[Jaques Beraques]

Ask a friend to punch you in the face realy hard.
Record that with the best possible chain you can get.
Listen to it and see if it has the same impact.
I don´t think so.

[NorseHorse]

It's both physical and psychological.

Physical: The resonance inside our heads; we're actually using vocal chords and not a speaker cone

Psychological: Our imagination and expectations. If we can hear a plug-in "change" the music even when it's in bypass, then it's well within reason that we imagine a certain tone of voice that we might not actually have, right?

Interestingly enough, I hear my singing voice the same way (or similar) to the way it sounds over speakers. My speaking voice, however, is another story. "Who is that?!?!"

[Svens]

Originally Posted by jaques beraques

ask a friend to punch you in the face realy hard.
Record that with the best possible chain you can get.
Listen to it and see if it has the same impact.
I don´t think so.

yeah man!!!

[badboymusic]

I noticed for me that changed over time. I can not give you a time frame of how long it took for that to happen, but what I hear in my head now (singing without a microphone) is the same as when it is recorded and played back. My ear or brain adapted after doing it for so long.

[woomanmoomin]

Ditto.

With the power of telekinesis, I have attuned all recording equipment to reproduce the voice in my head. Not the voice that tells me to kill all the prostitutes.

[Daedalus77]

Puberty.

[u b k]

a lot of this is simple brain mechanics: when you sing you activate and utilize the speech center and the motor skills center, as well as the listening center. when you listen, it's pretty much just the listening center.

so when your brain is freed of the distraction of also having to recall and speak the words and tones, the listening center is much more able to do its job effectively. you hear better, more accurately.

as was noted, you can improve the skill of critical listening while singing, it just takes practice. lots and lots of practice.

it helps to be so utterly familiar with the part that you're able to sing it backwards and forwards, in your sleep, while blindfolded and rolling down a hill. iow, when the performance can be relegated almost completely to the unconscious, you are free to observe yourself clearly.


gregoire
del
ubk
.

[Yoda117]

FWIW: the physiological aspect to this phenomenon is often referred to as "bone conduction". Basically what your ears pick up is somewhat distorted by the reverbations of the jaw, teeth, etc. and the cavities in one's noggin'

A good study in HCI will set you straight on the issue

[joeq]

in addition to the aspect of mostly hearing your own voice under a different set of physical circumstances than you hear the voices of others, studies have shown some weird psychological reactions to your "own voice" on playback.

A negative reaction to your own voice the way others hear it is very common.

When 'rating' people by (slightly distorted) voice, subjects who were given their own voice often rated that person slightly higher UNLESS they were able to recognize it as their own. Then they rated it lower. Other studies suggest a link to self-esteem. People who were told they scored low on a test later disliked their voice more than people who were told they did well on the test.

Perhaps hearing your own voice sounding like everyone else's voice (i.e. just through the air, minus the "bone conduction" phenomenon) is a major blow to the solipsist in all of us.