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Do singers find that their singing voice is better using a normal microphone or a headset microphone? I doubt anyone hasn’t ever listened to a recording of themselves and wondered, “Do I sound like that?” It frequently differs greatly from how we hear our voices when we talk.
Do microphones alter the way people speak? Like all audio equipment, microphones will change the sound of your voice. Some microphones catch voice more accurately than others, yet all mics change the sound somehow. Also, your voice sounds different when you hear it than when you hear it.
Hearing your voice when listening to audio
I’ve dealt with many inexperienced speakers who are just starting with microphones throughout my career as an audio engineer. The most frequent remark is how their voice sounds different when recorded and played back.
It will likely sound bizarre the first time you hear your recorded voice. This is entirely typical. Do not worry; you will adjust. Do singers find that their singing voice is better using a normal microphone or a headset microphone. There are two basic causes for this, as was already mentioned.
Response of Microphone Frequency
The frequency-dependent sensitivity of a microphone is represented by its frequency response. The frequency response ranges describe how a microphone will take up certain frequencies and are typically within the range of human hearing (20–20,000 Hz). Frequency responses are frequently thought of as either flat or colored. Do singers find that their singing voice is better using a normal microphone or a headset microphone?
Each frequency is evenly represented in a microphone’s output if it has a flat frequency response. Your voice will be captured more accurately and with less shift in sound if a microphone’s frequency response is flatter. Colored microphones better pick up some frequencies than others. Although effective for some purposes, these microphones’ emphasis on specific frequencies over others will alter the sound of your speech.
Sensitivity of the microphone
Do singers find that their singing voice is better using a normal microphone or a headset microphone? The way a microphone picks up your voice depends on its sensitivity. I’m not referring to a microphone’s sensitivity rating when I use the word sensitivity in this context. Instead, I’m referring to how a microphone capsule responds to sound waves in its environment. The three primary types of microphone transducer types all fall under the following general categories in terms of sensitivity/reactivity:
Dynamic moving-coil microphones: Condenser and ribbon microphones feature relatively light diaphragms that move faster than moving-coil microphones. This slows the microphone’s transient response, which could result in a slightly compressed-sounding mic signal.
Condenser microphones have relatively light diaphragms that may even overshoot in response to sound waves. An excessively bright and clear mic signal may result from this.
Ribbon dynamic microphones: These microphones sound the most authentic when recording human voice because their diaphragms are so sensitive.
How You Hear Your Voice Compared to How Others Hear It
Do singers find that their singing voice is better using a normal microphone or a headset microphone? Your voice sounds different to you than it does to others due to physiological considerations and how microphones affect your voice. This physiological difference is significantly bigger in the difference you hear between your natural voice and voice during audio playback, assuming a microphone accurately records your voice.
Let’s begin by simply reviewing the mechanisms that create the human voice. To cause the vocal cords to vibrate, the lungs must pump enough air to create proper airflow and pressure. Do singers find that their singing voice is better using a normal microphone or a headset microphone? The larynx’s muscles shape the sound after it is generated by vibrating vocal cords. Pitch and tone are changed by the larynx muscles adjusting the length and tension of the vocal cords. The articulators (mouth, palate, cheek, lips, etc.) further articulate and filter the sound to form the complex sounds found in our languages.
Related Article:
How Do Singers Stay Very Close to the Mic but We Don’t Hear Their Mouth Sounds?
What is the Difference Between Ribbon Mics and Dynamic Mics when Recording Vocalists/Singers?
Do Different Types of Microphones Need to be Used for Recording and Live Performances?