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Mxsmanic Mxsmanic is offline
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Default Why do singers hold their headphones?

Whenever I see those feel-good videos of famous singers banding together and
singing a cute song in order to stop world hunger, I notice that most of them
are holding their headphones with one hand. Is there a useful purpose to this,
or is it just for looks? I sometimes see music videos that look the same, with
the singer in what looks like a studio with one hand clasped against her
headphones.

Also, if a singer is wearing headphones, what does he or she hear in them? Is
it just her own voice, or a mix of everyone singing plus instruments, or what?
Why wear headphones to begin with (assuming that everyone is being recorded in
the same room)?
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Predrag Trpkov Predrag Trpkov is offline
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Default Why do singers hold their headphones?


"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...
Whenever I see those feel-good videos of famous singers banding together
and
singing a cute song in order to stop world hunger, I notice that most of
them
are holding their headphones with one hand. Is there a useful purpose to
this,
or is it just for looks? I sometimes see music videos that look the same,
with
the singer in what looks like a studio with one hand clasped against her
headphones.

Also, if a singer is wearing headphones, what does he or she hear in them?
Is
it just her own voice, or a mix of everyone singing plus instruments, or
what?
Why wear headphones to begin with (assuming that everyone is being
recorded in
the same room)?


Unless they actually remove the headphones from one ear, which helps with
the intonation, it's the same reason they hold their headset mics - they
just don't know what to do with their hands.

Predrag


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geoff geoff is offline
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Default Why do singers hold their headphones?

Predrag Trpkov wrote:
"Mxsmanic" wrote in message

Unless they actually remove the headphones from one ear, which helps
with the intonation, it's the same reason they hold their headset
mics - they just don't know what to do with their hands.



Probably one cup off for the intonation (and maybe the others, directly),
and the other is on in order to hear the backing track.

Or maybe it just doesn't look sincere with hands in pockets...

geoff


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[email protected] ckozicki@snet.net is offline
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Default Why do singers hold their headphones?

It IS a bad habit, and improper technique. And I see everyone doing it, not just musicians. Public speakers, politicians. Although I do encourage experimentation - your recorded voice will sound different at 2 inches vs 7 inches away from the screen - I learned in recording studio training that 3-5" is technically the best distance.

I would use 'spit screens' in the studio to keep them back but this might prove awkward-looking in concert. Another option is headsets - again, in studio - but might look too sci-fi on stage. And the freq response might not quite compare to a classic Neumann or esoteric mic from before WWII(!)

Perhaps, as you suggested, we have simply let training & proper technique fall by the wayside for the sake of rushing out another contractual obligation. lol!

-CC
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Default Why do singers hold their headphones?

On Monday, April 16, 2012 11:41:53 PM UTC-4, Mxsmanic wrote:
Whenever I see those feel-good videos of famous singers banding together and
singing a cute song in order to stop world hunger, I notice that most of them
are holding their headphones with one hand. Is there a useful purpose to this,
or is it just for looks? I sometimes see music videos that look the same, with
the singer in what looks like a studio with one hand clasped against her
headphones.

Also, if a singer is wearing headphones, what does he or she hear in them? Is
it just her own voice, or a mix of everyone singing plus instruments, or what?
Why wear headphones to begin with (assuming that everyone is being recorded in
the same room)?

_________________
Headphones(or headsets, even the ones with only one earpiece) serve in studio the role that those large wedges do on-stage in concert. They are monitors. So my theory is that the singers clamp the headphones so their own voices don't bleed through the headphone padding during high/loud notes.

-CC


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Mxsmanic Mxsmanic is offline
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Default Why do singers hold their headphones?

Headphones(or headsets, even the ones with only one earpiece) serve
in studio the role that those large wedges do on-stage in concert.
They are monitors. So my theory is that the singers clamp the headphones
so their own voices don't bleed through the headphone padding during
high/loud notes.


But presumably they are already hearing a distorted version of their own voice
through direct conduction in their heads, so would that really help?

Just from looking at it I sometimes get the impression that it's an
affectation, done just to look good on screen. If it really served a purpose,
wouldn't you want to hold both sides of the headphones (I've seen this, too,
but it looked more "sincere").

I saw a film of Keith Moon playing with headphones apparently duct-taped to
his head. I couldn't figure that out, either.
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geoff geoff is offline
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Default Why do singers hold their headphones?

Mxsmanic wrote:
Headphones(or headsets, even the ones with only one earpiece) serve
in studio the role that those large wedges do on-stage in concert.
They are monitors. So my theory is that the singers clamp the
headphones so their own voices don't bleed through the headphone
padding during high/loud notes.


But presumably they are already hearing a distorted version of their
own voice through direct conduction in their heads, so would that
really help?

Just from looking at it I sometimes get the impression that it's an
affectation, done just to look good on screen. If it really served a
purpose, wouldn't you want to hold both sides of the headphones (I've
seen this, too, but it looked more "sincere").

I saw a film of Keith Moon playing with headphones apparently
duct-taped to his head. I couldn't figure that out, either.


He was so wild and physical they wouold otherwise fall (fling ?) off.

geoff


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gtbuba[_2_] gtbuba[_2_] is offline
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Default Why do singers hold their headphones?

On Apr 17, 7:36*pm, Jeff Henig wrote:
"geoff" wrote:
Mxsmanic wrote:
I saw a film of Keith Moon playing with headphones apparently
duct-taped to his head. I couldn't figure that out, either.


He was so wild and physical they wouold otherwise fall (fling ?) off.


geoff


Knowing Keith Moon, that wouldn't surprise me.

--
---Jeff


Well In the 2nd version of "A STAR IS BORN" BARBRA was using one
headphone and holding it to her ear as she sang "THE WAY WE WERE".
So I think thats the way to do it. GT.
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MG[_4_] MG[_4_] is offline
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Default Why do singers hold their headphones?



"gtbuba" wrote in message
...
On Apr 17, 7:36 pm, Jeff Henig wrote:
"geoff" wrote:
Mxsmanic wrote:
I saw a film of Keith Moon playing with headphones apparently
duct-taped to his head. I couldn't figure that out, either.


He was so wild and physical they wouold otherwise fall (fling ?) off.


geoff


Knowing Keith Moon, that wouldn't surprise me.

--
---Jeff


Well In the 2nd version of "A STAR IS BORN" BARBRA was using one
headphone and holding it to her ear as she sang "THE WAY WE WERE".
So I think thats the way to do it. GT.


How did she do it in the third version?

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