Energy at 3–5 kHz lets trained singers cut through an orchestra
Evidence
This peak has similar characteristics to the formants in the vocal tract response, and for this reason it is known as the “singer’s formant” and, more recently, to acknowledge the suggestion that it is a clustering of the third, fourth and fifth formants, as the “singer’s formant cluster.” The presence of energy in this peak enables the singer to be heard above an accompanying orchestra because it is a section of the frequency spectrum in which the singer’s output prevails. This is what gives the professional singing voice its characteristic “ring,” and it has been believed to be the result of lowering the larynx and widening the pharynx, but it is better thought of as adjusting the dimensions of the tube just above the larynx, known as the epilarynx tube, which is adopted by trained Western operatic singers. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1369
Categorization
- DEFINE: Clarifies ‘singer’s formant’ / ‘singer’s formant cluster’ as a clustering of the third, fourth and fifth formants, and locates its cause in epilarynx tube dimensions rather than larynx lowering.
- XREF: Connects to Sundberg’s source figure at location 1367, which contrasts the speaking, orchestra, and sung spectra side by side. — connects to: A singer’s formant near 3 kHz lets trained voices cut through orchestra sound — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 1380; Operatic singers cut through an orchestra via a clustered frequency peak; Trained singers project an extra formant near 2800 Hz that cuts through orchestral sound — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 1683 (+17 more)
Broader Connections
- A singer’s formant near 3 kHz lets trained voices cut through orchestra sound
#corroborates(0.95) — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 1380 - Operatic singers cut through an orchestra via a clustered frequency peak
#corroborates(0.95) - Trained singers project an extra formant near 2800 Hz that cuts through orchestral sound
#qualifies(0.85) — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 1683 - Singers boost near-3 kHz frequencies to be heard over orchestras
#corroborates(0.85) - Professional opera singers boost output in the 2.5 to 4 kHz range
#expands(0.85) - A singer’s formant boosts a distinct energy band near 2.4-3.5 kHz
#corroborates(0.85) - A full orchestra’s sound can blanket a soloist’s spectrographic trace.
#complicates(0.75) — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 1487 - Selected-frequency electronic enhancement improved Berlin opera acoustics.
#complicates(0.75) - Orchestral accompaniment masks the voice’s fine spectral detail in recordings
#complicates(0.75) - Concert hall acoustics shape the music composed for them
#complicates(0.75) — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 2464 - Reversing stereo channels or turning around can replicate hearing music from behind the orchestra
#complicates(0.75) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1638 - High-pitched soprano singing sacrifices intelligibility for audibility
#complicates(0.75) - Playing wind instruments louder shifts spectral energy toward higher harmonics.
#complicates(0.75) — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 2257 - An audience’s breathing and perspiration dynamically alter a hall’s high-frequency acoustics
#complicates(0.75) - Listeners adapt within minutes to externalize sound even through crude transducer devices
#complicates(0.75) — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 298