# Sound of one's voice on tape recorder **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 31, 2001, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-ones-voice-on-tape-recorder/74352 "2001-07-31T16:57:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shunick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@Shunick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shunick)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-ones-voice-on-tape-recorder/74352/1 "2001-07-31T16:57:28Z")
Most of us hate to hear our own voice on a tape recorder. My question is: is the “voice” we hear on that play-back the same as others hear us? I hope not. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bitterdrunk\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@The\_Bitterdrunk\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bitterdrunk_Kid)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-ones-voice-on-tape-recorder/74352/2 "2001-07-31T17:04:09Z")
Actually, it is pretty much the way everybody else hears it. When you hear yourself talk, you hear it through all the bones, muscle, and whatever else is in your head. When you listen to a tape of yourself, the voice goes directly through the air onto the tape. ever notice it’s just yourself that sounds goofy? That’s why. ---
**Author:** ![Shunick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@Shunick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shunick)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-ones-voice-on-tape-recorder/74352/3 "2001-07-31T17:42:05Z")
So what I “think” I sound like is not true. Others hear me just as I hear myself on playback. ---
**Author:** ![wooba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@wooba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wooba)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-ones-voice-on-tape-recorder/74352/4 "2001-07-31T18:33:15Z")
I’ve been told many times through the years that it’s acurate to what you sound like… However, I remember when I was younger, a boy in my class recorded something onto tape… and he sounded COMPLETELY different than normal… not a single person in the class correctly guessed who’s voice it was… and he didn’t talk any differently to the way he normally does… Why? I haven’t the faintest idea… ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-ones-voice-on-tape-recorder/74352/5 "2001-07-31T18:42:52Z")
Who was he? Jim Nabors? ---
**Author:** ![Sultan\_Kinkari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7bcc69/32.png) [@Sultan\_Kinkari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sultan_Kinkari)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-ones-voice-on-tape-recorder/74352/6 "2001-07-31T19:28:17Z")
Just think about it this way, all of those people whose voices we love; like George Carlin and that guy that does the trailers for every movie under the sun, has hated his/her voice at some point in time. You are not alone. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@ren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ren)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2001, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sound-of-ones-voice-on-tape-recorder/74352/7 "2001-07-31T20:53:44Z")
Another thing to kkep in mind is the quality of the microphone/tape used. For instance, a crappy condenser mic doesn’t pick up bass frequencies well, so it can make high-pitched voices sound even tinnier. There’s a reason why radio and music professionals use more expensive recording equipment!