# Would you like to hear my voice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 14, 2006, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661 "2006-08-14T13:49:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/21 "2006-08-19T21:32:18Z")
I’ll give you all a project you should try in a separate thread: Learn how to use your diaphragm, the way stage actors must do to survive hours of belting their lines out on stage. (I only know how to do it, not how to teach it. But someone here should be able to tell you how to do it. It’s easy and you should be able to use the technique in a matter of minutes. Honest. Once you’ve got it… Read a passage in your regular voice. Pause, and then read the same passage in your newfound (more resonant) voice. It just might knock you out. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/22 "2006-08-19T21:37:21Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] I’ll give you all a project you should try in a separate thread: Learn how to use your diaphragm, the way stage actors must do to survive hours of belting their lines out on stage. (I only know how to do it, not how to teach it. But someone here should be able to tell you how to do it. It’s easy and you should be able to use the technique in a matter of minutes. Honest. Once you’ve got it… Read a passage in your regular voice. Pause, and then read the same passage in your newfound (more resonant) voice. It just might knock you out. [/QUOTE] Oh. I meant for you to record your readings like some have done here, giving us your before and after voices. Those of you who are dissatisfied with your high or nasally voices will be totally delighted. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/23 "2006-08-19T22:09:22Z")
My virtual bubblewrap has my voice saying “must have more”… ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2006, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/24 "2006-08-20T01:55:19Z")
What the heck…here’s [a clip from a presentation I gave in a college class back in April.](http://home.comcast.net/~Ranchoth/Gutbucket.mp3) My own work—though I’m afraid it loses something without the slideshow. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/25 "2006-08-21T03:26:50Z")
I forget…when I kill a thread, do I just need to carve a notch onto my keyboard, or do I have to actually plant my foot on the server, thump my chest, and howl into the night to scare off my rivals? :smack: ☹ ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/26 "2006-08-21T12:47:39Z")
[QUOTE=Ranchoth] I forget…when I kill a thread, do I just need to carve a notch onto my keyboard, or do I have to actually plant my foot on the server, thump my chest, and howl into the night to scare off my rivals? :smack: ☹ [/QUOTE] Well, you offered this clip, presumably to showcase your voice. Perhaps there were a couple of things not so hotsy totsy about it, so people chose not to comment. First, the subject matter is somewhat gruesome - which, I must admit, isn’t always a minus here at SDMB. It didn’t bother me. Second, you “swallow” some of your words, making them very hard to understand. You have no problem understanding all your words, and maybe the audience got them all, too. But in the recording things get lost. It could be my sound system, but I had to work to understand some of your stuff. Third, you talk - like all of us with untrained voices - from the top of your throat, so your voice is a bit higher than it could be, lacking in energy, and maybe a little nasally, as well. The main problem is you don’t use your diaphragm. You could also work on your diction, too. Learn these and you’ll be a damn fine speaker. You have a pleasant voice and (I think) a sense of presence. Want a role model? Listen to Jose Ferrer. (I may have misspelled his last name but he was the guy who played Cyrano de Bergerac in the eponymous film, and the defense lawyer in the Caine Mutiny.) According to his story, his weakest attribute (for acting) when he was starting out, was a terrible voice. He got a voice trainer, and the rest is history. By now you’re probably seething with anger, but I won’t apologize. It’s like that old TV program: **You asked for it**. 😃😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/27 "2006-08-21T15:30:31Z")
Sure, I’d like to hear your voice, but I was wondering if you have it anywhere besides [real.com](http://real.com). I refuse to have anything to do with that site or their spam-filled service. Nothing against you, of course. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/28 "2006-08-21T15:49:11Z")
**Ogre** , look up RealAlternative. It does what you need. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/29 "2006-08-21T18:24:49Z")
I’m still unpacking my house, but I mean to eventually record myself reading something short. Until then, you’ll have to make do with [crappy recordings of me singing](http://www.myspace.com/misnomer971) with my old band. [QUOTE=BarnOwl] Perhaps there were a couple of things not so hotsy totsy about it, so people chose not to comment. [/QUOTE] More likely people just didn’t know what to say. A lot of folks have posted voice clips in this thread – including some professional v/o people – and not all of them have gotten comments. FWIW, I don’t think **Ranchoth** had a problem with “swallowing” any of his words; I think the problem was the quality of the recording. I had the volume turned all the way up and could barely hear it. What I could hear, though, sounded fine to me. But maybe you have a more sensitive system/more sensitive ears. 🙂 [QUOTE=Ogre] Sure, I’d like to hear your voice, but I was wondering if you have it anywhere besides [real.com](http://real.com). [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=fishbicycle] **Ogre** , look up RealAlternative. It does what you need. [/QUOTE] Or, he could just do what **Otanx** said in post #13 in this thread, after **Mangetout** voiced the same objection. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2006, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/30 "2006-08-21T23:26:36Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] First, the subject matter is somewhat gruesome - which, I must admit, isn’t always a minus here at SDMB. It didn’t bother me. [/QUOTE] _Somewhat_ gruesome? I take offense to that, sir! That was _entirely_ gruesome—gruesome and _callous!_😉 And I wouldn’t say I was posting the clip just to _showcase_ the ol’ Vox, but I do thank you for the input. (Though I thought a kind of nebbishy persona worked best for that speech—it went well with the lab coat, tie, glasses, etc. A mild, harmless, _professional_ feel for a creepy, mad scientist-y subject. 🙂 ) A good, booming voice would have worked well for the vampire-killing speech, though. Hmm… Hell, I’m just glad someone here was interested enough to point out my flaws! Hurrah! ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/31 "2006-08-22T04:31:28Z")
Oops. Many apologies. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/32 "2006-08-22T05:39:48Z")
OK, here’s one of me, with video; but it’s got a bunch of caveats: First: I don’t talk in this overdramatic way. This video was made as a parody, for an informal short-film exhibition. Second: I know that most of what I’m saying is gibberish French. We wrote this in English, then used [www.freetranslation.com](http://www.freetranslation.com) to put it into French, and I recorded that. Third: Sorry the subtitles are hard to read; that’s a shortcoming of YouTube. [Here it is.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20iJwgDX0pw) Enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/33 "2006-08-22T12:26:05Z")
That was a really wonderful spoof, jackelope, and having the narration in fractured French was brilliant. I enjoyed every minute of it. My thanks to you and Melissa. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/34 "2006-08-22T13:14:33Z")
Here I am: [http://www.freewebtown.com/jsgoddess/library/audio/sparrow06.mp3](http://www.freewebtown.com/jsgoddess/library/audio/sparrow06.mp3) I do most of the poetry reading for a poetry podcast. The above is one of mine, but I mostly read other people’s poetry. (And I butchered “splintered” but haven’t fixed it yet.) Here’s one of my intros for someone else’s poem: [http://www.freewebtown.com/jsgoddess/library/audio/elgarintro.mp3](http://www.freewebtown.com/jsgoddess/library/audio/elgarintro.mp3) ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/35 "2006-08-22T15:27:17Z")
**Spoons** , that was _awesome_. I love Stephen Leacock, and your recording was really good. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/36 "2006-08-22T17:13:00Z")
Glad you liked it, **BarnOwl**. [Here](http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=mmolecule) are the others I’ve uploaded, though none are as elaborate as that one. [Sex-Crazed Love Goddesses](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOj1_Oc0M1I) is my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/37 "2006-08-22T18:51:40Z")
[QUOTE=jackelope] Glad you liked it, **BarnOwl**. [Here](http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=mmolecule) are the others I’ve uploaded, though none are as elaborate as that one. [Sex-Crazed Love Goddesses](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOj1_Oc0M1I) is my favorite. [/QUOTE] Putting me on, eh? Love Goddess and the next one in line had no sound. Is that the gag in all this? ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/38 "2006-08-22T22:02:30Z")
😕 No, it’s got sound; they’ve all got sound, and they’re working fine from here. I’ll save you some time and admit that it is a gag, though; there ain’t no sex-crazed love goddesses. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2006, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/39 "2006-08-22T22:50:12Z")
[QUOTE=jackelope] 😕 No, it’s got sound; they’ve all got sound, and they’re working fine from here. I’ll save you some time and admit that it is a gag, though; there ain’t no sex-crazed love goddesses. [/QUOTE] I rather suspected as much. 😃😃😃 I’ll try 'em all again later. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661/40 "2006-08-23T04:24:17Z")
[QUOTE=Lissla Lissar] **Spoons** , that was _awesome_. I love Stephen Leacock, and your recording was really good. [/QUOTE] Thanks, **Lissla**! I’m glad you liked it. Leacock is a favourite of mine too, as you can probably tell. You may be interested to know that I’m currrently trying to record his _Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town_ and hope to have it done by Christmas. Whenever I do get it finished, by Christmas or not, it will be on the Web. Watch for it! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-like-to-hear-my-voice/368661.md?page=1)