why are vocals....

always dead on centre of the soundstage (very rare- but listen to Fun lovin Criminals or Tori Amos and you'll see) or just a bit further to the right- never just a bit further to the left. your brain is trying to tell you to compensate for the vocals being off centre and u end up getting a bit irrated....why can't people produce things properly :inferno: :clint: :laser: :chair:

rant over

 

Funny, I never really thought about it but they are nearly always centre or just to the right - early Beatles excepted. I don't know why.

One of my dislikes is where the voice goes all the way across à la Sinead O'Connor. She (and the others who are recorded in this way) must have the largest heads on the planet. Shame.

 

Too weird,

Youve hit on something there chaps! I thought exactly the same as you, vocals never drift left, usually central, which makes sense, or to the right. I had thought the right hand drift thing was linked to the proximity of speaker to wall in my room being different to the left, but I 'spose that should effect more than just the odd recording.

Is it about bias in the ear, I see people leaning into a conversation with the right ear more often than the left. Think about it, if you wanted to listen to your neighbours through the wall would you use the left or right.

 

Yes I have noticed this too, even with headphones. I just ignore it...

 

Interesting, I get the same thing. I'd thought it was probably either my ears or my system. Nice to know otherwise, but irritating as others have said.

 

It's because your right ear is always slightly bigger.

Due to sleeping on your right side more.

Due to your right hemispere being more dominant during dream sleep.

Due to cabbage and swede consumption at school dinnertime.


Blame the chefs!

 

REM sleep ultra important, must have it else the naim boys will take you soul in the nite :yikes: WM

 

I find the complete opposite. I need to check my systems wired up correctly now, ya bastards....

 

Same here. But I do know my hearing in my left ear is slightly better than my right (Actually most people have one ear slightly better than the other). You left handed Joolsburger???

 

i too don't seem to care a jot about it when wearing my Senn 580 or Stax Basics as the imaging is nowhere near as good, but its damn irritating through speakers- u think... wtf that isn't central- u then move your chair 2mm to the left and then adjust the angle of the speaker, then it moves back again :grrr:
am i just being a perfectionist??


i have found a well produced album though- with vocals positioned well- Elton John Duets

 

:chunder:


..Im being a bit hypocritical really, I like his early stuff.....rocketman, daniel, your song etc.. ''duets'' though?!

 

You're being too fussy now bottleneck. As long as we've got a good recording we shouldn't let a trivial consideration like good music get in the way.

 

And me - and if you ever look at photos of tape decks or whatever else uses stereo level meters, more often than not the left channel is louder than the right... IME anyway.

I'm right handed but my right eye's sight is far worse than my left, so I'm guessing my left side's compensating more...

 

If you plug your left ear where's the image of the singer?

Howabout when you face away from the system?

(I either don't suffer this, or don't care.)

Paul

 

And have you noticed this....

If you keep your head still, facing dead ahead (when you are listening to dead central vocals) but more your eyes over to the far right or left, those perfectly central vocals fall to pieces.

It's really weird but unless you are looking forward, between the two speakers then the imaging just isn't right. I've no idea why this is - maybe it's because you tend to focus your eyes on where the voice seems to be coming from and this brings to whole thing together in your brain.

Maybe it's just me - give it a try yourselves.

Matt.

 

It's just you.

More seriously, stereo is an illusion, the perception of illusion is implicitly going to be individual.

Paul

 

yes, you're spot on there Matt...well observed m8

much of this can be attributed to psychology imho ©

 

This is more than just psychology but is in the realm of physiology. If you're interested in exploring further try The Feldenkrais Method.

More than this observation, for most people the eyes cannot move left and right independently of the head turning. Try getting someone else to watch you as you move your eyes left and right. See if your head moves a little as well.

You can re-educate yourselves quite simply to have this eye/head independence (a child won't have this problem). If you do this, not only will your posture and general movements improve but the stereo image will keep stable when you move your eyes.

Try this Feldenkrais "lesson" if you're interested:
Turning your head with ease
Follow the instructions exactly and be extremely gentle with yourself. "No pain - no gain" is NOT the Feldenkrais way.

Anyone that gets into this stuff may find that it's the cheapest upgrade they've ever made. I ain't bullshitting.

 

Steve your a mine of useful information sir done in a none pitbull fashion cheers. WM