Why do you want to hear other people sing? (Honest question!)

[jenovan]

Curious vocalist wants to know: why do you want to hear people sing when you are watching videos of someone's gameplay? (I can definitely understand why you'd want to hear singing while playing, especially in BWT and online... :/)

I've got a few videos posted on YouTube, primarily because I enjoy the songs, enjoy watching the animations for them (I *love* that part of the game, seriously), and want to share them with my friends. I play with the mic volume pretty low and the vocal track pretty high, because I need to hear the track to match the pitch. I've gotten several comments (and at least one rude one) along the lines of, "why don't we hear you singing?".

My question is, why is this important to people? I can think of a few ideas..

1. They are looking for something to laugh at.
Yeah, sorry, not interested in being the next "How Not to Rock" o_O

2. Rather like rubbernecking at accident scenes or watching "When Animals Attack", they are drawn to trainwrecks; aka morbid curiosity.

3. They want to know whether the vocalist is actually singing or humming or "la-la-la"-ing or whatever.
Okay, I can kinda understand that, but they could just ask that, too...

4. If the scoring is good, they think the vocalist must be a good singer.
For people not familiar with the game, I could see that, but at least one of the comments was from someone who knows the game well enough to say "turn down the vocals so we can hear you -insult deleted-".

So for those of you out there who do want to hear people, why? :o I'm honestly curious.

(For the record, I'm trying to practice 5-starring a song with the vocals down, just to record that and show people what they should be glad they're missing.. :D)

[tbradshaw]

The most important reason that I want to hear the singer, is because their voice is my sole connection to the "full band experience". If I didn't want to hear the singer, I don't need to play with four players. I can be a three person rhythm section for the original artist.

However, when you have a friend that's singing the song, doing their best, and sweating to do their best... that's when it all comes together. That's when it feels a little bit less like a rhythm game and a lot more like playing in a band.

That's why it's important. A vocalist player that can't be heard... it's just a disappointment.

[jenovan]

The most important reason that I want to hear the singer, is because their voice is my sole connection to the "full band experience". If I didn't want to hear the singer, I don't need to play with four players. I can be a three person rhythm section for the original artist.

However, when you have a friend that's singing the song, doing their best, and sweating to do their best... that's when it all comes together. That's when it feels a little bit less like a rhythm game and a lot more like playing in a band.

That's why it's important. A vocalist player that can't be heard... it's just a disappointment.

Like I said, I can definitely understand why you'd want to hear the singer when you're playing with them... and it's too bad technology won't let this happen right now online :/

But what about when watching a video of someone else's performance?
(I suppose I should try to clarify the OP..)

[HeXcoda]

Singers are just as much a part of the band as the others. I'd ideally like them represented in videos, online play, etc... as much as the tech will allow, of course.

I primarily do vocals online (because I'm not that skilled at guitar, medium only, and I cannot physically play the drums) and while I'm glad I'm able to fill in and do my part for the band, it is disappointing that no aspect of my gameplaying is visible/audible to them. I can hear them when they blow notes or improvise, but not vice versa.

[Tommy Gun]

Let me ask you this: why would people want to watch your videos if it's just the screen? That's the whole point of karaoke, hearing someone sing. Otherwise you're just watching a line on a screen, and listening to an mp3.

Also, vocals are what makes each video unique. Everyone could put up the same song, and they'd all be different. People might want to even try and learn from it, if they're having trouble on a song. They already can see the line, they know what they're supposed to sing, but they want to hear it.

It's the same reason I included video of my hands when I put up GH videos, it's just more interesting. Yeah, some people like to laugh at others, but if it's a high score video, it's cool to hear the singer. I actually just put up a Karaoke Revolution video of my friend Amber singing the Darkness on Expert (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR4E7_cNgrw), with the game vocals turned off completely.

[HeXcoda]

Damn. Your friend's got skills. O.o; Also makes me wonder how the heck anybody's gonna get 100% on expert with judging that harsh... she was spot on and still couldn't fill the meter...

[Tommy Gun]

she was spot on and still couldn't fill the meter...

Well there are two reasons for that:

- the game doesn't like vibrato
- it was her first try, so she was "late" on a bunch of the phrases

If she really tried for a high score, rather than performance, she might be able to do it.

[jenovan]

I primarily do vocals online (because I'm not that skilled at guitar, medium only, and I cannot physically play the drums) and while I'm glad I'm able to fill in and do my part for the band, it is disappointing that no aspect of my gameplaying is visible/audible to them. I can hear them when they blow notes or improvise, but not vice versa.

I'm in kinda the same spot, vocals happen to be the thing I can do best (still not that *good* at it), and if I decide to go quickplaying, that'll probably be what I end up doing... I agree, though, it's a shame that there's no vocal feedback online :/ I would have thought that maybe the vocal track could drop out, the same way the other instruments do...


Let me ask you this: why would people want to watch your videos if it's just the screen? That's the whole point of karaoke, hearing someone sing. Otherwise you're just watching a line on a screen, and listening to an mp3.
Well, as mentioned in the OP, I like just watching what the game is doing... and vocals are the best track to do that with, since they take up the least amount of screen. ;) (To make the story even longer, my vocalist avatar is a pre-existing character of mine that a lot of my friends are familiar with; his antics were what I was wanting to share. The views and comments from random passersby are appreciated but unexpected o_O)


Also, vocals are what makes each video unique. Everyone could put up the same song, and they'd all be different. People might want to even try and learn from it, if they're having trouble on a song. They already can see the line, they know what they're supposed to sing, but they want to hear it.

It's the same reason I included video of my hands when I put up GH videos, it's just more interesting. Yeah, some people like to laugh at others, but if it's a high score video, it's cool to hear the singer. I actually just put up a Karaoke Revolution video of my friend Amber singing the Darkness on Expert, with the game vocals turned off completely.

I guess the learning part could be true.. I could see that more with the other instruments -- you could try to finger/drum along as you watch or something -- but I guess if hearing someone could help you.. ^^; (Doesn't for me.. but watching their bars for when they go into Overdrive would..)

I'll have to check out your friend's video, and yours too :) (YouTube is blocked here...) If someone's a good singer, it's pretty cool to see/hear, but.. I don't feel that I am, and I know I'm not alone ^^; (Though I guess that could be inspiring, i.e., "wow, they SUCK and still got 100%, I bet I can, too!" ;) )

[Tommy Gun]

I'll have to check out your friend's video, and yours too :) (YouTube is blocked here...) If someone's a good singer, it's pretty cool to see/hear, but.. I don't feel that I am, and I know I'm not alone ^^; (Though I guess that could be inspiring, i.e., "wow, they SUCK and still got 100%, I bet I can, too!" ;) )

Don't bother watching my GH videos, they're oollllddd (before GH2 came out). I might make some RB videos though, which will definitely be better.

I thought of another thing, kind of what you mentioned: hearing other people sing is encouraging. I'm a terrible singer, and never would have sung anything, except when you have a party going, and EVERYONE is singing, you get into it. If they're not ashamed of sounding terrible, why should you? So it's kinda the same thing with youtube videos. If bad singers can put up videos, everyone should at least be able to sing and have fun in front of their friends. :)

[Bluvox]

Otherwise you're just watching a line on a screen, and listening to an mp3.

Isn't that what you get from the guitar and drum controllers online? You get lines on a screen and are listening to a canned track?

I can see some of the social reasons, and it would be cool to recreate the effect when everyone's together.. but I'm not sure this argument holds up against the other instruments in the band's implementation...

[Tommy Gun]

Isn't that what you get from the guitar and drum controllers online? You get lines on a screen and are listening to a canned track?

Yes, but like I said, that's why I split-screen with a video of my hands. Not that there isn't a place for TV only videos, they're fine to play along to and everything.

[Bosco32]

Isn't that what you get from the guitar and drum controllers online? You get lines on a screen and are listening to a canned track?

I can see some of the social reasons, and it would be cool to recreate the effect when everyone's together.. but I'm not sure this argument holds up against the other instruments in the band's implementation...

This is exactly how I see it. I hear the original vocalist instead of the player just like I hear the original drum track and not the player's "thwack thwack thwack."

[Shayde21]

I want nobody to hear my real voice. I used to be a singer in a band... it just takes away from my love of the original songs.

[pvtGramps]

I'm in on the whole hearing the person online thing. The rest of my Rock Band Band said that it's not the same without me hacking away at the vocals, kind of like when one of our guitarists fills in for drummer. The guitar guy just isn't as good at the fills as the other guy is.

I'm not sure if I want the internet to dig into my voice though. I sing every song on the base cleft. Even if my band thinks that I do a pretty good rendition of "Maps" and a guy version of "Celebrity Skin", I don't think I want that flying around the internet.