The "Does my voice pass?" thread

[Lexicaligari]

I just came across this thread which is very loaded for me. I had been a radio performer years ago before transistioning, and bowed out rather than try to move forward. Well, to heck with that ! I am going to work it up and post some un-altered auditions. I would REALLY like to go back to voice over work again... but I am admitting here I am scared. I'll try to post soon...

Wish me luck...

Lexi-

[Stranger]

That's not bad, it does sound a bit too high a pitch/strained. Also a few times you would dip into the male range, which is hard not to do. Maybe try a slightly lower pitch?

Thanks so much for giving feedback. I did another recording, attempting to lower the pitch to more consistently be around A3. I didn't get much improvement yet: I can still hear the strain and the wavering range, I have trouble controlling the breathiness, and some of the sentences came out just plain bad. But I can't imagine the appropriate muscles have been strengthened much after  one week of practice, so I'll just keep at it!

http://soundcloud.com/user90683091/round-two

and to Lexi - good luck!

[PaigeM]

More Harvard Sentences.
I've been working on adding more breathiness to my voice to try and soften it. Am I on the right track?
http://snd.sc/QH5gr3

Stephe, I would love to hear a sample of your voice. Is there one already here that I have missed?

Thanks,
Paige

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Both you ladies sound very good.

[Beverly]

A variation on a theme. Here are three recordings of list 1 (The Birch canoe... etc). The first recording is at 200Hz to 220Hz, the second at 180Hz to 200Hz and the last at 160Hz to 180Hz.

Now, we are often saying here that pitch is less important than resonance and intonation so which of these three 'passes' best?

200-220Hz  http://soundcloud.com/brc2012/list1-200hz-to-220hz/s-qR7Hg

180-200Hz  http://soundcloud.com/brc2012/list1-180hz-to-200hz/s-UBANI

160-180Hz  http://soundcloud.com/brc2012/list1-160hz-to-180hz/s-brlza

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

They all sound female to me.  The lowest just sounds like you are tired.

[Beverly]

They all sound female to me.  The lowest just sounds like you are tired.

It was very difficult to get my voice that low without male resonance creeping back. I should do a male one, just for laughs!

[Kupcake]

Hey.  Voice has always been one of those things which has made me feel locked into the wrong gender role.  But I've read a ton of the threads here today, and it's actually pretty encouraging.  It seems like it will take a lot of work, and that I'll have to focus on aspects of my voice that I've never even thought of before (like resonance), but it seems very doable to get marked improvement, given the stories the experienced ladies here tell.

If anyone cares to indulge me, I threw up a soundcloud page with some recordings.  This is the day-to-day voice I use most of the time right now.

Don't be afraid to hurt my feelings, as I already know that my voice won't pass as female.  I never really intended this voice to be female, and I've done zero work on this so far, so I know what to expect.  I'm actually hoping for honest suggestions from some of the people who are good at breaking down why a voice isn't passing.  What do you think is my biggest problem, that I should focus on primarily?  Pitch?  Breathing?  Resonance?

http://soundcloud.com/kupcakevoice

Thank you!

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Actually you do sound female, at least to me.  Even though you sound like you are ether tired or giving over something, which you are.

[Kupcake]

That's good.  I think.

I'm not sure whether that's comforting or confusing.  I feel like I was born halfway sometimes.  I kinda feel like I live that way too.  Half the clothes I wear are girl's clothes (mostly gender neutral types of clothes, though), largely because they fit me better (tops particularly).  The pants would fit me better, too, but I'm 5'8" and a lot of my height is in my legs, so length is an issue.  Honestly, nobody seems to notice or care, and as a student, I deal with a lot of people at pretty close range.  I have a fair amount of range in my voice, too.  Sometimes I switch my voice depending on who I'm talking to, and I only realize it after I start to speak.

[PaigeMtl]

I think Paige's voice passes, especially if I was looking at her while she was speaking. Even slight variations in the tone can be overcome with speech patterns. Many ftms with deep voices that still have feminine speech patterns can give themselves away if it's coupled with a non-passing/andro appearance.

Oh my, I so needed to read that tonight. I'd hug you if I could Jamison.
I recently ordered Kathe Perez's mp3s because I am so discouraged with how I hear my voice.
I still use it during the day but I have no idea how it is received.

[Beverly]

I still use it during the day but I have no idea how it is received.

How do people treat you? I spent 4 hours clothes shopping last night. I talked to lots of sales assistants and spent a lot of time in ladies' changing rooms. I always make a point of talking to the lady in charge of the changing room, even if it is just to tell her how many articles of clothing I am taking in and I have never been addressed as male or been told to use a different changing room. On that basis my voice must work well enough.

If you have a general experience like that then your voice must work well enough too. Having said all that, I am still working more improvements for mine.

[HeatherR]

before tonight, I really have put zero work into voice, as I just haven't had much privacy lately.  I hear my voice on a daily basis on the radio, so it's a little bit of a dysphoria smack in the face.. It's gotta go!!

http://soundcloud.com/galenluv/first-try-voice

http://soundcloud.com/galenluv/audio-recording-on-friday

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Heather, the first one is better than the original, but while it is better I think you are still talking in your chest.  Sorry Love but it still sounds male.

Your original voice sounds like mine, very deep.  But it can change.  I should know because mine did.

BTW, can yous say "I am your Father, Luke" 

[PaigeMtl]

How do people treat you?

I thought about this and here is my conclusion:
I am a kind, confident and attractive person even though I am not 'passable' so people tend to feel good around me. It is possible that when I speak with my feminine voice my confidence takes a few steps back and this is heard through my voice.
It will crack, quiver and not project as much. People who don't know me don't really don't share their opinion but those who do can't help but compare to what it used to be (so their opinion is biased and untrust worthy but still important to me, ah the dilemma).

[HeatherR]

Heather, the first one is better than the original, but while it is better I think you are still talking in your chest.  Sorry Love but it still sounds male.

Your original voice sounds like mine, very deep.  But it can change.  I should know because mine did.

BTW, can yous say "I am your Father, Luke" 

LOL!  Thanks hahaha.  I can, in fact, say that.. But I don't sound like James Earl Jones hah.

Yeah, I just made a baseline to work from.  I literally hadn't invested even 20 seconds into practicing before recording.  I'm sure I'll make progress, but it's scary because the voice I hear, and the voice everyone else hears is so different in so many ways.


Again, I hear myself on the radio pretty much daily, so it's a constant reminder

[Stephe]

Thanks so much for giving feedback. I did another recording, attempting to lower the pitch to more consistently be around A3. I didn't get much improvement yet: I can still hear the strain and the wavering range, I have trouble controlling the breathiness, and some of the sentences came out just plain bad. But I can't imagine the appropriate muscles have been strengthened much after  one week of practice, so I'll just keep at it!

http://soundcloud.com/user90683091/round-two

and to Lexi - good luck!

That's MUCH better IMHO!

[Stephe]

Don't be afraid to hurt my feelings, as I already know that my voice won't pass as female. 

http://soundcloud.com/kupcakevoice

Thank you!

That's really pretty good, maybe work on the resonance a bit but it's not far from "passable" at all IMHO. 

[Beverly]

OK - working on the nose resonance and lifting the base pitch 20Hz to 200Hz. I can feel the vibration in the nose much better now, especially if I put my finger on my nose when talking.

http://soundcloud.com/brc2012/improving-nose-resonance-and/s-rF8we

When does this process of improvement ever stop?

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

There you go, Mum.  And I always figure it is a neverending session.  I do the head vibration, because if I do the nose I sneeze violently.