Okay, I am sick of hearing about lip syncing

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

For the last couple of days all I have heard on the news and from friends is that Beyonce lip sync'd the national anthem. My response has been "so what". It is not that I don't care about the story, it is because most folks don't understand what a performance threshold is for an artist. People think that good vocalist should get on stage and sing no matter what the weather conditions are, the acoustics of the venue are, or what type of equipment used. It is just not that way in real life, as just like any instrument, you ability to sing your best depends on many things.

Sometimes you have to lip sync, and it does not mean you can't sing live(for some that is the case). I personally do not do my best singing outside when it is cold or windy. For other singers this may not be a problem. I also don't like excessively dry air either. I know some singers that don't like to sing in the morning, but that is no problem for me. I know professional singers that don't talk during performance day. If I did that, I would not sing my best. Every singer is different no matter how talented(or non talent) they are.

Ladies and gentlemen the Star Spangled Banner is one of the hardest songs in the world for a vocalist to sing. I have performed it a dozen times in my life. It stretches one and a half octaves from the lowest to highest notes. Most pop singers barely do a half octave. Most folks who have sung it should not have tried in the first place. Beyonce is not one of those singers. She can kill this song. Her reasoning for not going live would not have bothered me, I have stepped into situations with little or no rehearsal and have done fine as long as I knew the material well. She had no rehearsal time with the Band, and she didn't feel comfortable singing without some rehearsal. I understand this completely. So she went into the studio and pre-recorded the song like most vocal artist at events like this. You never know what can happen the day of the event, and it is always good to have some sort of backup just in case.

Here are reasons that I would lip sync if I were a pop singer.

1. If I have a lot of choreography in my performance. It is VERY difficult to do a lot of dancing and sing your best at the same time. Combining the right breathing for dancing and for singing is completely different.

2. If I had to sing a wide range song on a cold or windy day. I have lost my voice during these conditions so many times, that I would be smart enough to have a backup just in case.

3. When the acoustics are really bad that it creates a long delay between musicians and singer. Or if there was a lot of reverberation in the venue, like a basketball court.

4. If I could not sing live very well, which is the case for many pop singers these days.

I have to remind people that your voice is an instrument. A just like any instrument, the elements can have a profound effect on how it sounds. Yo Yo Ma pre-recorded his song during Obama first swearing in 2009. The cold made his hands numb, and his Cello would not stay in tune in 20 degree weather. Aretha Franklin sang live after sitting outside for an hour in those same conditions, and she sounded like garbage when she opened her mouth. She stated she should have lip sync'd it instead. I marched Drum corps when I was young, and I used to hear brass complain about tuning issues when the temperature got very hot or cold. Worf can correct me on this, but when the strings of a guitar and piano are subjected to cold weather, the strings contract making the instrument sharp. When it is hot, the strings expand making the instrument flat. The same can happen when the vocal cords are introduced to cold weather.

There are some pop stars that should never sing the national anthem in life again. Christina Aguilera, Anita Baker, Carl Lewis, Cuba Gooding, Keyshia Cole, and Miley Cyrus come to mind as some of the worst performances of the song.

What do other feel about this flap? Or maybe you just don't care. LOL

[Worf101]

Good post. And may I add Yo Yo Ma "string synched" his performance in 2008 at the first innaugual! Just saying.

Dave

[bobsticks]

I agree with everything you said...

...but, ultimately, I don't care. Mrs. Knowles-Carter, whether she participates in a genre of music that I care about or not, has got some pipes...why would I care if it was live or not? She still went through the effort to record a challenging piece and present it as a gift to the nation. The intent was good. Is anyone questioning the validity of the Marines as performers for phoning one in?

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Thanks for the comments guys. I finally watched and listened to the performance for the first time, and there is no way she is lip sync'ing. I can hear the EQ they had on the microphone. It sounded kind of hollow, like the system was at the onset of feedback, or just bad EQ on her voice. On top of that, there is absolutely no latency between her lips, and the background track. On every music video I have ever mixed, there is latency between the lips and the track. Directors keep the visuals moving to cover this up.

What she did in essence was use a music background track that she had pre-recorded, and probably practiced to. She was probably more comfortable with that, than a live Band she has never rehearsed with.

[dean_martin]

Sir T, you must post a link to a download or youtube video. I want to hear/see you sing!

[blackraven]

If you are going to a concert and expect a show with the Artist dancing around the stage then you should not complain about lip syncing. Me personally, I would never go to a concert of a vocalist that lip sync'ed. I go to concerts the see a live performance and hear the artist actual voice. I would feel like my money was stolen if the performer lip sync'ed.

[Worf101]

Sir T, you must post a link to a download or youtube video. I want to hear/see you sing!

Hey... yeah! What Deano said. You been holdin' out on us ya bum!

Worf

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Sir T, you must post a link to a download or youtube video. I want to hear/see you sing!

Deano, I guess because I have mostly done background singing, I have never paid attention to whether anyone recorded any performance I have done. It is really a side, side, and double side gig for me now days as I did most of my singing and performing in the late 80's and 90's. Now it is all about being behind the mixing console where I don't have to be sexy and hot all of the time. LOLOL.

[dean_martin]

Deano, I guess because I have mostly done background singing, I have never paid attention to whether anyone recorded any performance I have done. It is really a side, side, and double side gig for me now days as I did most of my singing and performing in the late 80's and 90's. Now it is all about being behind the mixing console where I don't have to be sexy and hot all of the time. LOLOL.

Cool. I made some home recordings last year using an old Yamaha 4-track (cassette). I could've used a professional sound engineer, updated equipment . . . and a professional singer and musicians.

I made a youtube video of a song I wrote about the gulf oil spill in 2010. It was over the July 4th holiday. It has a little too much beer and twang.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Cool. I made some home recordings last year using an old Yamaha 4-track (cassette). I could've used a professional sound engineer, updated equipment . . . and a professional singer and musicians.

I made a youtube video of a song I wrote about the gulf oil spill in 2010. It was over the July 4th holiday. It has a little too much beer and twang.

Beer and twang......wahahahahahahahaha....lolololol..I gotta pee before I pee meself up.

The next performance I do, I am going to get those knuckle headed twins of mine to film it.

[Hyfi]

I finally watched and listened to the performance for the first time, and there is no way she is lip sync'ing. I can hear the EQ they had on the microphone.

Yeah right. Guess someone needs glasses and a hearing aid.

Beyonce Lip Sync Confirmed, Inaugural Official: 'She Did Not Sing Live'
Beyonce Lip Sync Confirmed, Inaugural Official: 'She Did Not Sing Live' - The Boombox

[JohnMichael]

I saw where Rand Paul thought the President should resign if she lip synched. I about laughed my ass off.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Yeah right. Guess someone needs glasses and a hearing aid.

Beyonce Lip Sync Confirmed, Inaugural Official: 'She Did Not Sing Live'
Beyonce Lip Sync Confirmed, Inaugural Official: 'She Did Not Sing Live' - The Boombox

What difference does it make stupid, it was her performance in the first place. She did sing the song on the recording that she lip sync'd to. Does that fact escape your air head?

I have told you this before, and I will tell this to you again. GO SCREW YOURSELF NUMBNUTZ...or better yet, NONUTZ!

[Hyfi]

What difference does it make stupid, it was her performance in the first place. She did sing the song on the recording that she lip sync'd to. Does that fact escape your air head?

I have told you this before, and I will tell this to you again. GO SCREW YOURSELF NUMBNUTZ...or better yet, NONUTZ!

The difference was just to point out that one again, your high and mighty know it all opinion, was just more smoke blowing out your @ss as usual.

And as usual, I see you are still following the AR Posting rules and you continue to get preferential treatment from the MODS. Your respectful, integrity enveloped responses to people are one of the main reasons people keep leaving this place and no newbies stick around.

Hope your proud of yourself, we all are.

[noddin0ff]

I finally watched and listened to the performance for the first time, and there is no way she is lip sync'ing. I can hear the EQ they had on the microphone. It sounded kind of hollow, like the system was at the onset of feedback, or just bad EQ on her voice. On top of that, there is absolutely no latency between her lips, and the background track. On every music video I have ever mixed, there is latency between the lips and the track. Directors keep the visuals moving to cover this up.

What she did in essence was use a music background track that she had pre-recorded, and probably practiced to. She was probably more comfortable with that, than a live Band she has never rehearsed with.

What difference does it make stupid, it was her performance in the first place. She did sing the song on the recording that she lip sync'd to. Does that fact escape your air head?

I have told you this before, and I will tell this to you again. GO SCREW YOURSELF NUMBNUTZ...or better yet, NONUTZ!

I know you guys have a 'history' and all. But, geez T. Don't you think this could of been a good moment to just say 'Huh. I was wrong.' And gracefully move on? You're the one who put their expertise on the line.

[Feanor]

I saw where Rand Paul thought the President should resign if she lip synched. I about laughed my ass off.

That's really sweet, (assuming you hear this from a reliable source).

I've long kind of liked and enjoyed Ron Paul though I disagree with most of his ideas except on reduced military and getting the US out of other people's counties. On the other Rand Paul comes across to me as a total jackass.

Speaking of politicians, I believe the first openly gay provincial premier/state governor in Canada/USA took office today in Ontario, (also the first woman premier in this province) -- Kathleen Wynne: congratulations to her on her election as Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party and hence her assumption of the Premiership.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

The difference was just to point out that one again, your high and mighty know it all opinion, was just more smoke blowing out your @ss as usual.

And as usual, I see you are still following the AR Posting rules and you continue to get preferential treatment from the MODS. Your respectful, integrity enveloped responses to people are one of the main reasons people keep leaving this place and no newbies stick around.

Hope your proud of yourself, we all are.

Here we go again. Can somebody get a pamper, the baby is leaking again.

If there is any way to stuff your head up your own bum, do it. Don't lecture me fool, you were the one that began this, so stop crying. In the future, it might be helpful to just not respond to anything I write, or you will get what is coming to you. Get it?

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I know you guys have a 'history' and all. But, geez T. Don't you think this could of been a good moment to just say 'Huh. I was wrong.' And gracefully move on? You're the one who put their expertise on the line.

This idiot makes this statement Yeah right. Guess someone needs glasses and a hearing aid. and you come after me? Wow, you talk about unfair. When you make a statement like that, you deserve what comes at you. There was no reason for that statement PERIOD.

[Hyfi]

so stop crying. In the future, it might be helpful to just not respond to anything I write, or you will get what is coming to you. Get it?

Nobody is crying. I am just going to continue showing the rest of the board who you are. And in the future, I will respond to anything I like, and I will continue to call you out on total Bullcr@p like how sure you are because your listened and watched a video. Once it was proven that you were again totally wrong, like Noddin asked, you should have just come back to your thread and admit that you were wrong. But, that would be too tough for you now wouldn't it?

And you will continue to break the posting rules every time. This is the only place that tolerates your bullying and that is why I don't see you on other more respectable self moderated boards.

And for the record, none of your name calling and bullying has any effect on me except for laughs and allow me to continue to irritate you, which is the most fun I have had here for years. It just re-confirms who you really are and shows newbies and regular posters how you treat others with respect all the time.

And I guess the same could apply to you. Don't like what I post....don't read it, don't respond. But you just can't help yourself can you.

[Hyfi]

This idiot makes this statement Yeah right. Guess someone needs glasses and a hearing aid. and you come after me? Wow, you talk about unfair. When you make a statement like that, you deserve what comes at you. There was no reason for that statement PERIOD.

Who's crying now?

Hit a little too close to home old man?

[noddin0ff]

This idiot makes this statement ...[edit]... and you come after me? Wow, you talk about unfair.

I figured between

Yeah right. Guess someone needs glasses and a hearing aid.

and

What difference does it make stupid ...[edit]...
I have told you this before, and I will tell this to you again. GO SCREW YOURSELF NUMBNUTZ...or better yet, NONUTZ!

...you might not want to get into a weighing of relative civility.

I certainly was not attempting to draw any equivalencies here. Simply stating, on the facts of whether or not there was lip syncing, you could have just laughed it off and said "Gee, I was wrong" and rolled with the joke regarding glasses and hearing - especially since you brought up you rested the proof of your conviction on your hearing and seeing abilities.

'Cause, in the end you were wrong. But, big whoop. I seldom go a day without being wrong on something. I don't go blaming others for it, though. If you can civilly admit error, people will stop persecuting you. easy peasy.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Who's crying now?

Hit a little too close to home old man?

And you wonder why your stupid azz gets cussed out. Look A-hole, furl that empty head up and stuff it up your bum. As brainless are you are, that is the best use for it.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

I figured between



and



...you might not want to get into a weighing of relative civility.

I certainly was not attempting to draw any equivalencies here. Simply stating, on the facts of whether or not there was lip syncing, you could have just laughed it off and said "Gee, I was wrong" and rolled with the joke regarding glasses and hearing - especially since you brought up you rested the proof of your conviction on your hearing and seeing abilities.

'Cause, in the end you were wrong. But, big whoop. I seldom go a day without being wrong on something. I don't go blaming others for it, though. If you can civilly admit error, people will stop persecuting you. easy peasy.

Do you realize that you cannot tell anyone how to respond to anything? Have you noticed that in 18 years of posting on this site I have never told ANYONE how to respond to anything? You respond how you want to, and I will do the same. When we start telling people to respond how we would, you are saying your way of responding is the only way right. Sorry, but as "uncivil" as I am, I am not that arrogant.

The fact is, the public heard a recording. The reality is, the singer HAS to breathe correctly, and they have to actually sing whether they are heard or not. If they don't, the latency between the recording and their lips would be huge. As I said in my first post, in the end it really does not matter. One way or another we heard Beyonce sing.

Lastly, I don't really care about your judgement of whether I was right or wrong. This dog piling is boring, and I am through with this subject.

[noddin0ff]

Do you realize that you cannot tell anyone how to respond to anything? Have you noticed that in 18 years of posting on this site I have never told ANYONE how to respond to anything?

You respond how you want to, and I will do the same. When we start telling people to respond how we would, you are saying your way of responding is the only way right. Sorry, but as "uncivil" as I am, I am not that arrogant.

Um. Wanna pause and think about that claim? Here's one reminder from a couple days ago in reply to new member oscar22 who explained why he wasn't going to upgrade his receiver

When you ask people for help, it is not wise to dismiss the advice that is given -especially if it is sound and wise. If you do, it make people less likely to help you again.

Sounds arrogant to me, and I'm a long time fan of your informative and helpful posts. You bring a lot of grounded experience to the site and held ground for years against audio mumbo-jumbo. Fan though I am, I'm coming around to the view that your occasional belligerent and arrogant outbursts are hurting AR in general. Rather than hash out my views on abusive posts here in forums, I'm just going to start flagging and reporting them to mods. And, I will do so to any similar posts that others make. I hope people will do the same to my posts when I cross the line. The mods should step in more frequently. Maybe if more people report and flag their job would be easier. The site will get better and new members won't be discouraged.

The fact is, the public heard a recording. The reality is...

The fact is

1/ you started a thread about how you don't care if a performance was lipsynced.

2/ You then claimed upon viewing that there was "no way" the performance was lip synced and you laid your professional acumen on the line to back up your opinion.

3/ You were wrong

4/ You were unable to take a joke or, with good humor, admit you erred.

5/ If there is any dog piling it is because you blew hard on the dog whistle.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

Um. Wanna pause and think about that claim? Here's one reminder from a couple days ago in reply to new member oscar22 who explained why he wasn't going to upgrade his receiver



Sounds arrogant to me, and I'm a long time fan of your informative and helpful posts. You bring a lot of grounded experience to the site and held ground for years against audio mumbo-jumbo. Fan though I am, I'm coming around to the view that your occasional belligerent and arrogant outbursts are hurting AR in general. Rather than hash out my views on abusive posts here in forums, I'm just going to start flagging and reporting them to mods. And, I will do so to any similar posts that others make. I hope people will do the same to my posts when I cross the line. The mods should step in more frequently. Maybe if more people report and flag their job would be easier. The site will get better and new members won't be discouraged.



The fact is

1/ you started a thread about how you don't care if a performance was lipsynced.

2/ You then claimed upon viewing that there was "no way" the performance was lip synced and you laid your professional acumen on the line to back up your opinion.

3/ You were wrong

4/ You were unable to take a joke or, with good humor, admit you erred.

5/ If there is any dog piling it is because you blew hard on the dog whistle.

Give it up man. Go find a hobby, go walk the dog, go get a facelift or something. I don't care what you think, I never have, and I never will.

When will you hard heads realize this?