The Voice Editing performances to make them worse

[QueenCami]

Someone mentioned on IDF earlier that they were at the taping for Abby Cates and Claire DeJean's KO, and that they thought they both did equally well (or that Claire did better?). This could just be a one-off thing, but it made me question whether The Voice ever edits performances to make them seem worse than they were because we know that The Voice does the opposite thing. 

 

A very wild (aka 0.001% chance of actually being true) theory I just thought of is that maybe Michael Williams' BA was edited to be made worse to give Samantha a better chance of winning the 4 Way KO? It doesn't quite make sense because they could have just edited his KO, and there's no evidence that they preferred Samantha over him. 

 

Anyway, does anyone who has been to live tapings have any information/ideas to offer on this?

[Misirlou]

I haven't been to any, but I remember a source from that same Abby/Claire taping saying that Anthony Arya was better than Kennedy in that KO, and that the coaches actually compared him to Sawyer, whereas his televised performance sounded quite pitchy.

[QueenCami]

22 minutes ago, Misirlou said:

I haven't been to any, but I remember a source from that same Abby/Claire taping saying that Anthony Arya was better than Kennedy in that KO, and that the coaches actually compared him to Sawyer, whereas his televised performance sounded quite pitchy.

That does make sense because of how much they were pushing for Kennedy. I find it very interesting that Kennedy's battle was montaged, and it could possibly be because Lela matched her (or did better?), because the part we heard felt somewhat lackluster compared to her BA.

[Calvin]

Thunderstorm and Mandi. Thunderstorm messed up the first verse of his KO and TPTB edited that out and gave Mandi C a pretty bad edit and hate from the public 

[QueenCami]

1 minute ago, realityshownerd said:

Thunderstorm and Mandi. Thunderstorm messed up the first verse of his KO and TPTB edited that out and gave Mandi C a pretty bad edit and hate from the public 

Thunderstorm was one of the ones that was definitely fixed up to make sound better. I honestly liked Mandi C.'s performance as it was shown. Did you get to see the live version (if so, was it better)?

[antikid]

I don't think they'd tamper with their vocals but definitely editing the performance in a certain way or just coach comments can do the trick

[Calvin]

8 minutes ago, ashwinner said:

Thunderstorm was one of the ones that was definitely fixed up to make sound better. I honestly liked Mandi C.'s performance as it was shown. Did you get to see the live version (if so, was it better)?

The live version was much better

[QueenCami]

3 minutes ago, antikid said:

I don't think they'd tamper with their vocals but definitely editing the performance in a certain way or just coach comments can do the trick

How would you say that they'd edit the performance? Specifically what could they do that's not tampering with the vocal (not trying to dispute lol, I just am trying to understand)?

[antikid]

Just now, ashwinner said:

How would you say that they'd edit the performance? Specifically what could they do that's not tampering with the vocal (not trying to dispute lol, I just am trying to understand)?

I meant the camera work can really help build a performance, also when they show the judges, the opponent. It all matters. I think they could've made CammWess' KO look much better even though they didn't want to bus him, I think. I just think they focused too much on John there

[QueenCami]

Just now, antikid said:

I meant the camera work can really help build a performance, also when they show the judges, the opponent. It all matters. I think they could've made CammWess' KO look much better even though they didn't want to bus him, I think. I just think they focused too much on John there

Ooh yes I remember someone saying that they attended that taping, and it was a really heartfelt moment and it was really moving, and they preferred him there. However, in the aired version, they preferred Megan IIRC because focusing on John so much took away from the moment. That's a good point!

[+Spurrious]

<rant on>

 

I'm sure it will be no surprise I think TPTB will do anything and everything to get their way.  We know they won't blink at publicly making last minute rule changes to further their agenda.  We know they give contestants songs that are way out of their wheelhouse.  We know they will hide some contestants with only early time slots.  Point is we KNOW they are manipulative AF in ways we clearly can see but some doubt they are manipulative in ways we can't see?  Seriously?  Ya'll need to get out more. 

 

So let me ask:  What is the moral difference between making them look bad on a video with edits and making them sound bad on a video with equalization?  They are both manipulations of the video to produce an unfavorable video.  So they will do one but not the other?  Come on.  It's easy to pick up on bad edits but it's harder to detect bad equalization....unless you've heard a contestant sing in a different live setting so you can compare. Just because seeing is believing for one kind of manipulation...that does not make the one you can't see any less likely.  I'd say it makes the invisible one more likely. 

 

To that end;  I'm almost certain Mary Sarah got repeated bad equalization.  In all her live performances off the Voice she has a well developed lower register.  On the show you can see her literally shoving the mic down her throat to try to get some volume in the lower parts of her range.  Reducing the volume of lower frequencies makes a vocal sound tinny because you are not just losing the lower notes you also lose the lower harmonics of higher notes..  Once ...yeah it could have just been an off day for the sound tech.  Several times in a row....intentional.   

 

I wouldn't put anything past TPTBs efforts to deliver the show they want us to see.  Literally nothing. 

 

<rant off>

 

 

[TeamAudra]

15 minutes ago, Spurrious said:

<rant on>

 

I'm sure it will be no surprise I think TPTB will do anything and everything to get their way.  We know they won't blink at publicly making last minute rule changes to further their agenda.  We know they give contestants songs that are way out of their wheelhouse.  We know they will hide some contestants with only early time slots.  Point is we KNOW they are manipulative AF in ways we clearly can see but some doubt they are manipulative in ways we can't see?  Seriously?  Ya'll need to get out more. 

 

So let me ask:  What is the moral difference between making them look bad on a video with edits and making them sound bad on a video with equalization?  They are both manipulations of the video to produce an unfavorable video.  So they will do one but not the other?  Come on.  It's easy to pick up on bad edits but it's harder to detect bad equalization....unless you've heard a contestant sing in a different live setting so you can compare. Just because seeing is believing for one kind of manipulation...that does not make the one you can't see any less likely.  I'd say it makes the invisible one more likely. 

 

To that end;  I'm almost certain Mary Sarah got repeated bad equalization.  In all her live performances off the Voice she has a well developed lower register.  On the show you can see her literally shoving the mic down her throat to try to get some volume in the lower parts of her range.  Reducing the volume of lower frequencies makes a vocal sound tinny because you are not just losing the lower notes you also lose the lower harmonics of higher notes..  Once ...yeah it could have just been an off day for the sound tech.  Several times in a row....intentional.   

 

I wouldn't put anything past TPTBs efforts to deliver the show they want us to see.  Literally nothing. 

 

<rant off>

 

 

As someone who watched her perform live, in an outdoor bandshell for 90 minutes, I can attest to that. It was really an eye opener for me. The difference was stunning. She almost sounded like a totally different singer. I think she ruined her career by going on the The Voice. 

Edited September 21, 2020 by TeamAudra

[QueenCami]

58 minutes ago, Spurrious said:

 

 

To that end;  I'm almost certain Mary Sarah got repeated bad equalization.  In all her live performances off the Voice she has a well developed lower register.  On the show you can see her literally shoving the mic down her throat to try to get some volume in the lower parts of her range.  Reducing the volume of lower frequencies makes a vocal sound tinny because you are not just losing the lower notes you also lose the lower harmonics of higher notes..  Once ...yeah it could have just been an off day for the sound tech.  Several times in a row....intentional.   

 

 

 

This reminds me of Mari in the instant save at the Top 13, when the instruments were way louder than her voice, and at the very beginning you couldn't even hear her, and the whole beginning was messed up as a result. Obviously from what you've said, Mary Sarah's situation seems way worse, but I want to make sure I'm getting the right idea when you said "equalization?"

[Misirlou]

Sorry, wrong thread lol

Edited September 21, 2020 by Misirlou

[Misirlou]

44 minutes ago, ashwinner said:

This reminds me of Mari in the instant save at the Top 13, when the instruments were way louder than her voice, and at the very beginning you couldn't even hear her, and the whole beginning was messed up as a result. Obviously from what you've said, Mary Sarah's situation seems way worse, but I want to make sure I'm getting the right idea when you said "equalization?"

I remember the pianist messed the hell up in that performance lol. Poor Mari, either way she still was the best of the bottom 3.

[+Spurrious]

23 hours ago, ashwinner said:

This reminds me of Mari in the instant save at the Top 13, when the instruments were way louder than her voice, and at the very beginning you couldn't even hear her, and the whole beginning was messed up as a result. Obviously from what you've said, Mary Sarah's situation seems way worse, but I want to make sure I'm getting the right idea when you said "equalization?"

Naw....Equalization involves the adjusting the volume of specific frequencies.  In a very rudimentary way that's what tone controls (bass and treble) do....equalization though is much more complicated and specific.   

 

What you are describing is a sound mix issue where they had the band turned up too high or her mic too low.  That is pretty common on the Voice....IDF even has a name for it...bandzilla.  As in, Mari was bandzilled.  I was 100% sure it was just another bus tool until...I think it was Alisan who got bandzilled once.  Now I'm only sure it is a bus tool most of the time.  If the Voice was a tour where sound engineers had to adjust for different rooms every play date I would chalk it up to mistakes.  The Voice however, is in the same studio, with the same band and the same equipment, every time.  There is zero excuse for them to get is so wrong, so often.  #bustool