Idol Voice Analysis Part 1

All of the translations linked here are my own work. Please DO NOT re-post or screenshot my work without permission.

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The idol voice analysis, titled "Idols' Vocal Appeal" in the book, is a scientific evaluation of the eleven idols' singing voices using the songs "RAINBOW☆DREAM" and "QUARTET★NIGHT" as samples. Each character's voice is illustrated in their own frequency graph and a brief description is included.

I've separated the analysis into three parts, by page. Part 1 includes the introduction and analyses for Otoya, Masato, and Natsuki. The Idol Voice Analysis can be found on pages 259 to 261 of the 5th Anniversary Book.

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Decoding Data: Idols' Vocal Appeal

Analysis by the Japan Acoustic Lab

Why do the singing voices of these 11 idols fascinate so many people? Based on frequency data, we decode the charms of their voices from a scientific viewpoint.

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Songs used for analysis: “RAINBOW☆DREAM” & “QUARTET★NIGHT” from Shining All Star CD

The songs “RAINBOW☆DREAM” and “QUARTET★NIGHT," in which the idols’ singing voices can be enjoyed individually as well as in unison, were chosen. The singing voices were analyzed by Japan Acoustic Lab’s sound expert, Dr. Hajime Suzuki. In addition to the graph displaying frequencies included in the human voice, from the solo and unison parts we’ll thoroughly examine the charms and characteristics of their vocals!

CHECK! What are harmonics?

A harmonic is a sound in which every vocal chord has a frequency at an integral multiple of the fundamental frequency. In the frequency diagram, they resemble the stripe pattern shown on the right.

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RAINBOW☆DREAM

General chart notes: (The vertical axis represents the frequency. The higher the frequency, the higher the tone. The horizontal axis is the song duration, in which the left side is the start of the song and the right side is the end.)

Otoya
Frequency components are distributed strongly around the 2000~4000Hz range. That frequency band is an area for which the sensitivity of human ears is keen. In terms of a vocal with a component strong in that aspect, it has the characteristic of standing out in front even when there are many people singing or the music gets louder. It could be said that Otoya’s vocal is naturally frontman-like among the seven members.

(Chart notes: Sound is strong in the 2000~4000Hz range)

Masato
Masato has a vocal filled with frequency components in the low tone spectrum under 1000Hz, a singing voice with a sense of stability. Occasionally there are strong components right at 6000Hz, but you can also sense masculinity from this point. In the West it’s believed that a “trustworthy voice” is one that is low and stable. From his song, the listener can feel sincerity.

(Chart notes: Low tone frequency components are strong)

Natsuki
In addition to being characteristic of a hi-tone nasal voice*, the frequency components in his voice above 2000~4000Hz, which have a high level of appeal to the human ear, are incredibly strong. Because of that, one could say that he has a startling, catchy voice. Furthermore, since the frequency fluctuation is large but transitions smoothly, it’s a soft sound overflowing with a gentle image.

(Chart notes: 2000~4000Hz zone is very strong; the movement of vocal chord vibrations can be seen)

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Translator's Notes:

This is very different for me, so while the Japanese grammar isn't difficult and there's no slang at all, the biggest challenge is trying to translate this accurately while not having a full understanding of acoustics and the physics of sound. Thankfully I did take a course in the "physics of music" a few years ago, so some of the terminology is familiar to me. So I have double the work--translating Japanese words I don't know AND re-learning sound science!

*The Japanese for this part is ハイトーンで鼻にかかったような特徴的な声である. I tried to look up the properties of nasal singing, and from past knowledge I do know that singing through the nose is not often described as a positive quality and singers are trained to not sing through their nose. So I was a little caught off guard, considering that I think of Natsuki as being one of the technically better singers of the group. On the other hand, "nasal resonance" while singing high notes doesn't seem to necessarily be a bad thing. I'm not an expert on singing so I did the best I could to produce an accurate translation without making it sound positive or negative.