Spectral distribution of solo voice and accompaniment in pop music

Singers performing in popular styles of music mostly rely on feedback provided by monitor loudspeakers on the stage. The highest sound level that these loudspeakers can provide without feedback noise is often too low to be heard over the ambient sound level on the stage. Long-term-average spectra of some orchestral accompaniments typically used in pop music are compared with those of classical symphonic orchestras. In loud pop accompaniment the sound level difference between 0.5 and 2.5 kHz is similar to that of a Wagner orchestra. Long-term-average spectra of pop singers' voices showed no signs of a singer's formant but a peak near 3.5 kHz. It is suggested that pop singers' difficulties to hear their own voices may be reduced if the frequency range 3-4 kHz is boosted in the monitor sound.