Grant's Microphone Use Tips
There are many different types of microphones that are designed for specific uses. Microphones can be wired or wireless. They can be hand-held, lavalier, podium, boundary or conference style. They can have different pick-up patterns to pick up all the sounds in the room, only the sounds in front of it or only sounds that are far away. It’s important to have selected the right microphone; but what about how to use the mic? This article will focus on a few scenarios and how the microphone user can avoid common mistakes.
Knowledge, Education, and Support.
The following may all sound really elementary, but I consistently see people using microphones incorrectly.
1 - School Performances: Being a parent, I feel that the majority of parents would rather hear their child than only see as restricted by stage positions. Ensure you have:
- An adequate number of mics with an experienced operator (you can’t leave all mics on – it just won’t work), whether it is someone on staff or a local hired pro.
- Taught the children to speak into the mic.
- Taught the director to position the students close enough to the mics - not halfway across the stage.
- Given each child a mic as children generally speak quietly in front of an audience. Alternatively, forget the stage positions and have the children approach a mic to say their lines.
- A proper mixer and good audio system designed to fit the environment. Remember that bigger speakers & amps are not always better. Rent a system if necessary.
- A good sound company will know how to deal with sound reinforcement in a gym (oversized echo chambers).
2 - Keynote Presentation: Has anyone seen a presenter with the lapel mic clipped on at their waistline? Typically meeting planners will have enlisted the support of professionals. A good audio tech will ensure the lapel is attached properly and will also operate the mixer, keeping the audio level as constant as possible. The tech will also advise the following to the speaker:
- Remove jewelry that might clank against the clip.
- Speak up and don’t mumble. Speak in front of the mic as if projecting to a classroom size room of people.
- Monitor themselves through the system to ensure they are at a decent level (the audio operator can’t always make it loud enough when the Speaker is too low or too far from the mic). Have you ever noticed professional speakers are always at that “right” level? It may not be due to the operator. You may recall the person who introduced the Keynote Speaker was quiet enough that you needed to strain to hear (which is fatiguing and will wear out your audience) then when the Keynote came on you heard every detail of their voice. That is because they knew to monitor themselves, adjust their position to the mic and to adjust the level of their voice.
3 - Courtroom: In the case of the Courtroom, Court staff should confidently educate the users to:
- Speak towards and into the microphone.
- Do not reposition the mic or step away from it. Just like taking a photo, you point the camera towards your subject, not away.
- Stay close to the microphone. In the case of most courtroom microphone types, no closer or further than about 12” – 18” away.
- Speak loud and clear, do not mumble. If the source (mouth) is not intelligible, the mic, just like our ears, can’t pick it up.
Do not hesitate to consult with your Inland AV representative on what microphone is best suited for your next event.
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