How To Use a Microphone Solutions

Grant's Perspective on ... how to use a microphone.

So how does one avoid or resolve issues of people not knowing how to use a microphone? See the last post for the list of issues.

Knowledge, Education, and Support.
The following may all sound really elementary, but by my quick estimation, microphones are not used properly approximately 60% of the time.
1 - Courtroom: In the case of the Courtroom, Court staff should confidently educate the users to:

- Speak towards and into the microphone. Just like taking a photo, you point the camera towards your subject, not away.

- Get close to the microphone. In the case of most courtroom microphone types, no closer or further than about 12” – 18” away. The source (mouth) needs to be in the vicinity of the mic head.

- Speak loud and clear, do not mumble. If the source (mouth) isn’t loud enough, the mic, just like our ears, can’t pick it up.
2 - School Choir: In the case of the school choir all the requirements from above are still very much applicable but some production knowledge should come into play. In my opinion, and 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.

- A proper mixer.

- An experienced operator, whether it is someone on staff who has the prerequisites for such a task or a local hired pro.

- A rented system, if necesary, designed to fit the environment (but remember more speakers & amps are not always better).

In the case of a school play, as children generally speak quietly in front of an audience, give each child a mic. Teach the children to speak into the mic,  to monitor themselves thru the sound system and adjust accordingly (OK that isn’t always easy), and…….forget the stage positions and ques and have the children go to a mic to say their lines. Like I said, I’m sure the parents would like to hear the line; the kids can walk up to the mic, say their line and return to their spot.

3 - Meeting: In the case of the lapel mic on the belt, typically meeting planners will have enlisted the support of professionals. A good Audio Tech will operate the mixer to keep the audio level as constant as possible and take care of the technical details. The tech will also ensure the lapel is attached properly, in the correct location, and will advise to:

- Remove jewelry that might clank against the clip.

- Speak up (I suggest to speak like you’re projecting to a classroom size room - without a PA).

- Monitor themselves through the system. Have you ever noticed professional speakers are always at that “right” level? 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 before lunch!) then the Keynote came on and you heard every detail of their voice.

Now remember, you can always ask your friendly neighborhood Inland AV for assistance. Service calls may be arranged for training or setup of equipment. Techs are available for hire for operation as well.

For information on choosing the right podium microphone read this Inland AV archived article.

Grant