How To Use a Microphone

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

Over the years I've seen many instances where people do not know how to use a microphone. I'm not faulting them but here is some quick & easy education: you have to speak into the microphone and project your voice.

Sounds like I'm being facetious but here are some examples that will make this clear:

1 - Courtroom: The lawyer pushes the mic away as they place documentation on the table. The microphone is now pointing away from the lawyer. The result is the recorder is not recording their voice and the gallery can't hear the lawyer.

2 - School Choir: The music teacher has one single microphone placed at the front of the stage 5 meters in front of the school choir, expecting the soft and shy voices to be projected out to the audience like at a rock concert. Many times a microphone designed for rock music (only picks up loud audio that is directly in front of the microphone) will be used.

3 - Meeting: I've seen people clip a lapel microphone onto their belt.Come on, that is not near your mouth!


I would be interested in hearing from our readers on any other microphone bloopers.

I will discuss some solutions for these blunders soon.

FYI

The Inland AV website has an archived article on Podium Microphone Choice.

For a longer history of the microphone and explanation of the types of microphones and pick up patterns, I suggest this Microphone article in Wikipedia.

Grant