sam.spoons Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I love the way he moves his lavellier to level with his breastbone and then steps away from the podium (and it's mics). Qudos to the tech for getting usable level after that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 How about the people who sort of crouch over to speak into the mics at a podium which are DELIBERATELY placed low down so as not to be in front of face for camera shots, are have gain adjusted accordingly. People who have been to LOADS of events involving mics in that position and still apparently have not been told? What - do they thing there is a plague of slippy-down mic stands? Or do they think at all?Just stand there and talk ya divs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Edwards Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 My 'favourites' are the ones who do the whole gamut of bangs, blows, 'is this on', 'can you hear me' and then turn away from the mic and start talking! :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birt Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I've done quite a lot of panel discussions a couple of years ago and mostly just used 2 mics in front of the table and spent a long time setting them up so everything is amplified. even if they start speaking facing each other it was fine. but then you have some that still need to tap the mic or even pull it to them so they are louder than the others. or people who put their glass just in front of it and slowly poor water while someone else is speaking. or keep on clicking a ballpoint just in front of a mic. just to annoy the people they are discussing with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noiseman Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Not only the corporate types that don't seem to want to let the tech do their job. How many of you have noticed at awards ceremonies when the mics are carefully placed low to give clear camera sight lines then low and behold what's the first thing the winner does upon giving their speech but lean down and in towards the mic head.Musical artists are especially prone to this behaviour which I guess isn't suprising as when signging live that's what we tell them right? B-) ps -sorry Judge, just saw your post - guess that's 2 of us then!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam.spoons Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I did a few gigs a couple of years ago for a well known boxing promoter's news conferences, 20+ mics on the two tier tables, feeding the room (for the benefit of the assembled journos) and, via a DA, the live TV broadcast crews. I hadn't done anything like it before and coping with anything from quiet speakers leaning back to loud ones picking the mic up was a very steep learning curve! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Many years ago when I was involved with a canal society we had weekly meetings, often with a speaker.This particular one wanted a hand held mic and speakers.No problem I thought, got it all set up for him.He started his slide presentation with the slide controller in one hand and the mic in the other. Started his talk OK but whenever he changed slides he used the mic to point to the screen to indicate different parts of the slide. :angry: CheersGerryEdited for spelling mistakes as a result of to much vino here in the Spanish sunshine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeseweasel Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 I've often thought that some sort of electrically operated gun concealed within the body of the mic (set to trigger on, say, +48V) would be a good way to kerb this kind of behaviour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam.spoons Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Either take the fee and give a false name (to protect your reputation) or decline such gigs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S&L Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 OK, going to put one of my other academic hats on (and gown) - as Hilary says, this is psychology. We are all used to dealing with performers (musicians, actors) that we forget some people are not only less confident, they don't want to be there at all - they would much rather just publish but the game demands they speak on their subject. and these people are far less exposed to audio technology - how many musicians do dim things? and they are around mics and speakers all the time!If they are an academic, they will have a lecture theatre in their department where an it bod pplugs in a tie clip mic or a gooseneck and leaves them to it - and the tech only turns up at the begining of a lecture if they report a fault. in university lectures, mics fail regularly, cut out, fail to match the transmitter and receiver, receive interference from mobile phones. in other words an academics history with audio is that it is unreliable at best - and they don't want to look daft by starting to deliver only for someone to complain 5 minutes in that they are not switched on (it usually takes that long). so they test the way they have at their own lecture theatre by tapping, dragging the mic closer and asking if it's on and someone can hear them - often they honestly can't tell. So faced with a high pressure more high profile speaking engagement, they revert to their usual testing behaviour. If you want them t change their behaviour you have to train them - and we all know how that goes with musicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T*ny Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Would a drawing pin inserted in the windshield help cure mic-bangers? Might only work with the red windshields though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurzweil_dude Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Ive always assumed the "Is this thing on?"-twitch to be a result of previous bad experience on conferences when a mic may not have been on or failed causing an interruption to their perfectly timed and rehearsed presentation, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 If you're really worried use the sort of conference mic with the red light (in a ring around the base of the capsule) that comes on when the mic is open. Otherwise, just accept it as part of the job (and take it as proof of your competence when the mic IS on when the question is asked). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Lee Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Although it is annoying, I think people are being a bit precious here. In the corporate world so many things are against you. The speaker may well not be a professional speaker, nervous and had bad experience. You usually have very little time to get rigged - they usually start at 9am with registration and, if you are lucky, rehearsals before that,clients rarely want to pay for a day before to rig so it is rush rush rush. The tech may well not be a dedicated sound tech. You may be in a room with awful acoustics with not enough kit. Sometimes I am surprised we get anything done at all on time. Usually I just swear under my breath and get on with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew C Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 I have (once) after, the nth mic tapper, said over the PA, "The next person to thump the mic, will find out how much it hurts..." It was kids, and they were all copying each other, but it worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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