Use of microphones

[sleah]

Just reading current gov. recommendations for performing arts.

Mostly about social distancing, performing outdoors if possible, personal hygiene etc etc.

Part of it talks about equipment and instruments and mentions people cleaning their own equipment, all quite sensible.

 

It also suggests use of additional microphones to avoid sharing (and loud singing?!?!) and have dedicated people to handle them and wipe them down.

So it doesn't matter that a couple of people are going to effectively come in DIRECT contact with every person who uses a microphone. The risk of cross-contamination is potentially huge!

The risks can of course be reduced by the person handling the mics wearing gloves and constantly sanitising their hands, but that only prevents cross-contamination from mic to handler, not from mic to mic.

Again that can be reduced by a virtual military operation of cleaning and sanitising between the handling of every mic. But it's difficult to fully sanitise a microphone, especially headsets where you chance destroying the mic element. Not to mention time consuming.

 

When we get to a point of performances taking place where microphones are requested (by taking government advice!!), how are we going to respond?

 

My feeling is to advise against using personal mics and if some amplification is required to fall back on boundary/shotgun/dangly mics where there is no direct contact with the mics.

The government have been pretty shocking with their recommendations with many making no sense, so I think ignoring it in such a way that is safer all round is quite acceptable.

 

I'm interested to hear thoughts and opinions on the use of microphones as performances restart.

 

Edit to add: I think Directors may have to accept technicians and backstage support refusing to handle personal mics and that it may not be possible to use them. Am I over-reacting and over-thinking this??

Edited August 29, 2020 by sleah

[david.elsbury]

I think you’ve being very emotional over this...

 

Why not show the talent how to fit their own mics? Sure you might have to compromise a tiny bit. But then you don’t have to touch them. Do it on yourself; show how it should be. Step back and observe. Job done. Once they remove it; sanatise it.

[sandall]

Passing round of hand-helds, & people "adjusting" lectern mics (which the next speaker will then "adjust" again), is one of the (many) technical concerns I have about my Remembrance Sunday gig.

 

E2A: I presume that the large number of personal mics still being used in news & magazine programmes are now fitted, under instruction, by the wearer, not the crew.

 

 

Edited August 29, 2020 by sandall

[paulears]

I think we should talk care not to over dramatise this. It's perfectly simple to use alcohol in liquid or a spray form, to wear masks and eye protection if deemed necessary and of course to ware gloves. Bodily fluids as in, poo, vomit, blood, snot, sweat and even tears need cleaning, and offer plenty of contamination potential - and we've been dealing with this in one shape or form for years if you work with performers. Some of these diseases can be life limiting and far more dangerous that Covid - so we need to put it into a workable framework.

 

Some equipment we use cannot be totally sanitised without destroying it. Microphones are typical, but the risk is lessened by them being in the main receptors, not emitters. Potentially covid infected moisture will land on a mic, and some may well enter grills and vents. Wiping the outside will not kill what is not external. We can pull the grills of say, 58's and spray them or even steam them, but we can't do 57s. The external wipes down I believe is sufficient unless we suck what is inside, out. Old 58s are usually full of spit inside anyway, but has anyone ever caught hepatitis from a mic?

 

I would find a wipe down with suitable cleaner sufficient. I am also still fitting personal mics, and fitting IEMs for people who can't. I believe I can do this safely - from my perspective and the person I fit them to.

[timsabre]

DPA have a good video on sanitising mics using IPA on their website.

[Ynot]

On the gloves question, I would suggest NOT wearing them - TBH they might give a false sense of security to the wearer. Just dealing with bare hands and using an alcohol based hand san in between is going to be far better IMHO.

[mac.calder]

For handhelds, I would recommend sanitising wipes - they can be bought in huge rolls of biodegradable cloths with self-tearing dispensers. The Mic Handler grabs a fresh wipe in each hand when taking a microphone and takes possession with the wipe, not their bare hands. The second wipe in the second hand is the main "cleaning" wipe, the mic is only ever being touched by the two wipes, the mic is then deposited in it's charger. The wipes are thrown out. When distributing, some hand sani near the charging station is more than sufficient. If you are worried about singers who "spray" - then perhaps the use of windsocks would be advisable. Only variation to the process would be to take the windsock off when cleaning and throw them into a bucket. At the end of the event, give them a soapy water bath and hang up to try for a couple of days.

 

Lav's/headsets/belt packs - can be largely handled in a similar way - disposable sanitising wipes. I would probably suggest socking them if possible, and/or follow the DPA guide for cleaning lav. I would probably recommend trying to minimise re-use of microphones during a single session/day - reuse the beltpacks, but use individual mics where possible. Letting them wire themselves up shouldn't be an issue. Or, throw on a mask, grab your hand sanitiser and assist.

[kerry davies]

Making available extra radios and headsets or earpieces, dedicating a member of each team to be responsible for them for the duration of the production, and making sure these are appropriately cleaned if not single use.

 

If equipment has to be shared, regularly disinfecting it (including any packing cases, handles, props, chairs, microphones and music stands) and always between users, following UK Government guidance.

Para 5.4.

The crux is that mics are work equipment and if a certain type of mic cannot be sanitised then it cannot be used. That is just HASAWA basics on provision of safe work equipment. How you sanitise is down to the Risk Assessment you have created taking the Coronavirus pandemic into account. Whether you use gloves, masks, PPE of any kind is also down to that RA (and possibly just a smidgen to do with avoiding the risks of litigation). "Regularly" and "always between users" suggests the sanitising is a constant procedure not just once in a while.

 

All this means little if you are in one of the ever changing local lockdowns and is immaterial until a more widespread reopening is possible. Don't jump the gun. Politicians are keen for everyone else to go back to occupy the offices owned by their donors but senior Whitehall mandarins are talking about May and the Cabinet Office is pretty much empty.

[Dave m]

With coms packs, possibly the theatre "splashing out" on one headset per employee ?Strict rules about not sharing headsets and bagging when not in use?

It's £100 odd per set but safer and less cleaning etc.Even cheaper on Amazon - possibly

[Brian]

Cheap brightly coloured foam pop-shields. Single use. Multi-coloured so you can track them.

[Jivemaster]

Now that retail, trade and medical professional suppliers have adequate sales stock of latex/nitrile/vinyl disposable gloves, "surgical" masks and plain wipes, it shouldn't be beyond any technician or company to work out how to use either and IPA or "NilAqua" as sanitisers as part of a sanitising programme between each use of personal use equipment. With alcohol or aqueous sanitisers applied carefully hard equipment should be sanitised in the time it takes to wipe it all over and just damp it with sanitiser, soft equipment like foam mic shields may be a little more problematic, needing squeezing to fill the foam with a frothed sanitiser. Correctly applied alcohol gels or aqueous sanitisers will dry ready for the item to be reused in under a minute, so should offer no delay in issuing the kit to the same or different users for the next show. Time also kills the covid virus, AT ROOM Temperature the virus dies on copper in four hours and on paper plastics and aluminium or steel in a max of three days, Cold preserves the virus.

 

The only new problem could possibly be that the marks on the equipment that identify which user next needs it MAY suffer with the abnormal cleaning. With seven colours of tape in the bin there would be seven unmarked mics somewhere.

 

NilAqua is a well regarded water based sanitiser, it also has zero fire hazard (unlike alcohols) It's perfectly suitable for people who will not use alcohols.

 

Ambulances are cleaned with sprayed Chemex Bacticlean, it's stinky, but kills covid and MRSA almost instantly. It dries in minutes, but being aqueous it doesn't vanish as fast as alcohol if foams need to be dipped and squeezed out, BUT I wouldn't want a freshly cleaned but stinky foam near my face til properly dry.

 

Clinell's green labelled wipes are certified to kill the covid virus with a 60 second damp time. They come in a resealable pack too.

 

Like it or not places of entertainment that do not find a way to re-open and a show to re-open with, are just an incipient tower block.

Edited August 30, 2020 by Jivemaster

[sandall]

With coms packs, possibly the theatre "splashing out" on one headset per employee ?Strict rules about not sharing headsets and bagging when not in use?

It's £100 odd per set but safer and less cleaning etc.Even cheaper on Amazon - possibly

My grandson is doing a stage management BTec course. No shared tools any more, so suddenly every student has to buy his/her own tool kit, paid for of course by parents/grandparents. I haven't heard about headsets or beltpacks yet, but he's now got a more expensive Makita than me!

[John_P]

The few gigs I've done so far (including one today), Between gigs, I've been cleaning mics with alcohol wipe, drying them and storing in a sealed plastic bag. Singers can then open the bag and connect the mic and after their performance drop them in a bag ready for me clean a couple of days later. I'm happy with that process for now but I'd have to invest in a lot more mics if I was to get really busy again.

[paulears]

Don't forget an important part of the process is to be seen cleaning - one unguarded picture on Facebook gets you into all kinds of trouble with complaints and nasty comments. Knowing what you did before and after doesn't convince the fireside generals. How about visible bins - cleaned and uncleaned for public storage? Seeing a mic come out of the bin marked clean is a real confidence booster for those who genuinely are really worried.

[mac.calder]

Also don't forget the laminated "Microphone Cleaning Procedures" sheet stuck to the wall and the cleaning sign-off sheet Edited August 31, 2020 by mac.calder