Almost every professional
speaker has experienced
microphone problems.
When Thomas Winninger,
CSP, CPAE, spoke at an
NSA Convention a while
back, his microphone kept cutting in
and out. Instead of getting flustered,
Thom did what any pro would do: He
turned adversity into humor. “Ten million dollar hotel, 99 cent microphone,”
he joked.
What do speakers need to know
about microphones? Here is some valuable information about today’s microphones, including advice on selecting
transmitters, wired or wireless mics,
and live and in studio.
Microphone Transmitters
There are three types of wireless microphone transmitters: a headset, a hand
held and a lavalier. Each one has a
receiver that connects to a sound system. My favorite is a headset microphone made by Countryman. It is
small and barely noticeable because it
held. My least favorite is a lavalier
because it is difficult to clip on unless
you are wearing a tie or a lavalier-friendly outfit.
wraps around the ear and always stays
in place. For more information, visit
Sweetwater® at www.sweetwater.com
or call (800) 222-4700.
My second favorite type of transmitter, based on sound quality, is a hand
Wired vs. Wireless
In live applications, professional speak-
ers should avoid wired microphones
unless needed as a back
up. When wireless micro-
phones began populat-
ing the convention scene,
NSA was producing a con-
ference in Las Vegas, and
Jeanne Robertson, CSP,
CPAE, was the opening
keynote. In the next room,
David Copperfield was
performing with several wireless microphones and his wireless frequency was
interfering with Jeanne’s frequency.
If you are concerned with the
sound quality of a facility’s speaker
system, ask to add a powered
speaker system. It costs about
$100 to rent and it is well worth it.
