Your Public Best - Lillian Brown [109]
Boom mikes are used on location, in movie sets, or in large studios or sound stages where movement is required. They are always out of camera range. Large directional mikes may be used at press conferences and public functions.
Another type is the podium or table mike, which is fixed at an angle, either on a movable stand or attached to a table. (This is the kind of mike used by radio announcers.) You can usually raise or lower such mikes by their goosenecks to the best height or angle for you. Once you have established a comfortable position, maintain a constant distance from the mike and do not turn away from it. The audio person will “ride the gain,” adjusting the sound level if necessary, but if you move too far away, there is little he or she can do to keep the sound level constant.
You may be asked to wear a self-contained, power pack audio system with a battery pack that clips to your belt and is concealed in the small of the back under your jacket, or may be strapped around the waist under your clothes. A tiny mike is placed under the blouse or shirt or on the lapel. Singers, actors, and dancers frequently use these sophisticated sound systems, which are often called wireless microphones.
A newly refined sound system consists of a battery of receivers, each equipped with its own foot-long antenna. These receivers are tuned to the mike which the performer wears concealed under the clothes. The performer moves freely, drags no cords, and there is no distortion of the human voice. This neat little system has to be insured for about $30,000 when in use.
It pays to get acquainted with your mike. All audio systems amplify the human voice, especially in the upper ranges. Use the lowest voice range that is comfortable for you. There is no need to speak loudly or use excessive volume. Resonance in the lower range sounds best on any microphone. Use a one-on-one conversational tone. To keep your voice fresh, lively, and pleasant-sounding, smile into the microphone. Sound friendly, instead of grim or pompous.
Remember that once the audio is turned on, you are live, and someone will hear every word you say. Assume that your mike is always live and never dead, and that what you say into it never dies.
The Cue Earpiece. When you appear on a telephone call-in show, moderate a panel, or appear on a remote telecast beamed from another location, you will probably be asked to wear what is called a “cue earpiece.” Such an earpiece enables you to hear the incoming telephone calls, the person talking at the remote location, and any instructions coming to you from the control room.
At first, you may be confused by the various voices coming through your earpiece if you are, at the same time, trying to answer a question or carry on a conversation. But with a little practice, you will understand the purpose of wearing it.
The little button which fits into your ear may be made of soft molded plastic, sized for comfort and connected to a curled plastic audio wire. The sound technician or floor manager will fit the button into your ear, then hook the cord up, over, and behind your ear and to the back of the neck, where the whole thing is anchored out of sight on the back of your jacket with a metal clip or a piece of sticky gaffer’s tape. The wire is then run down your back, under your jacket, and plugged into an outlet that is tucked out of sight on the back of your chair, a desk, or behind the set. Check to see that the whole arrangement is comfortable for you, and make sure that you can move your head freely. Once the earpiece is in place and you are wired up, remember not to