Thursday, March 1

can you hear me now?

One of my first paying jobs was in the radio business, so microphones [mics] are like an old friend to me (no, not the ones who owe you money). That said, I'm frequently amused by people who speak to crowds where a microphone is appropriate, yet they push it away like a rotting turnip.

I wonder if they somehow think that using a microphone makes them A Weak Person in another's eyes. "I don't need a microphone!," they arrogantly bellow to anyone-who-would-listen, as they continue to strain their vocal chords to show how Manly they are. Then they act downright irritated when someone says "I can't hear you!".

Me, I learned the Proper Care And Feeding Of Mics eons ago, so that I can say words with a P in them without sounding like I'm sppppiting. Or know enough to keep it out of my airstream so I don't sound like a Heavy Breathing Pervert. I also learned the subtle nuances (!) of keeping the mic away from the associated loudspeaker, minimizing feedback.

Why is it that 93% of the population needs to read Amplification For Dummies before attempting the use of these high-tech devices? Is it just practice, practice, practice?



Completely unrelated, and probably should have tossed it onto my award-winning Sundry on Thursday blog: Quotes - The Marx Brothers

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