Working with Microphones
- Use a microphone to prevent vocal strain and allow you to use more normal vocal inflections.
- Use a personal, conversational tone that is both friendly and persuasive.
- Speak softly and personably. Emphasize your points with more force.
- If offered a choice between a podium and wireless microphone, use the wireless. It will give you more freedom of movement (even if you only use more head movement) and will help you relax and feel more natural.
| Did you know? Women are harder to hear in groups. The higher pitch of the female voice has fewer formants (the frequency used to understand vowel sounds). Also, large rooms often have poor acoustics, making speech phonemes run together and degrading intelligibility. Microphones help overcome both of these common problems. |
Types of Microphones
Podium microphones
- Pivot or swivel around the microphone to create physical energy.
- Keep your mouth the same distance away from the microphone.
Example: To move left, move your entire body left but leave your head angled right toward the microphone. Remember to keep your mouth angled toward the microphone at approximately the same distance as you shift positions. Practice this (even with a long ruler or other tall-handled object) to look natural.
- Avoid standing rigidly; use eye contact and gestures to create the impression of movement.
- Speakers under 5’4” should request a platform if possible.
Lavalier microphones
- Remove chunky or long necklaces that can brush against the microphone.
- Place the battery pack in your pocket or attach to your waistband.
- Clip the microphone to your lapel or collar, about 6” from your mouth.
- Conceal the wire if the lavalier is not wireless.
- Speak conversationally using the volume and vocal projection you would use with a small group. The amplifier will do the rest.
Hint! Make sure you turn your microphone off when you are not presenting but are still wearing the equipment to avoid personal comments or motion being overheard.
Handheld microphones
- Hold the microphone right up to your mouth every time you speak.
- If you forget and look away or raise the microphone to your mouth after you have started speaking, repeat the unamplified portion of your comment so everyone can hear you.
Practicing With Microphones
- Check the microphone. Test it by speaking (“Good afternoon? Can you hear me clearly?”) Do not tap or blow into the microphone, as this is hard on the equipment and the sign of a rookie. People in the room will be happy to give you feedback.
- Test the microphone on both sides of the room and both sides of the platform or stage. See how far away you can move away from a podium microphone and still be heard.
- Speak both loudly and softly to get a feel for the balance.
- Practice raising and lowering the microphone. They are not all set up in the same way (some have buttons, while others twist or pull off). Adjusting the microphone with confidence during your presentation helps establish your credibility as an experienced speaker.
- Learn how to turn the microphone on and off!
Dealing With AV Equipment Problems
General Self Defense Measures
- Limit your reliance on technology as much as possible.
- Plan for contingencies and equipment meltdowns.
- Bring your presentation on a flash drive.
- Bring your own laptop (and projector) if it really matters.
- Always bring a hard copy of your presentation with your talking points or cue cards as backup.
- Bring handouts of your slides (or outline) for the audience.
- Stay calm and carry on. Remember that you know your talk better than anyone.
Microphone problems
Popping is caused when consonants like 'p','t', and 'd' are spoken and air from your mouth hits the microphone. To eliminate popping:
- Position the microphone about one hands-width away and slightly below your mouth.
- Keep your mouth one hands-width away to prevent a "boom-y" sound.
- Speak above the microphone to prevent nasal noise.
Feedback (screeching) happens when the microphone is physically in front of the speakers (the equipment, not the people), so the sound from the speakers is actually going into the microphone and creating a feedback loop. To handle feedback:
With a podium microphone:
- Ask for the volume to be turned down, which will reduce the feedback.
- Stop speaking or turn the microphone off temporarily, which allows sound going into the feedback loop to dissipate.
With a lavaliere microphone
- Locate the speakers in the ceiling or at the sides of the stage and move backwards.
- Stay behind the equipment at all times.
Other unwanted sounds
- Drink water if your mouth becomes dry to avoid the microphone picking up soft clicking noises when you speak.
No projector or projector fails
- Use your laptop to trigger your memory, and deliver your presentation without props.
- Promise the audience that you will print out any relevant graphs or diagrams after the session, OR provide your email address and invite people to email you with a request for your presentation.
- Use a flipchart to draw out key illustrations.
No internet connection, connection fails or website does not respond.
- Cache the web pages you need on a flash drive ahead of time.
- Have the URL at hand to give out verbally, or include it in your handout. Be prepared to describe in interesting detail what you want the audience to envision.
