Objects of Respect; Mics, equipment and sound

By Sue Sawyer

Part one of a three-part series

Talk to Karaoke Host Scott Douglas, and he’ll tell you about the time he watched in horror as his expensive Shure cordless mic was propelled like a missile across the room’s floor, or when it was used as a baton that twirled high above the singer’s head as he spun around. Karaoke Host Danny Ray remembers a male singer shoving the mic down his drawers to make it look like an organ extender, or another time as a substitute barf bag. Other karaoke hosts talk of their mic and stands being knocked down, danced with or torpedoed along the bar.

Millions of Idol show viewers see mics destroyed as an object of either tantrums or over-enthusiasm, while Nashville types pretend to rope steers or twirl the mic. It’s not “monkey see, monkey do” on the local karaoke stages, because TV sponsors have deep pockets in real life to replace destroyed equipment. Karaoke hosts do not.

Mics are designed for one thing - to capture the voice’s air stream, sending it into a chamber within the diaphragm of the unit that either holds sets of moving coils, ribbons or condensers, magnifying the vibrations which makes for the beginning of amplified sound.

Of the three types mentioned, the moving coil mic is the most widely used by singers. It doesn’t matter if the mic is connected to a cord or is cordless. “Sing over the top”, says Scott; “That’s where you get the least pop and most sound. Poor mic technique causes sound problems. For example, if the mic is held a foot away from the mouth, only background noise will come through.”

Most of what goes on to make a voice wonderful is within the mic’s handle or diaphragm. If the mic is constantly hit from being palmed as a clapping tool, or heavy fingers making trumpet keys, or constantly slapped against the hip to keep time, or smacked on the table (plus other bizarre landings), the inside coils will shake loose. Then the mic will distort the sounds sent through it, so that no amount of mixing can fix it. Mics are designed to be held with one hand in the middle of its diaphragm at a slight angle just below the bottom lip, not pointed towards the ceiling, or cupped over with two hands.

Scott says, “If you’re nervous when you get called to sing, and want to make sure the mic is on and can be heard, do not tap on it, blow on it, palm it or shout into it. Talk to the audience in a normal voice, say ‘hi’ or just a simple ‘test-1-2-3’”. The karaoke host knows what to do under those conditions. Banging noises won’t produce a working audio level. A normal voice will. Liquid poured down a mic stops the coils from vibrating, thus, “killing” the mic; a reason most hosts are reluctant to allow singers to hold drinks during their performance.

The host doesn’t want to offend his singers, so often times they will shop the very best deal for lower-end mics, a trade-off against better quality sound verses having fun. However, the better the mic, the longer it will last if it is cared for, and cheaper in the long run to operate. At clubs where singers appear to show respect, the hosts are using better mics because most hosts pride themselves on making their singers sound true. Mics are the first line in this process. But, they can’t do it alone. They need the singer’s cooperation.

Watch for part two in June, when we discuss air direction.