Seemingly trivial things that elicit an emotional response of some kind

[Pross]

You regularly see it with people speaking at events who hold the mic more less vertically in front of their mouth and they come across muffled and distorted whereas if you hold it upright just below your mouth it comes across loud and clear (whereas most mics used by singing tend to be fine held more horizontal (or at least that was what I was told the first time I used a mic).

 

[briantrumpet]

You regularly see it with people speaking at events who hold the mic more less vertically in front of their mouth and they come across muffled and distorted whereas if you hold it upright just below your mouth it comes across loud and clear (whereas most mics used by singing tend to be fine held more horizontal (or at least that was what I was told the first time I used a mic).

Yup, SM57s need to be pointing directly at your mouth, and only two or three inches away normally. If you're singing it's only when you belt out notes that you have to move the mic away somewhat. This is a bit of a masterclass from Sinatra... makes the sound engineer's life easy. It's always better to give them a bit too much and for them to turn you down – there's only so much they can do if you don't give them enough to work with before feedback kicks in.

 

[Beebo]

I was always amazed by Freddie Mercury and the proximity of his moustache, which seemed to rub the microphone without causing a sound.


View: https://youtu.be/vbvyNnw8Qjg?si=m3ryZSVIX_sqFAR1

 

[Beebo]

Best microphone technique ever.


View: https://youtu.be/ErYGBBj94p4?si=cZS3EfxsmRwDVX_9

 

[First Aspect]

A very basic guide. https://mynewmicrophone.com/a-complete-guide-to-directional-microphones-with-pictures/

I think sometimes the podcasters have only seen the Shure SM57-type of mic, so assume they all work end on, but the grilles on a lot of them give the game away, as well as the suspension mechanism of the mic holders, which are designed to hold the mic vertically.

FWIW, I've got one of these basic Marantz ones (not for podcasts), and the sensitivity end-on and side-on (as well as the grille) make it plain that they are designed to be roughly vertical, with the grille pointing to the sound source.

View attachment 15056

I can confirm it was interesting.

Perhaps those people were using pressure gradient mics at the wrong angle to improve the noise to signal ratio? That would make sense for a lot of podcasters.

 

[briantrumpet]

I can confirm it was interesting.

Perhaps those people were using pressure gradient mics at the wrong angle to improve the noise to signal ratio? That would make sense for a lot of podcasters.

Well, since I suspect you've not saved the imprimatur I lovingly created for you, I shall award it to myself.

 

[briantrumpet]

Here you go, if you want to save it for later selective use. The ultimate accolade, surely.

 

[briantrumpet]

BTW, it was an AI fail, as try as I might, Gemini wouldn't rotate it 14 degrees clockwise to get it vertical.

 

[AndyRM]

Having it at an angle gives it more of an air of authenticity.

 

[briantrumpet]

Having it at an angle gives it more of an air of authenticity.

Are you telling us that FA can't shoot straight?

 

[AndyRM]

Are you telling us that FA can't shoot straight?

AI certainly can't.

 

[First Aspect]

BTW, it was an AI fail, as try as I might, Gemini wouldn't rotate it 14 degrees clockwise to get it vertical.

There's an AI fail in the first one as well, unless the stamp in the background is just coincidentally my "not interesting" stamp.

 

[briantrumpet]

There's an AI fail in the first one as well, unless the stamp in the background is just coincidentally my "not interesting" stamp.

Well spotted, that too (which I'd noticed), which is one reason 'I' extracted the imprint alone for you to store alongside whatever other 'images' you've collected on your hard drive.

 

[icowden]

Yup, SM57s need to be pointing directly at your mouth, and only two or three inches away normally. If you're singing it's only when you belt out notes that you have to move the mic away somewhat.

You also want to be holding the mic just below your mouth if you don't have a pop-shield. But yes - the bigger the voice, the further away the mic needs to be to balance things out. When I do shows, I'm usually a principal but because I have proper training, the sound person rarely needs to put the mic up much at all. At the peak of my voice (between C and G) I can easily fill a 200 seat auditorium. Same goes for speaking and projection. I can deliver a fair few decibels.

We often have to explain to people with quieter voices that they still need to try and speak and sing loudly - the microphone cannot amplify that which is not there...

 

[briantrumpet]

You also want to be holding the mic just below your mouth if you don't have a pop-shield. But yes - the bigger the voice, the further away the mic needs to be to balance things out. When I do shows, I'm usually a principal but because I have proper training, the sound person rarely needs to put the mic up much at all. At the peak of my voice (between C and G) I can easily fill a 200 seat auditorium. Same goes for speaking and projection. I can deliver a fair few decibels.

We often have to explain to people with quieter voices that they still need to try and speak and sing loudly - the microphone cannot amplify that which is not there...

Haha, I've done so many amateur shoes where singers' voices barely make it out of their mouths before faling towards the stage, and the engineer is the person who makes it audible to the audience. Most people can't project beyond a few rows, let alone a whole theatre or cathedral.

Even though I've got a very big voice when required, I'd never turn down the option of a mic for anything other than a barked "Thank you and goodnight!" at the end of a show.

I do mean SM58s, BTW. I ought to know... I own five of them. Same basic mic as a 57, but a different shield.