Why are people scared of microphones?

A fixed wired microphone is the most cost effective way of picking up the voices of presenters on stage. And when you have a busy program with many different speakers sharing their message, fixing the microphone to a lectern is the ideal solution.

But of course, it will only work if presenters are going to actually use it.

This might sound obvious to some, but a microphone only works if you speak into it.

Yet it never fails to surprise me, how many presenters will back away from a lectern mic as if it's a venomous snake.

Presenter not using lectern microphone

This leaves the sound engineer with absolutely no options to make things louder, and for those listening at the end of live stream, it is simply not possible to hear anything at all.

Is there anything you can do?

Sometimes, the reason presenters move away from the lectern is to be able to see their slides better. This is easy to fix, and there are a few options.

The simplest, is to make sure the lectern is sited to allow the presenter to be able to see the main screen and still be facing the microphone.

Of course, this isn't always possible because of sightlines for your audience. In those cases, ask your AV supplier to provide what is often referred to as a "confidence monitor".

This is a screen placed on the floor in front of the lectern, in order that the presenter can see what's on the screen without having to turn their head to see their slides.

Of course for those presenters who like the freedom to roam around the stage, and don't want to be tied to a lectern at all, wireless microphones are the perfect solution.

We recommend head worn mics with body pack transmitters. These give the best sound quality, whilst keeping the presenters hands free as he or she wanders around the stage.

Hand held microphones are perfect for some presenters, and of course are the go to solution for taking questions from the audience.

Microphone types

The other option is the tie clip microphone, worn on the lapel, the tie, or somewhere around the chest area. These provide superb freedom of movement, but the compromise in sound quality, and high risk of feedback squeaks, put them as our least recommended option.

For more information on hiring sound systems, confidence monitors, and other equipment to support your live or virtual event, contact us hello@confidence-digital.com