During its live event, scenography, visual presentations, camera skins and plans are essential. The sound and its capture are just as good! In this article, we detail the different types of microphones and their use: lapel microphone, handheld microphone, Madonna microphone, table microphone, ceiling light and room microphone
The lapel microphone
Whether it's cardioid (picking up only the sound in front of it) or omnidirectional (capturing 360°), it's the versatile mic par excellence. It hangs on the person's jacket or top and is forgotten. The great advantage of this type of microphone is its discretion and the fact that it always stays in the same place.
In the case of a cardioid microphone, depending on the directivity of the voice (if the speaker speaks on his left or right), the volume may change. We will therefore either position the lapel microphone on the main speaking side, or we will double this lapel microphone by putting one on the right and one on the left.
Attention! The lapel microphone can be complicated to attach to dresses, where the capsule cable can be difficult to hide and where the transmitter is difficult to position on the belt. You can then hang it on the back of the collar, but this position is not always very pleasant for the speaker. Having a belt remains the most comfortable solution for the worker, so dresses and jumpsuits are more complex to equip.
You should also pay attention to the material and the friction of the microtie on clothing. Silk or lightweight fabrics that have a high rubbing power should be avoided.
The micro hand
This type of microphone is the star of amphitheaters and conference rooms. It has the great advantage of being present in large numbers in the rooms and can be passed from one speaker to another, very quickly.
It is also very used when asking questions for the public, because one or two people in the organization can quickly pass this microphone from one person with a question to another person with a question.
One of the major faults of this type of microphone is its uneven sound pickup depending on how it is used. When you want to speak into a handheld microphone, you must ensure that the distance between the microphone and the mouth remains the same throughout the speech.
Two techniques exist to guarantee this distance to the ferret over time:
- The chin technique: position the top of the microphone on the chin. Thus, the microphone is placed on the chin and will not move.
- The torso technique: position the hand that holds the microphone on your chest and leave it in this position throughout the procedure.
The sound engineer will then adjust the capture sensitivity according to one of these two techniques.
The Madonna microphone
It is the microphone of excellence for one-man shows or individual speakers. It is also used by MCs, LIVE presenters or animators.
This headband, which has a microphone at the end directly close to the mouth, makes it possible to accurately capture the speaker's sound.
It takes quite a long time to set up, but its positioning allows the operator to have their hands free (unlike the hand-held microphone) and to avoid any parasitic noise (unlike certain rubbing on clothes on lapel microphones).
The table microphone
This type of microphone is placed on a table and can capture up to 2 people. It is very practical in studios with controlled sound, with the need to change the actors quickly between two sequences.
Although less focused than lapel microphones, it avoids volume problems associated with the use of handheld microphones.
It has the disadvantage of sometimes picking up external noises and all the extraneous noises at the tables more easily (frenzied tapping, knocking on the table with your hands, pen noises, etc.)
The ambient ceiling light/microphone
The latter type of microphone is used specifically to pick up room noise. It can be used as a backup microphone in case of problems, but its main use is generally to capture audience noise (applause, laughter, etc.)
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