Making the Mic Your Mate: The Basics of Mic Technique
1. Microphone Technique
"The microphone is your key tool on stage it helps the jokes, it helps your delivery, it helps the audience relate to you and in the right hands is a highly versatile prop" - Richard Pryor probably..
However you’re ability to utilize this tool can vary wildly. “Mic Technique” is a vital skill to learn and to use it properly can take years however here’s what you’ll need to know straight away. Not all microphones are the same, there is a huge difference in quality and it’s important to establish that early on so you can cater your delivery and material for it.
Here’s what you should pay attention to straight away to best work the microphone during a set.
(It’s best to have a listen to other comics before you go on or even the MC so you’re not making adjustments on the fly)
The first thing you’ll need to see is whether the mic is “wired” or not. That means if it has a cord attached. If the cord is attached you’ll see a lot of new acts getting it tangled in the mic stand straight away and like any small hiccup in your set it’s better to just ignore it and keep going. If the mic isn’t wired It’s a lot easier to work with just make sure for the love of god it has batteries that are working and THAT THERE ARE SPARES CLOSE BY. Also it pays to know where the on off switch for wireless mic’s are because I guarantee if you work with them for long enough you’ll accident turn it off mid sente-
When you listen to a microphone make a point of noticing:
1. How well it is amplifying other performer’s voices.
See how loud they are relative to how close to their mouths they’re holding the mic and at what angle. Also have a look at whether or not there is a dedicated person running the audio. If there is they’ll *hopefully* be able to tweak some things whilst you’re up there. However if it’s just a microphone and a speaker you’re on your own and will have to make do.
2. Whether their breath is catching on the microphone and making it harder to hear.
If this is the case you’ll have to project your voice more and not hold the microphone directly in front of your mouth.
3. Whether the articulation of the performer is being understood or not.
If there’s even a small amount of interference or the mic isn’t picking up all the audio is makes it a nightmare for people with accents, those who mumble or those who speak fast. You’ll have to slow down the pacing, open your mouth larger when articulating and make sure you’re hitting your consonants without a slack jaw.
4. If the microphone is peaking (this is when the microphone is held too close to a speaker and makes the high pitched wine, or when louder sounds are amplified in a way that is unpleasant to hear).
If this is the case see where you are in relation to the speakers. Microphones most commonly do this because you’re too close to the speaker or in front of it. If there is a dual speaker setup (which is the most common you’ll find) then imagine a line between them. You should not be crossing that line towards the audience. Sometimes it’s just a poorly setup room so if you’re room managing or running a comedy night be sure to have the speakers AT LEAST in line with the front of the stage. Be mindful of how close they are to the audience as well. One of the trickiest things to manage with speakers is a large room with audiences packed all the way up to the speakers. In these situations you’ll need to project to reach the people at the back and hold the mic further away from your mouth so that the people near the speakers aren’t having their ears burst. Have the speakers at the head height of the comedian which should carry the sound over those first few rose so they aren’t being assaulted.
The other way in which microphones peak is if the gain is turned up too high. Think of “gain” as a volume boost which should be used sparingly. If the act is too quiet there’s only so much a microphone can amplify before it literally starts amplifying everything which resorts in feedback and awful sound. If a person’s too quiet pull them aside after and tell them to hold the mic closer, and then to follow along with the “O’captain my captain” scene in Dead Poet’s Society and learn to project.
5. Whether the microphone is corded or wireless.
If it’s corded listen to see if it’s cutting out at all, if it is you’ll have to hold the microphone lower in your hand so that half your palm is holding the cord in a stable position otherwise you’ll risk it cutting out during a joke.
If it’s wireless make sure you know where the power button or switch is so that you don’t inadvertently hit it and be mindful that wireless mic’s run off radio and that feed usually gives a less natural sounding projection.
6. Finally if the gig you’re at is super ritzy it make have foldback. These are tiny speakers that face YOU so that you can hear how you sound. If you’re ever at a gig with these present you’re probably crushing it anyway but if you’ve somehow fluked it then be warned they can put a weird delay on what you hear sometimes if they aren’t setup right and you’ll hear an echo. If you’re ever unsure about whether or not there’s a delay with what the audience is hearing then just go off the laughter. If they’re taking a split second longer to laugh, then give them a split second longer before you move on. Smile and act like it’s all part of the plan then gossip about it with the other acts backstage for 5 months.
So now you know what to look for, here are the tips to polish up your mic know how.
Firstly..
Microphones break. A lot.
They crackle, they unplug, they have loose cords or run out of battery.
Learn how to recover, when you take the microphone out of the stand and it gets caught and pulls the cord out and you have to waste your opening 5 seconds plugging it back in and losing all the MC’s built up momentum for you in the process whilst at the same time making you look like a total amateur, have a joke ready just in case.
“it’s okay my partner is a vegan/conservative/liberal so I’m used to not being heard anyway” BA-DUH-PA!
It doesn’t matter what you say as much as if you say it with confidence. It’s more about making the audience feel safe and reassured that you are in complete control.
Regardless of what you do GET ANOTHER ROUND OF APPLAUSE/ENTHUSIASM before you begin to re-focus the audience and get them on board.
Arj Barker is a great act for seeing mic technique. Stylistically he uses yelling a lot to emphasize punchlines and in doing so he pulls the mic away, leans back and strains his voice. It gives the appearance that he’s really yelling but in reality the volume is exactly where he needs it to be to not blow the speakers and for the audience to hear it but for it to still sound like he’s yelling.
Pulling the mic away when you yell is essential, so if you have any louder bits you need to be doing it.
Also whenever you’re doing act outs no matter what you’re doing you need to be aware of where the mic is. If you need to take the mic away from your mouth for the love of god do not speak when it’s away. Find a way to have it close like Arj does in the example above when he’s talking to his watch or imitating a clockface.
When I first started out a great sound tech explained it to me and I've gone to the liberty of illustrating it below.
Now having the mic in the first position will get the most of your voice picked up by the mic but it doesn’t allow for a very conversational look that modern standup looks to emulate.
As you’re act out’s progress you can use the mic as more of a prop. For instance, a car going by only requires you to make the same noise but run the microphone past your mouth. If you want to explore more options as a more theatrical comic I’d recommend finding a microphone you can use at home. Sharpen you’re noise making skills and feel around as to what works. Even simple noises like clicks, explosions and gunshots can add great authenticity to a bit.
Here’s one of the best that comes to mind, I’d give you a time to start at but just watch it all.
BE MINDFUL.
If you're going to do beat-boxing or any kind of act that spits then wipe off the microphone after and NEVER
UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
put your mouth on it.
It's gross, you're gross and no joke an open micer can come up with is worth it.
When using the microphone as a prop do not swing It from the cord. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen it fail and it’s not worth the risk just for a bit about swinging your dick. If you're going to hit it against anything make sure it's nothing valuable and keep in mind that venue managers don't take kindly to seeing their gear rough handled. Here's one of the most perfect bits I've seen to illustrate it and the type of people who'd do just that.
If you take the microphone out of the stand then move the stand out of the way! If you leave it there it’ll be distracting and if you leave it in front of you you’ll give the audience appearance that you’re split in half. If you do move it be sure to put it back in after your set and also move the microphone back to where it was when you started your set.
*If you’ve taken the microphone out of the stand I’d recommend putting it back before your closing joke. It’ll let the audience know you’re wrapping up and give you a good place to ramp up for a big finish.
Have a backup plan.
If you are a quiet act the microphone cutting out will be especially bad because you’ll have to learn how to project to not only engage the audience and keep their attention but to throw your voice over the potentially competing sounds of background TV’s, bartenders making drinks and music from the room next door.
REMEMBER: The microphone only amplifies what you put into it, so stay on the mic and follow the saying of “projecting to the back of the room” and imagining that there's a hard of hearing person there who desperately wants to hear your material.
Project from the chest not the throat, use hand gestures and actions, open your mouth more to assist people lip reading, change the melody and tone of what you’re saying so people can break up the words more easily, lean into the crowd and speak directly to people. People understand most of speech through hearing words but the rest is all body language and inflection. Watch a good quality foreign comic who’s performing standup in a second language and you'll see what I mean. I guarantee they’ll do this to bridge the gap of the language/accent barrier.
Get to a point where you could do a small gig without a mic but without yelling and you’ll be set.
But if you’re just starting out, keep it on your chin, don’t look down (it will make you mumble) and don’t be afraid to ask
“Can you hear me?”
Just don’t ask if more than once. Whether you get a response or not you'll have you're answer.
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