2.4: Using a Microphone Effectively- Turn It Off Before Going to the Bathroom
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“Testing, check, check, can you hear me?” Your first impression matters and you don’t want your first impression to be a microphone check. The most important part of your speech is the sound–if they can’t hear you, what’s the point? Learn to project your voice when speaking in smaller venues and learn to use a microphone when speaking in larger ones.
In this chapter, I will talk about general principles of good microphone management as opposed to details on how to use a specific microphone.
The Harvard sentences are short sentences used during World War II to test out communications systems used by the military. These sentences were designed to be balanced phonetically and to incorporate different sounds of speech.
You can use these sentences as part of your microphone check.
For the complete list of 72 groupings of ten sentences, go to Harvard Sentences
For a great overview of microphone usage as well as some helpful visuals, watch this short video.
A good speech, but notice how he unnecessarily bends to use the microphone.
Just for fun. Watch as everyone tries to keep it business as usual when the Texas mayor leaves his microphone on during a bathroom break.
Remember This!
I want to hear from you.
Do you have an activity to include?
Did you notice a typo that I should correct?
Are you planning to use this as a resource and do you want me to know about it?
Do you want to tell me something that really helped you?
Anim, M. (2011). Picture of Irish Sinn Fein Senator Kathryn Reilly, speaking at a commemoration. Wikimedia. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kathryn_Reilly.jpg
Dahl, C. (2015). Best HS graduation speech ever! Weber high graduation 2015. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRiV4KZBoIY Standard YouTube License.
Harvard sentences. http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~hgs/audio/harvard.html
New York News (2015). Texas mayor leaves mic on during bathroom break. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kafVFxP3uaQ Standard Youtube License.
Reed, G. (2017). Microphone test phrases every presenter should know. Ethos 3. https://ethos3.com/2017/03/microphone-test-phrases-every-presenter-should-know/
TMikaelsonJ2 (2019). Jared—6/20/19— 2019- 2020 National Speech and Debate Education Day Spokesperson and Duo Judge. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwq1McgGDfg Standard YouTube License.
Toastmasters. (2018). Toastmasters tips- The proper way to use a microphone. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twuRPGDDD5I Standard Youtube License.
Zhang, S. (2015). The “Harvard Sentences” secretly shaped the development of audio tech. https://gizmodo.com/the-harvard-sentences-secretly-shaped-the-development-1689793568