Broadcast Media Notes
Chapter 2:
Sections 2.4 – 2.5
Working with a Microphone
2 Main Concepts
 Mic-to-mouth distance
 Mic-to-mouth position
Mic Distance
A good mic-to-mouth distance is about 6
inches
 Depending on vocal strength, you may
move a bit closer or father away

Mic Distance
Working too close to the microphone may
distort the audio signal
 It may pickup more “pops” (p, t, and b
sounds), silibance (excessive s sounds),
and breathing sounds


Working too far away produces a soft or
weak audio signal
Mic-to-mouth Positions
Good position usually means not talking
directly into the microphone, but instead
talking slightly off axis
 Getting to far to the side, above, or below
can get outside its pickup pattern and
lowers the quality of the audio
 A good technique is to align the mic to
your nose, then slightly tilt it down

Watch Video Clip 2.4
Distance & Position
If asked to “give a level,” it just means
you need to speak into the mic so the
proper levels can be set.
 Read off a few sentences.
 Never blow into or tap on the microphone
(this can damage the mic) and avoid the
often used “Testing, 1, 2, 3, 4”

Mic Fright
Varies from person to person
 Can be a mild case of anxiety or it can be
nervousness so severe the broadcaster
can’t even communicate with his audience
 Occurs at the moment you are cued you
are on-air
 Can occur in front of an audience or alone
in a studio

Mic Fright Symptoms
Dry mouth
 Slightly trembling hands
 Sweaty brow
 “Butterflies” in your stomach

Mic Fright

Despite some people believing a small
amount of mic fright can “pump you up,” it
generally has a negative effect on your
performance
Effects of Mic Fright
Can raise the pitch of your voice
 Can cause you to run out of breath
 Performer can lose focus
 Causes the performer to read too quickly
or slowly
 Causes the performer to speak too softly
 Extreme cases cause the performer to
“freeze” and not be able to perform at all

Causes of Mic Fright
1.
2.
3.
4.
Disliking one’s voice
Fearing failure
Being inexperienced
Being unprepared
Overcoming Mic Fright
1.


Disliking one’s voice
Your voice sounds different to you being
played back from a recorder from what
you’re used to. They way you sound on
a recorder is how everyone else hears
you
You don’t sound “funny” to anyone but
yourself
Overcoming Mic Fright
2.


Fearing failure
Believing in what you are saying should
help you be able to communicate with an
audience
It helps if you think of delivering this
message to one other person, not a
large audience
Overcoming Mic Fright
3.



Being inexperienced
There’s not much you can do here except to
perform and perform
The old saying “practice makes perfect” is true
here
Good broadcasters don’t limit their work to onair performances – Many play-by-play sports
announcers have sat in the top row of a
stadium doing their own play-by-play
broadcast into a portable recorder
Overcoming Mic Fright
4.


Being unprepared
If possible, don’t try to “wing it,”
although sometimes reporters have little
time to prepare for an interview or
broadcast
Pre-reading and practicing the script will
lessen any chance of mic fright
Final Tips
 Mentally
prepare for a performance
(pronunciation, appropriate mood, rate of
speaking, key points)
 Find a moment to relax – Close your eyes
and take a couple of deep breaths. Relax
your entire body by loosening up your
muscles