Your Mike, Your Friend

by Susie & Gert-Jan Rotscheid

The mike is something we need to understand. A mike is just a "thing" - an inanimate object that will do its job of amplifying all sounds directed towards it. This means the mike will amplify mistakes and mis-pronunciations, it will broadcast what you think you are saying to your partner "in private"; it will even amplify your breathing. If you need to discuss something with your partner, especially if you are wearing a wireless mike, remember to switch it off. Also switch it off for a minute or two if you are breathing really hard after demonstrating a dance. Just take a minute to catch your breath and then continue.

On the subject of mikes, there are different types that can help or hinder your particular type of voice. If you have the opportunity to purchase whatever type of mike you want, try to buy one that will emphasize your good points and diminish the bad ones. If you have problems, for instance, with sounds like "sh", try a mike with more bass. If you have the opportunity, try cueing with different mikes, taping and then listening to yourself, before you decide which one to buy. Then get the one that gives you the best advantage, and the dancers the best sound and clarity.

Another problem that we sometimes have with a mike is "feedback". This is usually a very irritating noise that is annoying to the dancers as well as embarrassing to the cuer. What is feedback, and how can we avoid it?

Feedback is the re-amplification of undesirable sounds. This occurs when there are sounds picked up by the mike, sent back to the amplifier, re-amplified, and a cycle begins, creating what we all have heard, the squeal of feedback. One way to help reduce feedback is through the type of mike used. Most often in cueing and calling a "directional" mike is used. This type of mike is most sensitive to sounds coming only from one direction. This type of mike will therefore not be so apt to pick up sounds coming back from the speakers.

To set the maximum volume of the mike, talk into it while increasing the volume until you first hear some ringing, then turn the volume down until the ringing stops. For a wireless mike, this should be done from various parts of the hall, and then the mike volume should not be increased above that level. When speaking into a mike it is important to hold it close to your mouth, and not let the mike head wander or lower. The amount of volume you get is in direct relation to the closeness of the mike head to the source (your mouth). If the distance from the mike head to your mouth is doubled (let's say from 1 cm to 2 cm), the efficiency is reduced to 1/4 of what you had! If you hear your own breathing, coming from your nose, try holding your mike more horizontally and closer to your mouth. If your own breath sounds come from your mouth try holding your mike more vertically, still close to your mouth, but speaking over the face of the mike instead of directly into it. Speaking of breath sounds, you should NEVER, NEVER blow into your mike. This can permanently damage the "insides" of your mike. If you need to find out if a mike is "on" you can just say, over the mike, "Is this mike on?", or I often count. That way I can start with the mike volume turned completely off, and increase it slowly until I reach the best level. If you are plugging in your mike or mike head into a set it is best to start with the volume down, and also always turn a mike off when it is not in use.

For a round world,
Susie & Gert-Jan