Skin Mic Attachment Methods

[Gareth Owen]

Okay, try this, courtesy of PhotoBucket...

 

Below we have an example of attaching mics with wire and tape. Not the most elegant of methods...

 

http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy239/Garethjohnowen/DSC06996_small.jpg

 

http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy239/Garethjohnowen/DSC07010_small.jpg

 

The mics in question are a Sennhesier MKE2 Gold and a Sennheiser MKE2 Platinum.

[andylouder]

Thanks Gareth.

[Bobbsy]

Gareth's photos illustrate something I've been considering posting, so I'll "go for it".

 

People have been recommending headset mics as a direct replacement for this style of mounting but I see them as two slightly different applications.

 

The sort of mounting that Gareth has so nicely illustrated it at least attempting to be inconspicuous. I imagine that, from the audience, they are fairly hard to see. In my opinion, this makes them more suitable for shows where you don't want to draw attention to the fact that the cast is wearing microphones and the sound is being amplified.

 

Headset mics, even flesh coloured ones, are pretty hard to disguise and, due to shadows etc. remain fairly obvious even from the audience. Now, on many shows this really doesn't matter but it might be hard to justify headsets on characters in the French revolution or street vendors in Victorian England.

 

Obviously, the appearance isn't the only consideration. In loud shows--or school shows where the cast refuse to project--sometimes you need the extra GBF that headset mics give you, whatever the effect on the "design". We've all been there. However, this isn't always the case and I do think that the sound department needs to be aware of the visual impact their microphone choices are going to have on a show.

 

As a final thought, assuming the sort of show where reinforcement is subtle and over-ear mounts are suitable...I actually prefer the sound of a hairline mic. I find the sound from that position is more natural and needs a lot less EQ to sound good. (As an aside, I once saw somebody's university dissertation on exactly this, "proving" that hairlines are a better place for mics--something to do with resonances in various cavities. I can't find a copy with Google...but I know that to me it sounds better!) Anyway, for obvious reasons this position isn't always suitable (for example, if I was an actor, I'm bald as a billiard ball--hard to hide a mic and nothing to clip to!). However, this position is yet another option to consider.

 

Bob