Before the service, arrange with the person doing sound to do a quick sound check. Choose your pulpit height and set up the document stand. Set up the microphone. Speak into the microphone as you will be speaking to the congregation. This is the best time to figure out where you need to be in relation to the mic, and to adjust the mic properly. Bear in mind that once the room fills up with people it won’t be as reverberant and will seem “quieter.”
Speaking at the Pulpit
Always use a mic. Remember that the services are being recorded, and some won’t be able to hear you without amplification. Therefore, even you feel that you can be heard “off mic,” when you aren’t speaking into the mic, you aren’t being recorded. Also, we have many congregants who absolutely need presenters to use amplification in order to hear them.
Therefore, please always speak into a microphone even if you think you don’t need to.
When testing the microphone, please do not tap or blow into the microphone. Speak normally and stand in relation to the pulpit as you will when speaking during the service.
When moving the mic, please don’t grab or hold the front (grill) of the microphone: move the mic by grasping the housing/handle of the mic.
Move the mic up or down and adjust the gooseneck so that the front of the microphone is pointing at your mouth, and is about two hand-widths away from your mouth and pointed slightly upwards at your mouth (speaking above the mic will helps prevent nasal noise). Ensure that the mic gooseneck is not touching the document stand or your notes/documents. See picture at right.
The pulpit mic is directional. Speak in the direction of the microphone and have the mic pointed at your mouth, so you are speaking toward the front, not the sides, of the microphone.
1.Tip: Pretend that the mic has a flashlight shining out of it: your goal is to always shine that light on your mouth.
If you turn your head to look left or right while speaking, you need to compensate with your body and move the opposite direction – move right or left, respectively – so that the sound from your mouth is still entering the mic’s field of pickup at the front of the mic. See diagram.
Remember to project your voice.
2.Just because there is a microphone does not mean that you can speak as quietly as you want and still be heard. Speak as if the person you are speaking to is about 10 feet in front of you. Also, be careful not to “drop your voice” or turn your head when you are reading a meditation or “making an aside” – your words will be lost.
To make your voice louder move closer to the mic – but not closer than one hand width. If you are too close to the mic bursts of air (“plosives”) will cause popping, and the mic will amplify the bass frequency of your voice in an odd way.
If another person moves the mic for themselves during the service, move the mic back to its former position before you begin speaking again.
Using a Stand-Mounted or Hand-Held Mic (such as the Chalice Mic)
Always use a microphone, even if you think you don’t need to, because: 1) services are being recorded; and 2) some people can’t hear you unless your voice is amplified.
When using the mic in the stand:
Adjust the mic stand up or down so that the front of the microphone is pointing at your mouth, is about one hand-width away from your mouth, and is pointed slightly upwards at your mouth (speaking above the mic will helps prevent nasal noise).
This microphone is designed to be held closer to the mouth than the pulpit mic.
Any closer than 2-4 inches and you may cause popping (popping is caused when “plosives” like “p,” “t” and “d” are spoken and the air from your mouth hits the mic).
Too far from the mic may cause your voice to be too soft to be heard, and/or create feedback when the sound person turns up the mic and then the mic picks up the sound from the speakers.
When holding the mic:
To prevent handling noise, hold the mic firmly and don’t rub your fingers on it.
Don’t cup your fingers around the grille of the mic – just hold onto the handle. Holding the grille can create a resonance that causes feedback and creates a strange tone quality.
Hold the mic so that the front of the microphone is pointing at your mouth, is about one hand-width away from your mouth, and is pointed slightly upwards at your mouth (speaking above the mic will helps prevent nasal noise). If you are reading a childrens’ story and someone else is holding the mic for you, please instruct them to point the mic at your mouth.
3.This microphone is designed to be held closer to the mouth than the pulpit mic, however any closer than 4-5 inches and you may cause popping (popping is caused when “plosives” like “p,” “t” and “d” are spoken and the air from your mouth hits the mic).
4.If you are too far from the mic your voice may to be too soft to be heard, and/or create feedback when the sound person turns up the mic and then the mic picks up the sound from the speakers.
If you have a very powerful or loud voice, hold the mic slightly vertically but still lower than your mouth, and speak somewhat across the mic rather than into it (see picture of Barak Obama). This will direct the air over the mic and reduce popping.
Avoid feedback: Do not point the microphone at the speakers or at the monitor, if you are using one.
5.When working with a hand-held mic in front of the speakers, point the mic at your mouth when speaking and shield the mic with your body when you are not speaking, and don’t wave the mic around.
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