Why plaster mics on your face "NFL Today" at DVinfo.net

Don Parrish · November 14th, 2004, 11:10 AM

Years ago technology allowed us to stop holding mics in our hands, lav mics are great. Now everyone seems to be following the teenage stage singer style of plastering mics to their face by wrapping a wire around their head. It looks uncomfortable, it's distracting, and from what I can see has no actual use other than "cool", whats up with everyone in sports television using mics stuck to their face?

Gints Klimanis · November 15th, 2004, 05:50 PM

I'm not up on the latest, but I noticed the forehead mics
that were wrapped over the head at a recent "Little Shop of Horrors" performance. From the orchestra seats, I could see
the microphone, which blended in quite well as it was a clear
or flesh-colored plastic. It almost looked like a scar on a forehear.

Since the head-mounted mic tracks the position
of the mouth, the audio is totally consistent even when
singers sway their heads around. When the lav is on the body,
the voice receiver "beam" must be wider to handle variations in head postiion. Also, the clothes rustling is eliminated. I will
look into this as during my martial arts video, often
the body microphone is osbscured by the uke or "opponent",
resulting in muffled audio.

Hopefully, someone that works in theater
would be able to give us the low down on which mic models
these are.

John Hudson · November 15th, 2004, 10:45 PM

I too have noticed these and they look horrible. The "Flesh" Colored balls look like moles or skin bumps.

November 14th, 2004, 11:10 AM	#1
Don Parrish Major Player Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Tavares Fla Posts: 541	Why plaster mics on your face "NFL Today" Years ago technology allowed us to stop holding mics in our hands, lav mics are great. Now everyone seems to be following the teenage stage singer style of plastering mics to their face by wrapping a wire around their head. It looks uncomfortable, it's distracting, and from what I can see has no actual use other than "cool", whats up with everyone in sports television using mics stuck to their face?

November 15th, 2004, 05:50 PM	#2
Gints Klimanis Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 2,222	I'm not up on the latest, but I noticed the forehead mics that were wrapped over the head at a recent "Little Shop of Horrors" performance. From the orchestra seats, I could see the microphone, which blended in quite well as it was a clear or flesh-colored plastic. It almost looked like a scar on a forehear. Since the head-mounted mic tracks the position of the mouth, the audio is totally consistent even when singers sway their heads around. When the lav is on the body, the voice receiver "beam" must be wider to handle variations in head postiion. Also, the clothes rustling is eliminated. I will look into this as during my martial arts video, often the body microphone is osbscured by the uke or "opponent", resulting in muffled audio. Hopefully, someone that works in theater would be able to give us the low down on which mic models these are.

November 15th, 2004, 10:45 PM	#3
John Hudson Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: 32° 44' N 117° 10' W Posts: 820	I too have noticed these and they look horrible. The "Flesh" Colored balls look like moles or skin bumps.