On Feb 18, 2010, Dan McLean Jr aka, Magic Roadie wrote:
That's a very god observation, Matthew. It's just a regular (albeit expensive), omni-directional lav mic. Such placement (so far from the mouth), however, must be predicated by performance-specific & venue-specific audio system design, and careful operation of the PA system. Design & implementation of musical theatre audio systems is very no mean feat, and specifically, making the voices loud-enough without feedback, is tremendously difficult.

This is not to say that it is not possible for a hairline mic to suffice for you in some situations, but I do not exaggerate in saying that it will NOT suffice in a good chunk of your shows.

The choice between these types, weighing the balance betwen feedback resistance and visibility, boils down to this:
- A full-size headset will be momentarily noticed by a small portion of your audience, but every audieince member will hear you all the time, assuming your PA is powerful enough.
- A tiny headset/earset will be momentarily noticed by a smaller portion of your audience, but in some venues, you will not be heard by some portion of the audience, because you'll have to keep the mic turned down in order to avoid feedback.
- A lav mic, on the chest or hairline, will be noticed by almost noone, but you will have even more venues in which you will not be heard by an even larger portion of the audience, because you'll have to keep the mic further turned down in order to avoid feedback.

These facts are tremendously challenging to the world's greatest musical theatre sound designers, who have at their disposal the best microphones, the best PA systems, many years of experience, many months of performance-specific & venue-specific PA system design, and speakers dispersed all throughout the venue with individual control over each speaker.

It is my opinion that every magician can afford minor audience distraction as the result of microphone visibility.
It is a fact that no magician can afford for any audience member to not hear them clearly.

Further, our job is to entertain. If our microphone attracts more attention than our stage illusion, or our lovely assistant, or our sealed prediction, or our Magic Colouring Book, or our cups & balls, or our D'Lite, our our Hippity Hop Rabbits, or ... you get the point ... then my opinion is that the problem is not our mic: It is our ability to entertain.

Whenever I guide a friend in the purchase of a wireless mic system, if they want a tiny headset/earset or a lav, I also insist that they also purchase a full-size headset. This way, whenever they are not able to get by with their low-visibility mic, they have a sure-fire back-up. (By the way, I do NOT make brand recommendations here ath the Café, even in private messages.)

For more tips on mic selection, speaker placement, and so on, check the Web site in my signature.

Cheers from Toronto!

On Dec 1, 2014, Dynamike wrote: showmanship.

Jeff McBride uses the hand help mic with the holder around his neck.