Forehead microphones — Page 2

I've worn it over my ear, and on my forehead. I absolutely vote for over the ear... If there was a way to wear a mic well without mic tape I would be all over it!

The tape is VERY annoying at times, I admit. Although I have seen the need for it. In a production of West Side Story (community theatre) that I was in, Action did tumbling during the Mambo scene and his mic and cord were flailing around and were almost ruined. Luckily this was during an early dress rehearsal...

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Anyone with a serious interest in the topic should read THE RISE AND FALL OF THE BROADWAY MUSICAL by Mark D. Grant, which has a chapter devoted to the plague of amplification, its causes and consequences. As an overview, it is surely the most compellingly argued and important book on contemporary musical theatre currently on the market. A must-read.

Mic packs can be "stored" a few different ways. One is in the underwear. Hey it works, as long as you don't have to sit down. Another, better way, is called a "beltpack." It's basically a sock with an elatic band that goes around your waste. Mic pack in sock, stays put no problem. Either way, top-of-the-line mic packs are put IN a condom, to protect from sweat. Bet a lot of you didn't know that. Believe me, I know. After working a few road shows and getting used to it, it was interesting to see the look on the kids' faces when I was doing sound for our community theater. hahaha

Broadway and Opera are like apples and oranges. today's broadway stars can't handle opera, and today's opera stars can't pull off broadway. there are exceptions, but you're either good at one or the other. pros aren't even interested in trying to "cross over." opera houses are designed and built to amplify what comes from the stage. for example, it's not an opera house, but from the very back row of radio city, you can hear whispers from on the stage. the reason fro micing (yes, miCing) Broadway shows so much is to get a good mix (with the orchestra and the sound effects). since live sound effects aren't used anymore (and why would they be, there's so much more felxibilty now), the sound effects and voices need to be coming from the same source. it messes with the audience to hear a voice from the stage and effects from a speaker. there are many other reasons, but mics are now vital to broadway.

I think it has something to do with the spelling of the whole word... microphone. We just shorten it to mic.(And take out the -rophone) I don't think I've ever seen anyone spell it "mike" before, but Hey you see something knew everyday!

I definatly dont think mic's are neccessary. I did pippin about a year ago in a very small theatre with a LOUD band. I was Lewis and the director had me do alot of intersting movements that were very hard on my body. There were mic's for everyone but when tech came i just couldnt wear one because of my movements. We worked for 7 days from the crack of dawn till dust on my projection and it definatly worked. From looking at the tape you woudlnt even be able to notice i wasnt wearing a mic. I guess some actors would rather be stars and not have to worry about projection training as long as the mic does the work.

mics ARE a neccessity and NOT because singers can nnot project - true, they level the playing field between belters and meeker voices, but their purpose lies in big, elaborate production design.... now we have all of these show with huge automated lighting and effects that run on MOTORS.. motors make sound... no matter how quiet one motor is, when 50 of them are going at once, there IS noise.... like kids whispering in a classroom... actors are miced and the sound is balanced to not only aid the audience in hearinga nd integrating voices and sound effects, but to also cover the sound of the machinery involved in the show.

plumn,

it's about taking all of teh sound - singing, music, effects, dialougue, and mixing it to cover that. they don't care if you can hear the singer unmiced even with the motors... they don't want the sound of the motors heard period... and with 50 running, they would be heard without the proper micing and sound mix.


study sound design and you will see what i mean.

"Before microphones, performers belted out those scores without any aid, and they did it over the sound of orchestras that were larger than today's."

The orchestrations written before microphones were very different from today's orchestrations. Those performers from long ago, no matter how talented, could never sing over today's orchestrations.

I wear my mic under my wig cap and under my wig and it sits just below my wigline on my forehead. It can barely be seen.

I put the mic and mic pack (on the small of my back) on first then my pantaloons, petticoat, corset and then the rest of my costume. No one sees my mic chord or mic. Why would you see the cord? Wear it under your costume.

My mic is inside a condom to protect it from sweat...Our sound crew calls it "Safe Singing."

The orchestrations written before microphones were very different from today's orchestrations. Those performers from long ago, no matter how talented, could never sing over today's orchestrations.

Yes, I know. This is part of the problem. Is there really a need to have a damn rock band x3 as the orchestra?