Microphone Speaking (1969)

The man to whom we are about to present this award. >> But there are two parts which are always readily discernable. As we have just heard the transplanting of the peace rose is a very celebration. It is imperative. the original responsible for the hereditary. >> Undoubtedly, you have noticed that most newsworthy personalities appear to have strange metallic appendages growing up in front of their faces. As you have probably surmised, these benign growths are called microphones. Today, microphones are familiar extensions of many public figures, but this has not always been true. Suppose for example that a microphone had been thrust in front of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg. >> Four score and seven years ago R4 brought forth. What's wrong with this contraption? And if the orders at Bunker Hill had been issued over a public address system. Don't fire until you see the whites of >> What did he say? >> America might still be a British colony. >> And now, ladies and gentlemen, >> contrary to popular opinion, the modern public address system is not expressly designed to embarrass speakers with rockus noises. >> Properly used, it is a reliable tool which permits the speaker to communicate comfortably with a large audience. Today, anyone may be called upon at any time to speak over a public address system. On such an occasion, one might benefit by knowing something about microphone techniques. >> Your student body president, Richard. >> When confronted with the microphone for the first time, many speakers develop their own distinctive styles. >> Go big blue. All right. for one but get behind our feet. >> This young man's style, for example, might be called the lusty larynx approach. >> He studiously shuns the microphone, plants himself several paces away, and bellows at his audience. >> To his listeners, he may sound like this. >> That's important. They've got it. Look at their one lost record. Well, I know ours is kind of bad and our team spirit is a little poor, but it's because of every one of you. All right. All right. Now, at the same time, I want you all to realize that >> the lusty larynx style of delivery becomes acutely uncomfortable when someone attempts to compensate for the speaker's indistinct delivery by increasing the volume on the public address system. >> It then sounds like this. >> This unpleasant phenomenon is known as feedback. It works this way. The voice is picked up by the microphone and transmitted to the amplifier which boosts the volume for broadcasting through the speaker system. When the volume is raised too high, some of the sound from the speakers feeds back into the microphone, overloading the system and causing the annoying screech. Feedback can be halted temporarily by covering the microphone. It will recur unless the speaker moves into optimum microphone range >> and the volume control is adjusted downward accordingly in the auditorium and we would like for all of you. >> The transplanting of the piece rose is a very >> the hand microphone would appear to be the ideal solution to the feedback problem. Unless one is endowed with remarkably long arms, it is quite impossible to stand too far away from this type of microphone. >> Great pleasure to present as our guest speaker. >> Unfortunately, the hand microphone encourages a wholly different speaking style. >> This style may be called microphone mastication >> gives me great pleasure this afternoon, ladies, to be here to present the prizes for the beautiful flowers for Mrs. Adams Gardens. As you all know, >> the proponent of this technique appears to be nibbling at the microphone. >> Here's how it sounds to the audience. >> Flower to grow. In fact, it grows wild sometimes. But for it to become a blossom as beautiful as Mrs. Johnson grew it, it takes a lot of time. >> A popular variation on microphone mastication is microphone strangulation. While the mobile industry as a whole has risen the predicted 19% over the past year, >> the devity of this style twists, throttles, and shakes the microphone stand with a vengeance. >> Investor is not concerned only with the with the potentiality, the growth. >> He appears to be locked in mortal combat with a fearful opponent. >> Concerned with the management capability, >> the antithesis of microphone strangulation is the style that may be called treadmill oratory. is to attack the enemy. >> An air attack. >> The treadmill ortor is in perpetual motion. >> His pension for pacing may be attributable to a high metabolism rate or perhaps to the fear of presenting a stationary target to the audience. >> In any event, the audience hears only bits and pieces of what the treadmill or says. Each flight that a combat plane flies against the enemy is called authority. >> Of course, no serious syllabus of microphone styles would be complete without mentioning the double-jointed eleutionist. >> Present this award. >> He knows the purpose of the microphone, but is hardressed to use it properly because of its position. >> One of the finest athletes we've had in many years, John Anderson. Thank you very much. >> Although it is quite simple to adjust most microphones, and it is perfectly acceptable to ask the master of ceremonies to help adjust the more complicated ones, the avid double-jointed eleutionist invariably prefers to adjust his posture rather than the microphone. my fellow teammates for all their hard work and I'm really looking forward for next year >> and in this >> the speaking situation itself varies according to room acoustics sensitivity of the microphone and amplifier volume >> of malnutrition >> that's why the accomplished audienceoriented speaker watches and listens to the preceding speakers to judge the proper distance he should stand from the microphone when his turn comes He adjusts the microphone to the correct height, stands comfortably erect, and talks directly into the microphone in a normal conversational tone while maintaining eye contact with the audience. >> New cults in America. >> He usually listens carefully to his own voice being broadcast back to him through the speaker system and thus evaluates his clarity and volume. >> We've heard their incantations on that great deity, the guaranteed annual wage. Ladies and gentlemen, >> in a fieldhouse, stadium or very large auditorium, however, the sound reverberation may be so pronounced and distracting that the speaker must consciously try not to listen to himself. >> In this situation, the speaker must concentrate on what he is saying to avoid the distraction of hearing his own voice. I would like to make a few remarks as my term of office as president of this division comes to a close. >> If the audienceoriented speaker is ever in doubt about his listeners ability to hear him, he simply asks if everyone can hear. >> Indeed stopped by starvation. By the way, if there's anyone in the back of the room who can't hear me, please raise your hand. Thank you. But it's difficult for me. It is an act of common courtesy which the audience appreciates. >> Once he is certain he is communicating with the audience, he rarely turns his head away from the microphone except to cough or clear his throat. >> Reconcile these eloquent descriptions of rampant starvation with the facts. >> Thank you, Mr. Williams, for a very fine report. Now, let's go on. >> Coughing into a microphone can have a shattering effect upon an audience. The cell theory. >> The conscientious audienceoriented speaker faces a special problem in presenting visual aids. >> A negative example makes the point. >> Cells come in different sizes and shapes in different internal contents. But there are two things that can always readily be discernible through a microscope. The nucleus and the cytoplasm. The problem is obvious and so is the solution. >> Now we've talked about >> the speaker may position the visual aids within easy reach of the microphone. >> Now for the mitochondria >> or arrange for an assistant to handle the visuals while the speaker explains them from the microphone position. >> The nucleus contains the chromatic material >> whenever available. The lavalier microphone is the ideal solution to this problem. It was designed to permit the speaker to move about freely without breaking verbal contact with the audience. >> What's the cell all about? >> What's the cell membrane? >> Man has been called a reasoning animal. >> The accomplished audienceoriented speaker recognizes the microphone as a useful tool. And like any good craftsman, he permits his tools to do most of the work for him. For example, when he wishes to emphasize a point, he need not step backward and raise his voice. He can lean forward and lower his voice. >> One, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. In a radio station, the speaker often encounters two rather unique conditions. Come live with me and be my love. >> The absence of a visible audience and the necessity to read from a prepared script. >> Dale and field and all the craggy mountains yield. >> The combination of these two factors may cause an inexperienced radio speaker to freeze >> into a self-conscious somewhat mechanical delivery. >> Melodious birds sing madricals. Bring out the tall tales now that we told by the fire as the gas light bubbled like a diver. Ghosts will >> The more experienced radio speaker, however, uses gestures and facial expressions freely. He doesn't feel foolish about gesturing to the blank walls of an empty studio because he knows that these natural movements are automatically reflected in the tone and emphasis of his voice. And in radio, the voice is everything. It must transmit not only the speaker's message but also his attitude and personality. >> Holding a stone in his hand just in case all of us. >> Although the effective radio speaker may read his speech, it doesn't sound as if he's reading it because he concentrates on the meaning of the words rather than on the words themselves. >> We reached the black bulk of the house. >> I turn the gas down. Many successful radio speakers practice their delivery by recording their voices on tape. >> And then I slept. I turned the gas down. I got into bed. >> The playback of the tape gives the speaker an invaluable opportunity to hear himself exactly the way his audience will hear him. And when we' stopped running, we were outside, >> regardless of whether he is speaking on the radio >> or through a public address system. >> The single most important characteristic of the audienceoriented speaker is his ability to avoid the extremes in microphone technique. >> He neither stands back and shouts >> each and every one of you out there that dance that game tonight. >> You know how the poppy >> nor huddles close and whispers >> and it takes a lot of effort. The mobile industry as a whole has >> he neither grapples with the microphone >> the full 19% >> to repeat >> nor retreats from it. >> It gives me great >> he neither stretches on tiptoe >> to give this award >> nor bends double to reach it >> for presenting me with this trophy. Does that sound like >> He has discovered that microphones operate best when he uses the simplest, most natural approach to them. >> There is nothing remarkable about this style except for its effectiveness. >> Not by my definition of poverty.