PRO TIPS:
Audio
When you are in the midst of planning your speaking engagement there are a million things running through your mind and the audio should not be one of the things you have to worry about. It can be difficult whether you have one person speaking or multiple presenters so we have created a checklist along with some information to help guide you through this process and ensure that you and your audio team are all on the same page.
Audio Checklist:
How many microphones are needed?
To answer this question, think about how many main presenters you will have and if there is a panel discussion, don't forget about your moderator. Also think about if you will need any additional microphones for a Q&A portion.
How many speakers will be needed? Depending on the venue and audience size, your audio team should be able to make a recommendation on how many speakers they think is appropriate to make sure that all of your guests have a smooth and even listening experience. Typically we recommend two speakers per every hundred people.
Background music? Think about if your event will have a need for background music, depending on the type of event, most people like to have some type of music playing as guests enter the room before the event starts, and also as guests are leaving the room once the event has concluded. Typically your audio team will just bring an extra laptop for this, but also make sure if there is a specific type of music you want played to let me know or send them a playlist ahead of the event.
Do you want your audio recorded? This is usually done pretty easily and done through the mixing board, just be sure that is you have a need to record all of the audio you let your team know ahead of your event.
Types of Microphones
LavalierMICROPHONE:
This type of microphone is typically the microphone of choice for most speakers as it allows them to keep their hands free, is small and will easily clip onto a jacket or blouse. However, this type of microphone does have some drawbacks, since the microphone is clipped to a jacket or blouse it is lower down from the mouth which can sometimes make the speaker sound slightly distorted. Also, if your speaker moves around a lot and turns their head often they are sometimes speaking away from the microphone, which again can make it a little more difficult to hear.
HANDHELD WIRELESS MICROPHONE:
Most of your presenters will prefer to have a hands free microphone that we will discuss below, but wireless microphones are sometimes used in panel discussion and are the best choice for doing a Q & A portion as they are portable and can easily be passed around.
HAVALIERMICROPHONE:
Headset Microphone: This microphone is considered a step above a lavalier even though most presenters still prefer a lavalier. This microphone sits on top of the ear and allows the microphone to be directed towards the presenters mouth, which allows for their speech to be more clearly heard despite walking around or turning their heads. This microphone also has less of a chance of feedback than a lavalier microphone. However, most presenters do not like to have something over their ear and the microphone running along their cheek.
Crowd Sizes:
- Crowds of less than 50 people: Sometimes if you have a small audience in a small room than people choose not to use a microphone and usually that works out fine as long as the presenter is able to project their voice. If it is a small crowd in a larger room we would typically recommend a small sound system as the large room can make the sound more difficult to be heard without any amplification.
- Crowds of 50 – 300 people: When you have a crowd of this size you will definitely be looking to use a sound system. Depending on the size and layout of the room your audio team will make suggestions on how many speakers they feel are necessary, but again we typically recommend two speakers per every 100 people. We also recommend adding in one Q & A microphone per 100 people, so if you have a crowd size of 300 you will want to have three Q & A microphones.
- Crowds of 300 people or more: Crowds this size usually have multiple speakers presenting and are usually in a large space. When you have an audience this large it is definitely important to discuss with your audio team what types of microphones your speakers prefer to use ahead of time. Also when you have a large crowd of this size your audio team should ensure to place speakers evenly around the room so the sound can be dispersed at a low, even level so that everyone can hear the presentations at a lower volume, rather than fewer speakers but higher volumes.
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