Before the microphone, the way people speak
The right question is not “which microphone is best” but “how will the people on stage speak”. A speaker who stays seated at the table, one who walks around with a slide clicker and a moderator who hands over to the audience all need different microphones.
If the microphone is wrong, no mixer fully fixes it: either the voice is too weak, or raising it risks feedback. Choosing well at the start is what makes the biggest difference.
Speaker tables: the gooseneck
For tables and lecterns, the gooseneck microphone is the most reliable choice. It stays put, does not get passed around and, with a directional capsule, picks up the voice of the person in front of it and little of what happens around.
Distance matters: point the capsule at the mouth, about 15–30 cm away. Closer and you hear breath pops; further and the voice loses body and needs more gain.
An often overlooked detail: every time the number of open microphones doubles, the system loses about 3 dB before feedback. With six speakers at a table, a mixer with an automixer helps, opening only the microphones of the people who are talking. Many professional digital mixers, such as the Yamaha QL series, have one built in.
People who move: handheld or lavalier
The handheld wireless microphone is the easiest to use and the most resistant to feedback, because it sits close to the mouth. It is ideal for moderators, hosts and anyone who speaks briefly.
The lavalier, the small microphone clipped to clothing, leaves the hands free and suits people who speak at length and use slides. Clip it in the middle of the chest, about 15–20 cm below the chin, away from necklaces and badges that rub. Being further from the mouth, it works best in rooms that are not too noisy and with well-placed loudspeakers.
For people who turn their head a lot while speaking, a headset microphone is the best compromise: it stays at the same distance from the mouth in every position.
Questions from the audience
Questions are the moment when conference audio most often breaks down. Two solutions work: a handheld wireless microphone carried by a room assistant, or a microphone on a stand in the aisle where the audience queues.
- Plan at least two wireless microphones for the audience in large rooms.
- Ask people to give their name and organisation into the microphone.
- Repeat the question from the stage if it was asked without a microphone, especially when streaming.
How many wireless channels you need
Count the people who need a live microphone at the same time, not the total number of speakers. If five people take turns at the lectern, one microphone is enough; if four people speak on a panel, you need four, plus one for the moderator and one or two for the audience.
In a conference centre with several rooms and other events running, wireless frequencies must be coordinated with each other. Today’s digital systems make this much easier, but it is a check to do during set-up, not when the first speaker is already on stage.
The checklist before opening the doors
A few checks, always in the same order, prevent almost every problem.
- New or charged batteries in every transmitter, and a spare set at the control desk.
- Every microphone labelled with the speaker’s name or position.
- A soundcheck with the real speakers, not just the technician.
- Levels saved on the mixer as scenes, one per session.
- A backup microphone already connected and ready.
- Recording started and checked before the first session.
