007 Top 5 Microphone Technique Tips

02/11/21 • 15 min

1 Listener

Today's episode is about microphone techniques. We will let aside the different mic setups and styles, and we will focus on the universally beneficial tips when it comes to speaking on a microphone. We will talk about body alignment, the better way of facing a microphone, the ideal distance from the mic and much more.

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

The importance of body alignment when speaking on a mic
How to let the microphone take your voice
Plosives and how to play across the microphone
It's not about you or the mic - it's about the listener
How hydration can help our microphone technique

These five tips apply to voice professionals, but they are also helpful for Zoom meetings or virtual presentations. Time and practice will help you perfect these techniques, and still, they'll have a visible impact in your voice performance from day one.

Big thanks goes to Jack Evans for creating music for this podcast!

Resources:

B Double E https://b-double-e.co.uk/services/
Nic's Quick Voice Tips - Alignment and Avoiding Vocal Fatigue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTRu3Yq7nnI&t=3s
Join my Facebook group Voice & Accent Hub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthubb

Mentioned in this episode:

Get my book here

Buy Nic's Book

Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now

Get my book here

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

The importance of body alignment when speaking on a mic
How to let the microphone take your voice
Plosives and how to play across the microphone
It's not about you or the mic - it's about the listener
How hydration can help our microphone technique

Big thanks goes to Jack Evans for creating music for this podcast!

Resources:

B Double E https://b-double-e.co.uk/services/
Nic's Quick Voice Tips - Alignment and Avoiding Vocal Fatigue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTRu3Yq7nnI&t=3s
Join my Facebook group Voice & Accent Hub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthubb

Mentioned in this episode:

Get my book here

Buy Nic's Book

Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now

Get my book here

Previous Episode

006 How to Improve Your Voice with a Vocal Cool Down

In this episode, I want to talk about a different aspect of vocal health, neglected for some and appreciated for others: the vocal cool-down. Just as in any sport, some movements are necessary before and after every performance to reset the body. We will go through an easy to follow step-by-step routine to perform a perfect vocal cool-down.

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

Why vocal cool-down is important
The impact of vocal cool-down on professional voice users
The step-by-step vocal cool-down routine
How to transition from a heightened physical state back to our senses

Research on vocal cool-downs is still in its infancy, but so far it has not shown any negative outcomes. That means that a vocal cool-down might have different levels of impact on vocal users, but it's something we must try and experience for the sake of our vocal health.

Thanks to Jack Evans for creating the music for The Voice Coach Podcast!

Resources:

The Efficacy of Cool Down Exercises by Kari Ragen (originally published in the Journal of Voice) 2018 https://www.nats.org/_Library/JOS_On_Point/JOS-074-5-2018-521_-_Efficacy_of_Vocal_Cool-Down_-_Ragan.pdf
The Impact of Vocal Cool-down Exercises: A Subjective Study of Singers' and Listeners' Perceptions 2016 https://www.jvoice.org/article/S0892-1997(15)00227-1/abstract
The Value of Vocal Warm-up and Cool-down Exercises: Questions and Controversies by Rima A. De Fatta and Robert T. Sataloff, (Journal of Singing) 2012 http://www.vocapedia.info/_Library/JOS_files_Vocapedia/JOS-069-2-2012-173.pdf
3 point neck stretch - Nic's Quick Voice Tips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA6sEJJZohM
The Vocal Cool Down, Your Secret Weapon by Dane Chalfin, vocal rehab expert https://www.vocalrehabilitation.com/post/the-vocal-cool-down-your-secret-weapon
Join my Facebook group Voice & Accent Hub: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevoiceandaccenthubb

Mentioned in this episode:

Get my book here

Buy Nic's Book

Head to onthemicbook.com to get your copy now

Get my book here

Next Episode

008 Why Posture is Important for Reducing Vocal Fatigue

Today I want to talk about posture, and why it is essential for reducing vocal fatigue. You will understand the secret to improving your posture when speaking, and we will also talk about the four questions you need to ask yourself to turn body alignment awareness into a habit, and the exercises and activities that can help you with it as well.

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

What is body alignment
How the lack of alignment affects our voice performance
The kink in the straw effect
The ultimate secret of body alignment
Four questions to quick-check your body alignment
How understanding body alignment brings freedom

Once we are aware of our body alignment, we can start making it a habit. Bad posture can have devastating effects on our voice, and to fix it, we need to understand voice as a holistic experience, and be mindful of the connection between our body parts.

P.S. Thank you Jack Evans for making the music for this podcast!

Resources: