Instructors -- need microphone advice please

[maxwells]

To the other instructors out there who use microphones...

what is my problem? I have so much frustration with these things. I MUST be doing something wrong. So -- for a mic that requires a pack, do you guys use a belt? Or somehow clip it on? Over your clothes? Under your clothes? Around your waist? Where do you place the pack (in the back)? Did you purchase your own belt (the "community" ones at the gym are oh so icky)? Is there some "tips" you can give me?

I'm having a heck of a time with the microphone thing these days! It keeps cutting out (which doesn't happen to other instructors...so must be me, not the mic).

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Shonie

 

[endorphin_junkie]

Hey Shonie: I feel your pain, sometimes it feels like dealing with the microphone is the hardest part of the workout.

At my gym a tune belt is required as moisture is bound to get into the mike pack if it's clipped directly on clothing. You are so right, the community belt is uber-icky!!! I wear my tune belt around my waist at the back, more to the side that the wire comes out of the headset (I think that makes sense?!). I run the wire and pack under my top and then put it into the belt so the wire is out of my way. When I'm done I put my battery in the tune belt so that I don't end up with a bunch of half drained batteries in my gym bag. A CD belt that's meant for runners is a bit too bulky so if you can find a belt specific to the mikes it works a lot better. They are usually available from the music companies ie. Dynamix. HTH! Good luck with your next classes. Now if you have any advise about that unpredictable and extremely annoying feedback, I'd love to hear it.:7

Take Care
Laurie

 

[claridge]

Hi from one instructor to another

I use a belt that clips around more on my hips than waist, and over my exercise pants. The belt has a battery pouch that I wear at the small of my back so the mirocphone cord is out of the way of my moving arms. I found this the best way for me because I forever got my arm tangled up in the cord when I placed the pouch on my hip. All the instructors I work with have their own microphone belts purely for hygiene (hence the sweat factor) but we have two communial microphone head sets. One is always on re-charge so we are never without one.

The only comments I can make reguards feedback, cutting out, etc is from my own experience. In my gym we just know that one instructor or another (usually a male instructor) will not leave the stereo set up as is for base, pitch etc, alone!. Nothing like lots of knobs and flashing lights to get the guys to have a play. So, first thing before your class, check all the connections are plugged in correctly and firmly and all the buttons and knobs are set in the position where they should be. Secondly, make sure your battery is not running low as this will definatly effect how loud your voice is projected to the back of the room, and also that you have the mirocphone mouth piece close enough to your mouth. Feedback is usually caused by standing to close to the speakers or the music volume is set to high in relation to the microphone volume. The idea is to de-crease your music volume not in-crease your microhone volume. Cutting out usually means that the in-put and out-put connectors from the microphone box system to your head set are not quiet connecting all the time - I would check all the plug ins are firmly in for this one and also that the conections are dust free. Microhone systems are very sensitive to the build up of dust.

The last suggestion is to have another instructor or staff member come in and as you instruct a mock class, they can see and hear exactually whats going on.

Hope some of this helps you. I remember the first time I used a microphone and nearly freaked out thinking I would break it or would use it incorrectly and just embarris myself in front of the class, but Ive found that any of the problems I do encounter once in a while have been really simple to correct, almost to my own "dah". You are not alone.

 

[sher]

I teach for comm. ed. center and supply my own equipment. I used a mic til mine broke a year ago. Now I use shear lung power(fortunately I have a deep and carrying voice). Man has my lung capacity grown! I have big (35+) classes and manage to get my voice to the back of the room. No more dealing with mikes that cut out or replacing all those batteries...