• Audio

  How to deal with people used to public speaking

  Posted by Mark Thompson on February 24, 2018 at 8:45 am

  A couple of times recently I hit a problem that caught me off guard. It is to do with people that are used to speaking to an audience without any pa. So they are used to speaking relatively loudly so all their audience can hear them.
  When you do an audio check the recording levels are satisfactory but once they start to speak, to record, they switch into their public speaking mode and your audio is recorded too hot (with some small level of clipping).

  Fortunately I had some backups and I got a good recording. However a mic some feet away from the speaker always has a little room echo.

  How would you deal with that?

  tia

  Ty Ford replied 8 years, 2 months ago 4 Members · 4 Replies
• 4 Replies

• 

  Bob Mark

  February 24, 2018 at 1:58 pm

  I had a similar issue many years ago when I was working with stage actors who were used to projecting their voices.
  We had to do some rehearsals to get them used to speaking at a normal volume level. Your situation is a bit different. Does the room have a PA system? If the audience can’t hear the speaker, then he/she will obviously speak louder for the recording. Be ready to adjust your input trim control when the speaker starts, just riding the volume may not be enough. Ask them to give you a mic check at the volume level they will use in the presentation. You have to be ready for a “performer.” That’s just their style. Imagine working with a stand up comedian or a preacher. Just be ready to ride your input pad.

  Bob
• 

  Mark Thompson

  February 25, 2018 at 9:15 am

  In these cases there was no audience to speak to, just the camera. I like the “rehearsal” idea. That will feature in my next recording!
• 

  Eric Toline

  February 25, 2018 at 10:05 pm

  When possible always ask for “performance” level to set your levels.

  \”I push the RECORD button and hope for the best\”
• 

  Ty Ford

  February 27, 2018 at 3:39 am

  Hi Mark,

  Yes, you do have to have enough gain control to allow for the LOUD PERSON.

  Sometimes it’s nerves. Sometimes they are theater people trained to hit the back wall because they have seldom used a mic. Sometimes they are very uncertain they are being heard in the space and that uncertainty leads them to bellow. Of course, they don’t realize that the lav is picking them up.

  You might call that first take a rehearsal. Just a paragraph or two. If they bellow, cut and do a playback for them that they can see and hear. That might allow them to “get it” that they don’t need to bellow.

  That MAY work, but some people can’t change.

  Regards,

  Ty Ford
  Cow Audio Forum Leader

  Want better production audio?: Ty Ford\’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide
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