lav mic placement on ants inthe pants talent

[Steve Wargo]

Use a stick mic on an arm. We use an old Audio Technica 815 ($300). It has a narrow pattern and a roll off switch. Hang it above and in front of the CEO, aimed about 6″ in front of his mouth. If he is at a desk, make sure to use a desk pad to avoid some of the echo that a desk top will provide.

Good luck

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona

It’s a dry heat!

[Larry Watts]

Did I mention this is a TV program and it is for the television talk show host?

Larry

[Frank Nolan]

If you dont mind it being seen, clip it on to his collar.

[Edward Chick]

You could clip it directly on his tie. Also tape the tie down with gaff tape. Another option, hide the mic in the knot of his tie. Just because he is a CEO, does not mean you should feel intimated to talk to him. Inform him of the problem you are having with his tie brushing the lav. Most CEOS ( and I’ve hung or hid mics on a lot of top end auto execs here in Detroit) like to know if they sound or look good or bad. They are very image conscious. He is trusting you to make him sound good. Sometimes the hardest thing in dealing with CEOs is the junior executive ass kissers that are applying the pressure on the crew for no reason other than they think it makes them look in charge.
Boom mic is good option, but not for a talk show, unless you have dedicated boom op(s).

edward chick

[Bob Cole]

[edward chick] “Just because he is a CEO, does not mean you should feel intimated to talk to him.”

AND, guess who gets the blame if his audio sounds amateurish.

clue: NOT HIM.

[Andrew Commiskey]

This is a side note (all the above advice has covered most everything) What I am talking about is “Lav Mic Gravity” or LMG for short.
No mater where a lave mic is located or how many times you move it, the hands must hit, grab, or at least brush against it. I have no solutions (other than booming everything).
I just wanted to acknowledge the existence of this phenomenon.

Drew 🙂

Chaos is the beginning of everything.

[Bob Cole]

[Chaos Wrangler] “No mater where a lave mic is located or how many times you move it, the hands must hit, grab, or at least brush against it. I have no solutions (other than booming everything).”

Tram makes a “microphone cage” which helps. But you’re right, there are no solutions. And if you’re hiding the mic, then any problem with audio will be considered your fault, even though the real reason is that you’re working with uncooperative talent.

It’s not just a question of how to mic — it’s a political issue, because:
1. It’s the CEO’s fault, and
2. But you can’t blame the CEO.

To deal with the blame game, you have to make it blatantly obvious that it is the CEO and not you who is screwing up.

So DON’T hide the mic, because then it’s all on you.

I would clip the mic on a lapel, then use whatever accessories you need to secure the wire inside the jacket. That way, if the mic gets bumped, at least the viewer will see that it is the CEO who’s messing up the audio.

[Frank Nolan]

[Bob Cole] “But you’re right, there are no solutions. And if you’re hiding the mic, then any problem with audio will be considered your fault, even though the real reason is that you’re working with uncooperative talent.”

There is ALWAYS a solution. I dont see why this should be turned into a “blame game” or who’s fault should it be. If the CEO or the janitor for that matter have a habit of leaning forward or sticking the wire under their belt or what ever else they may do, it is the sound persons job to make them aware of the problems that can cause with their audio and try to find the best possible solution to eliminate, or at the very least minimize the problem. If you want to just blame the talent, you will never find a solution.

[Bob Cole]

I don’t disagree with Frank about trying to communicate, but I assumed from his first post that TalbotGrad had done that.

[Frank Nolan] “If you want to just blame the talent, you will never find a solution.”

You’re not allowed to blame the talent (esp. the CEO), but if the audio is bad, SOMEBODY will be blamed (=TalbotGrad). When somebody ignores my request not to fiddle with the wires, I just boom or rewire so that the talent can’t readily touch anything that isn’t on the screen. Being filmed is a high-stress thing for some people, and some of them can’t help but fidget, so just make it impossible for their fidgeting to screw up your audio. If your subject is so fidgety he can’t even stay in a chair, try a wireless.

Good luck!

— Bob C

[Will Salley]

https://www.locationsound.com/proaudio/ls/tips/techtips8_4.html

Also check out the TAI Audio catalog for tips on lav mic placement – specifically the one for hiding a lav in a necktie.

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