0520 – The Mic-To-Mouth Position

2022.06.04 – 0520 – The Mic-To-Mouth Position

Mic position

Look back at earlier in the book when we discovered how to sit and breath better. Hopefully you are still using that ‘home balanced-breathing position’ (from which you can vary slightly), to enable a good flow of air to and from your lungs.

In a TV studio it is sometimes ‘natural’ urge to lean in to the camera, but doing so squashes the abdomen. In the audio studio, try not to lean into the microphone to read as this will alter your ‘home position’ and disrupt the good work that you have achieved. Instead move the microphone towards you.

If you are podcasting or radio broadcasting, ensure that the microphone is at the right position for you. That’s easy if it’s on an adjustable ‘Anglepoise’ or ‘scissor arm’ holder, as you can sit up and hold your head up for airflow, and have the mic at mouth-height. If you can, move the mic to you: leaning towards it will create skeletal and therefore, vocal, tension.

But what if the mic is on a desk stand? It may be that you have to crick your neck down to talk into it, or even hunch over. Both of these actions will reduce your ability to practice affective breathing and breath control.

In fact, if, when presenting for radio or a podcast, you act as though you are on camera and being beamed into living rooms, you may naturally sit up and be more alert than you would be, alone in a radio booth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.