Microphone Technique for Speeches, Presentations and Live Events

A good microphone cannot compensate completely for poor microphone technique. The distance between the microphone and the person speaking, the direction in which it is held, movement while speaking and even what someone does with their free hand can all affect what the audience hears. In many situations, improving the way a microphone is used can produce a greater improvement in clarity than simply turning the sound system up.

This is particularly important at weddings, corporate functions, conferences and other occasions where microphones are passed between people who may have very different levels of experience. An MC might be completely comfortable using a handheld microphone, while the next person giving a speech may rarely have used one before. A vocalist will generally understand the importance of staying close to the microphone, whereas someone making a presentation may instinctively hold it near their chest or continually move it away from their mouth.

Understanding a few basic principles can prevent many of the most common microphone problems. You do not need to become a sound technician to use a microphone effectively. The objective is simply to give the microphone a strong, consistent voice signal so that the sound system can reproduce that voice clearly for the audience.

Distance Matters More Than Most People Realise

One of the most common microphone problems is simply holding it too far away. A handheld microphone intended for speech or vocals generally works best when it is kept reasonably close to the mouth. Moving it down towards the chest might feel more natural to someone who is not accustomed to speaking into a microphone, but it substantially reduces the level of the direct voice reaching the microphone.

When the voice reaching the microphone becomes weaker, the natural temptation is to increase the microphone gain or overall system level. That can also increase the contribution of sound from the room and loudspeakers, reducing the margin available before feedback occurs. The better solution is usually to improve the source signal first: bring the microphone closer to the person speaking.

Consistency is almost as important as distance. If someone repeatedly moves the microphone towards and away from their mouth, the level heard by the audience changes with every movement. A technician can compensate for gradual changes to some extent, but it is difficult to correct a microphone that is constantly moving between a few centimetres from the mouth and chest height.

The same principle applies when someone turns their head. If the microphone remains stationary while the person turns away from it to look at a screen, another speaker or part of the audience, their voice may suddenly become quieter. With a handheld microphone, the simplest solution is to allow the microphone to follow the direction of the mouth rather than leaving it pointing at where the speaker's face used to be.

This is one reason a brief microphone explanation before speeches or presentations can be so useful. Telling someone to keep the microphone reasonably close and maintain a consistent distance takes only a few seconds and can materially improve what every person in the audience hears.

How to Hold a Handheld Microphone

A handheld vocal microphone such as the Shure SM58 is designed to be held by its body, with the grille unobstructed. The grille is not simply a protective cover. The microphone's acoustic design relies on openings around the microphone head to achieve its intended directional behaviour.

Cupping a hand around the grille can alter that behaviour. It can reduce the microphone's ability to reject sound arriving from unwanted directions and make feedback more difficult to control. It can also change the tonal character of the microphone. The familiar practice of wrapping a hand around the microphone head may have a particular visual association with some styles of performance, but from a sound-reinforcement perspective it is generally better to hold the microphone by the body and leave the grille clear.

The microphone should also be directed towards the mouth rather than simply held vertically because that feels comfortable. For normal speech, keeping the microphone close and angled naturally towards the speaker's mouth provides the sound system with a much stronger direct signal than holding it low and expecting it to collect the voice from a distance.

Someone giving a speech may also be holding notes, a telephone or a glass. Where possible, organise this before they begin. If both hands are occupied, the microphone tends to drift away from the mouth as the person becomes absorbed in what they are saying. A microphone stand can be useful when the person genuinely needs both hands free, although a fixed stand also means they need to remain in an appropriate position relative to the microphone.

For singers, microphone technique can become part of the performance. Experienced vocalists may deliberately alter microphone distance to accommodate changes in vocal level, bringing it closer for quieter passages and moving slightly farther away during powerful notes. That is quite different from an inexperienced speaker unconsciously moving a microphone around. In both cases, however, the relationship between the voice and microphone has a direct effect on what reaches the PA system.

Speeches, Weddings and Corporate Presentations

Wedding speeches are a classic example of why microphone technique matters. Several people may use the same microphone over a relatively short period, and their natural speaking volumes and microphone experience can vary enormously. One person may speak confidently with the microphone close to their mouth, while the next holds it at waist or chest height and speaks quietly. From the audience's perspective, it can sound as though the PA system has suddenly stopped working properly even though nothing in the system has changed.

The MC can help considerably by giving each speaker the microphone in an appropriate position and, where necessary, offering a simple instruction before they begin. There is no need for a technical lecture. A reminder to keep the microphone close to the mouth and speak normally is often enough. If someone starts holding it too low during the speech, a discreet prompt can be more effective than continually increasing the system level.

Corporate presentations introduce similar issues. A presenter may turn towards a screen, walk between different parts of a stage or interact with members of the audience. If they are using a handheld microphone, it needs to move with them and remain directed towards their mouth. A wireless microphone can provide useful freedom where movement is genuinely part of the presentation, but wireless operation does not remove the need for good microphone technique.

Panel discussions and question-and-answer sessions create another challenge because microphones may be passed between people. A person asking a question from the audience can easily begin speaking before the microphone reaches them or lower it halfway through their question. If the question needs to be heard by the entire room, it is worth waiting until the microphone is properly positioned before beginning. The same applies when a microphone is passed between panel members.

The sound system should make speaking easier, not encourage people to shout. With an appropriately configured PA system, someone using a microphone should generally be able to speak naturally. If they feel they need to project as though there is no amplification at all, the microphone position or system setup may need attention.

Microphone Technique and Feedback

Feedback is often described as a sound-system problem, but microphone technique can contribute significantly to it. Feedback occurs when sound reproduced by a loudspeaker reaches a microphone, is amplified again and returns to the loudspeaker as part of a repeating loop. When the loop becomes sufficiently strong at a particular frequency, the familiar ringing, whistle or howl appears.

Holding the microphone close to the mouth helps because it increases the level of the wanted voice relative to other sound reaching the microphone. That stronger direct signal means the system may not need as much gain to achieve an appropriate vocal level for the audience. Holding the microphone a long way away does the opposite: the voice becomes weaker at the microphone while sound from the surrounding room remains present.

Direction matters as well. Directional microphones are designed to favour sound arriving from particular directions while reducing sensitivity elsewhere. Pointing a microphone directly towards a main loudspeaker or walking in front of the PA while continuing to use it can undermine that advantage. Someone using a handheld microphone should therefore be aware of where the main speakers are located and avoid deliberately pointing the microphone towards them.

Covering or cupping the microphone grille can also change its directional characteristics, potentially making the system more susceptible to feedback. If feedback begins, the answer is not automatically to keep speaking and hope it disappears. The microphone position, loudspeaker relationship and operating level all need to be considered.

Our guide to how to stop microphone feedback at a function explores these causes in more detail. The important point for the person holding the microphone is simpler: keep it reasonably close, keep the grille clear, point it towards the voice rather than the loudspeakers and avoid wandering directly in front of the PA.

Good Microphone Technique Starts Before the Audience Arrives

The best time to solve microphone problems is before the function begins. Once guests are seated, a wedding speech has started or a presenter is standing on stage, there is considerably less opportunity to change the physical setup or explain how equipment works.

Test every microphone through the actual sound system. For wireless systems, check batteries and confirm that the receiver and transmitter are operating correctly. For wired microphones, check the XLR cables and make sure the cable route is practical. Where cables need to cross appropriate pedestrian areas, suitable cable covers should be considered. Powered speakers and other equipment may also require extension leads, so the complete setup should be thought through rather than treating the microphone as an isolated item.

Listen from the audience area rather than judging the result entirely from beside the mixer or loudspeaker. A voice that sounds loud at the front of the room may be much less clear farther away. If possible, have someone speak through the microphone while another person listens from several positions. This also provides an opportunity to establish a sensible microphone level before the audience arrives.

If several people will use the microphone, explain the basics to the MC, presenter or person coordinating the programme. They can then help speakers use it correctly when the time comes. At a wedding, this can be as simple as asking the MC to remind each speaker to keep the microphone close. At a conference or presentation, a short soundcheck with the principal speakers can identify problems before they become public.

Microphone technique is a small part of organising a function, but it has a disproportionate effect on what an audience experiences. A well-chosen microphone, appropriate loudspeaker placement and sensible system configuration provide the foundation. Keeping the microphone close, using it consistently and understanding its relationship with the loudspeakers allows that system to do its job.

If you are still deciding which microphone is appropriate, start with our Microphone Hire for Events: A Complete Guide to Choosing the Right Microphone. You can also browse current options through Microphone Hire Adelaide, or explore sound system hire if the microphones form part of a complete PA requirement.