How to avoid mechanical noise with lavaliers and headset mics?

[Hannes_F]

Hi,

I need some advice, please.

I attend a monthly recital series and the invited lecturers are interesting people but usually no professional speakers. So we need some amplification and I have tried both headset microphones and lavalier mics for that.

What drives me crazy is that I have so much mechanical noise - and with both types of mics. Either the cable moves on the clothes or inside the clothes or several layers of the clothes move against each other causing noise that is forwarded to the mic through the cable.

Could you give advice here, please?

Thanks
Hannes

[bishopthomas]

Most lav mics have some sort of strain relief system built in very close to the capsule. For headset mics you might try a piece of surgical tape holding the cable to the back of the neck with enough slack to allow movement. This is more of a theatre miking trick and I don't know how a lecturer would take to it. Oh yeah, always on the outside of clothes.

[Hannes_F]

Thanks bishopthomas.

Actually yesterday I used a little bracket to fix the headset cable at the coat of a speaker - nevertheless since she has long hair there was noise whenever she moved her head, and even more than without the the bracket.

Outside the clothes, really. I would not have thought that but I think it will help to reduce the clothes-to-cable friction noise. Practically speaking I am not sure the speakers like a flesh-coloured cable hanging down at their back and I see the danger of getting stuck.

The problem leaves me a little desperate still.

[bishopthomas]

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I mean the lav mic element, not the cable. So let me get this straight: You're saying that you're picking up noise from the cable rather than something scratching the element of the mic? What model microphones are you using? I've never had this problem in years of church and musical work.

[Karl_Lohninger]

make a small cable loop close to the capsule and fixate this loop with tape. this will stop noise transmission coming from the cable. Make sure nothing touches or rubs against the capsule or the mic body! Stay away from silk fabric or polyester as they produce static electricity that'll get you! Make sure (long) hair doesn't brush against the capsule. That's about it - but you've found out quickly that placing lavs is an art, seriously!

good luck, Karl

[matthewd]

Hannes

I have had good experiences with the Countryman Earset mics

Matt

[Student]

Filters and better mics? I like the tape idea.

[Remoteness]

Originally Posted by Karl_Lohninger

make a small cable loop close to the capsule and fixate this loop with tape. this will stop noise transmission coming from the cable. Make sure nothing touches or rubs against the capsule or the mic body! Stay away from silk fabric or polyester as they produce static electricity that'll get you! Make sure (long) hair doesn't brush against the capsule. That's about it - but you've found out quickly that placing lavs is an art, seriously!

good luck, Karl

Great suggestions from Karl -- this is how it's done!