Carry On Audio Box

The last time I flew, I had some of my audio equipment damaged that was in my checked luggage. What I think happed was when TSA screened my show case, they did a horrible job of repacking my stuff, which led to some stuff being damaged.

I’ve decided that I’m going to carry on my audio gear from now on…or until I get lazy. I went out to harbor freight and bought a Pelican Style hard sided case that has foam inside.

live show audio

I’ve used the “pick n’ pluck” style foam before and it has never really lasted for me. For this audio box, I cut cardboard to reenforce the foam walls, and hopefully this will add some durability to the foam.

I’ve just finished my first round trip flight with this case and it seems to be holding up…

-Louie

Using a Mic Like Comic…

In my continuing effort to get better at using a handheld mic, I went out to a comedy show to watch how comedians hold and use the mic. It also helped that a buddy of mine was in town headlining the show, so it was a good chance to say hi.


All of the comedians in the show used a handheld mic, it’s rare to see a comic use anything else other than a handheld. One thing that I noticed I was doing and they all did was they used the mic as a prop. Kinda like how a conductor uses a baton, it was used to emphasize things they were saying. When I started using the handheld mic earlier this month, I noticed I was a lot more expressive with my hands. Normally my hands wouldn’t really have a reason to be near my face, and the motions I make holding the mic would look strange without holding the mic.

One thing I need to do now is watch my show and figure out where I can clean it up the unnecessary moves in and out of the mic stand.

A fun little side bonus is setting up my show is fast now that I don’t have to deal with my wireless headset mic!

-Louie

P.S. If you are want to learn to use, or get better with a handheld mic, I recommend Michael Kent’s video Microphone Management for Magicians! He does a great job covering pretty much all you need to know and it will save you some time.

Learning to Rock the Mic…

I’m still working through using a handheld microphone in the show. There’s definitely a learning curve. I’m getting better at it, but it’s an uphill slog. I have a lot of points where I’m holding the mic in my hand, then put it in the stand for a moment, only to quickly remove it.

Stage magic show

I really like how when I’m holding the mic in my hand, I’m a lot more expressive with my hands than when I’m wearing just a headset. I think holding the mic makes me more aware of what my hands are doing. It also puts a hand up near my face, so I can play more with motion that’s motivated.

As I get deeper into my show, I’m realizing that there’s going to be a lot of spaces where I’ll need to use the mic neck holder. That’s fine, I’ll need a joke to address it. Today I have to figure out how to do the reveal of the object in ball of yarn that’s the end of the longest routine in the show. I had to chunk this routine out into three bits to figure out the blocking, and today will be the third bit to figure out.

-Louie

Don’t Speak Up…

Whenever possible I try to go out and support magic shows. Last night I went out and saw a friend’s show. The show also had a musician and burlesque dancer in addition to my buddy’s magic show. It was a fun show. My main critique of the show was that lack of the use of … Continue reading “Don’t Speak Up…”

Whenever possible I try to go out and support magic shows. Last night I went out and saw a friend’s show. The show also had a musician and burlesque dancer in addition to my buddy’s magic show. It was a fun show.

My main critique of the show was that lack of the use of a microphone. There was a handheld mic, but only the singer used it. Using a mic is an important thing to do, it makes the show so much easier to pay attention to. My hearing is reasonably good, but I’m always amazed at how much I have to strain to hear an unmic’d performer.


Using a mic in whatever form is pretty cheap right now, compared to 15 years ago. You can get a cheapo headset mic and wireless pack and be good to go for probably less than about a hundred bucks. Would it be the best mic…no. Would it be better than no mic…probably.

Do It Now…

If you notice a problem in your show and it’s an easy fix, fix it. I know this, yet I didn’t do it yesterday. During my preshow I knew my mic cord was going bad, it was making crackly noises. I also had a new cord in my case, so I really didn’t have a … Continue reading “Do It Now…”

If you notice a problem in your show and it’s an easy fix, fix it. I know this, yet I didn’t do it yesterday. During my preshow I knew my mic cord was going bad, it was making crackly noises. I also had a new cord in my case, so I really didn’t have a good reason to not replace it. Then about 5 mins into the show, the crackly noises were too frequent and I had to stop the show to change the cord.


Had I decided to change the cord before the show started the show, I wouldn’t have had to stop the show as I was beginning to build some momentum. The lesson is take the minute and fix things that you know you will have to fix and not put it off. Nothing good can come of putting it off…especially when you have time to address it before it’s a problem.


Replacing the cord has put me in a situation where I now only have one back up cord. So the question is, do I order more now, or later? I do have a back up, but will eventually need more…

Mic Technique…

Last night I went out and saw a mentalist perform, and one of the things that stood out to me was how much audio can affect a show. I guess what I mean is that audio problems can really affect the show in a negative way. When sound works correctly, you don’t notice it as … Continue reading “Mic Technique…”

Last night I went out and saw a mentalist perform, and one of the things that stood out to me was how much audio can affect a show. I guess what I mean is that audio problems can really affect the show in a negative way. When sound works correctly, you don’t notice it as an audience member, however when it fails it’s very obvious.


Let’s start with one of the things that I hate, and that’s starting a show by saying, “can you hear me?”. That’s the worst opening line ever. You should just start talking and the sound guy, or audience will let you know if that can’t hear you.


The next thing is to be aware of your mic. The mentalist last night wore lapel mic clipped to his shirt (not jacket) at right in the middle of his chest. It was much lower than most people would wear it on their jacket. During the show he kept reaching into his inner jacket pocket and rubbing his arm across it making a loud scratching noise. For people in the audience, this is not comfortable on the ears.


The moral of the story is if you are doing a real show, and charging real admission, then get a real mic and learn to use it. The audience will never notice this, and that’s a good thing!