Microphone skills

Tips and techniques of the trade

Moderators: Mr Awesomer, JesseMiner, CafeSavoy

Message
Author
User avatar
Bob the Builder
Posts: 525
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 6:53 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Microphone skills

#1 Post by Bob the Builder » Sun Jan 11, 2004 5:36 pm

One element on DJing that I’m not aware that we have discussed much on the board is how we use the Microphone. Whether it is just making general announcements at your local venue right up radio DJing at some stage most of us will us a mic.
How you use the microphone can really be a determining fact as to how much people enjoy you DJing. Let’s face it, it is very easy to sound very bad when you pick up a mic and start speaking.
So what I’m wondering is!
What skills or resources have you ever come across that have improved your microphone skills?
Is it possible to get the lousiest speaking person to start to sound some way wall?

Brian :)
Image

Nate Dogg
Posts: 886
Joined: Sat Dec 14, 2002 3:29 pm
Location: Austin, TX

#2 Post by Nate Dogg » Sun Jan 11, 2004 6:47 pm

Good topic.

Having good speaking skills makes a DJ appear more professional. There are almost always announcements to be made. Sometimes, I feel like I should get back into Toastmasters since I have gotten out of practice in public speaking since college and my annoucements sometimes show it.

Additionally, it takes a certain amount of skill to use the microphone to the best effect. I never had to use a microphone till I got into DJing.

Of course, most dancers I know tend to appreciate less talking and more music. So, I would say that a DJ who talks too much is worse than a DJ who is not a very effective public speaker, at least in the swing DJ world. But, public speaking is a part of the job and you might as well do your best.

P.S. - Some events have a separate emcee, this often takes the burden off the DJ, but a lot of times the DJ is also the default emcee.

shortyjul
Posts: 52
Joined: Wed Dec 18, 2002 3:44 pm
Location: Ithaca, NY

#3 Post by shortyjul » Sun Jan 11, 2004 11:21 pm

My rule of thumb-

Most announcements can be avoided by just steering people to a flyer table or person to get info on a specific event. In the case of my regular venue, I waive all announcements. I just talk to people face-to-face.

No announcement is as necessary as one might think, so think twice before turning on the microphone.




Don't forget the joys of karaoke, though. Everyone LOVES it when a dj sings along.
Last edited by shortyjul on Sun Jan 11, 2004 11:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

shortyjul
Posts: 52
Joined: Wed Dec 18, 2002 3:44 pm
Location: Ithaca, NY

#4 Post by shortyjul » Sun Jan 11, 2004 11:22 pm

double posting is COOOOOL.

User avatar
Yakov
Posts: 614
Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2003 8:02 pm
Location: Miami
Contact:

#5 Post by Yakov » Mon Jan 12, 2004 7:00 am

i had to learn some of these things from Jered... yes it looks easy but it's not

1) announcements: keep them short, end them abruptly.

good: "Hey everyone, there's a dance at the Naked Gopher club on Thursday Night featuring Bill Billagan and the Devo Hats, starting at 8 pm! Here's some Count Basie!"

bad: "Ok everyone... there's a dance at the Naked Gopher club on Thursday Night featuring Bill Billagan and the Devo Hats, starting at 8 pm... um... so you should go... ok... cool. Yeah, dance now."

2) speak up as if you were talking to the room without having a mic

3) don't listen to yourself through the speakers

4) hold it closer to your mouth than you think you need to

User avatar
gatorgal
Posts: 538
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2003 7:45 pm
Location: Austin, Texas
Contact:

#6 Post by gatorgal » Mon Jan 12, 2004 9:25 am

Yakov wrote: 1) announcements: keep them short, end them abruptly.

good: "Hey everyone, there's a dance at the Naked Gopher club on Thursday Night featuring Bill Billagan and the Devo Hats, starting at 8 pm! Here's some Count Basie!"

bad: "Ok everyone... there's a dance at the Naked Gopher club on Thursday Night featuring Bill Billagan and the Devo Hats, starting at 8 pm... um... so you should go... ok... cool. Yeah, dance now."
I agree... great topic.

Luckily, I don't have to make too many announcements... because I start the evening usually I say hello, remind everyone to pay if they started class late and just get to the music.

I don't like making announcements, and find it to be the most nerve-racking thing about DJing now. But I do pride myself on actually thinking about what I'm going to say when I do have the mic and keeping it short and sweet. I recognize that most people aren't listening to me anyway, and just want to keep dancing. :)

What's funny now is that one of our organizers does all the announcement duties. Because he's so long winded, disorganized and spends most of the time trying to get the dancers to listen to him, we've started dubbing him "The Principal" or "The Prefect" (a reference to Harry Potter for those who don't know).

As in... (some random dancer shouting during announcements) "Everyone shut up, Principal ---- is on the mic!!!" Or my fave... "Let's hear it for the Prefect!"

It amuses me even though I should be respectful and listen. :lol:

Tina 8)

ScottieK
Posts: 55
Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2002 2:56 pm
Location: Sacramento, Ca
Contact:

#7 Post by ScottieK » Mon Jan 12, 2004 2:03 pm

gatorgal wrote: What's funny now is that one of our organizers does all the announcement duties. Because he's so long winded, disorganized and spends most of the time trying to get the dancers to listen to him, we've started dubbing him "The Principal" or "The Prefect" (a reference to Harry Potter for those who don't know).
What's funny is that even if someone isn't listening if your talking over the mic they're going to hear you. I know most people don't listen but after I make an annoucement I always always flooded with people asking me what I just said and where they can get more information.

User avatar
gatorgal
Posts: 538
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2003 7:45 pm
Location: Austin, Texas
Contact:

#8 Post by gatorgal » Mon Jan 12, 2004 2:27 pm

ScottieK wrote:I know most people don't listen but after I make an annoucement I always always flooded with people asking me what I just said and where they can get more information.
Ditto. :)

Tina 8)

User avatar
JesseMiner
Posts: 1034
Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2002 5:36 pm
Location: San Francisco, CA
Contact:

#9 Post by JesseMiner » Tue Jan 13, 2004 2:45 am

Talking on the microphone is a skill that takes a lot of work to develop and is definitely something that most, if not all, of us could stand to work on.

Here are a few tips about making announcements that I've learned through my many years of DJing, both in clubs and on the radio:

1. Know when to make announcements. Pick the appropriate times for announcements, such as at the start of the dance, during a mid-evening welcome, right after a birthday jam or as the evening is ending. These are natural breaks in the rhythm of the evening when people are more likely to be focusing their attention on you, the DJ/MC.

2. Get your audience's attention. You need to start off by getting your audience to focus on you. If your timing is right, as I’ve mentioned above, this will be easier to do. It is helpful to get a “call and response” going. For example, issue a hearty “Welcome to [name of club]!” while making sure to get an enthusiastic response before moving onto what you have to say. This should get a large portion of the crowd focusing on you. The end of a jam is another easy time, as everyone is standing around in a circle waiting for what will come next, often expecting some sort of announcement. Remember though that whatever you do, you’re never going to get 100% of the crowd’s attention, and that’s perfectly acceptable.

3. Keep the announcements to a minimum. Pick a few important things you want to talk about and forget about the rest. If you have multiple important announcements to make, space them throughout the evening and don’t try to make them all at once. If one is really important, keep repeating it each time you pause for announcements. Your audience only has so much attention they are willing to give you. As discussed in another thread, yes, a minute really is a long time. Which announcements do you select to make? I first and foremost focus on important events happening at the venue where I am DJing, secondly on major events coming up shortly, especially those happening locally. Your focus might be different depending on your situation.

4. Keep each announcement short and simple. Pick out the essential pieces of information (usually "what", "where", "when" and occasionally "how come") and stick with those. Don't try to embellish and avoid rambling. The details will quickly get lost if you try to convey much more information about any given event.

5. Repeat information. Emphasis through repetition can help make your point and ensure that the audience remembers your announcements. I try to state the important pieces of information about an event and then repeat to reinforce those points. It’s also helpful to repeatedly mention the important event at different times throughout the evening. Yes, you will still get some people coming up to the booth to ask you what you just said, but those numbers should be minimized through using this technique.

6. Write down the announcements. I make sure to have a piece of paper and a pen at the DJ booth for writing down the important points for each announcement I am going to make. It’s easy to just totally blank something when you get on the microphone. Leaving out important details about an upcoming event or forgetting someone’s name while announcing the birthday jam can be embarrassing.

7. Improve your speaking skills. Speak slowly and annunciate. Too many DJs fall into the trap of being excited or nervous, and they rush or mumble through the announcements. Avoid pauses and other fillers such as “like” and “ummm”. These are very distracting and stick out a lot more than you might think. I learned to cut these out through years and years of doing a radio show and listening to the recordings afterwards. You can improve through practice at home, recording and listening to yourself.

8. Leave the best for last. Your audience is more likely to remember what you ended with, so if there is any single thing that is particularly important, save it for last.

9. Be aware of acoustical issues. Listen to other people making announcements in a particular room (one where you often DJ). Walk around the room and listen to how it sounds in different parts of the room. You want to make sure that the messages you are trying to get across are actually heard clearly by your audience. Just because you can hear yourself talking doesn't necessarily mean other people can hear you. I guess microphone handling would fall under this header as well. Always hold the microphone by its base, don’t ever “cup” the input end. That’ll muddle your announcement at best and give nasty feedback at worst. Hold the microphone close to your mouth and speak directly into it. You don’t need to yell. Adjust the levels accordingly so you can be properly heard.

10. Learn from others. Listen to other people making announcements - timing, tempo, and wording - to see what works and what doesn't.

11. Keep your cool. No matter how prepared you are, you’re never prepared enough for the unexpected: the people who decide they have something to tell you once you start speaking or the occasional heckler. It’s easy to get flustered when people are randomly yelling things out (“it’s so-and-so’s birthday!”) or trying to talk to you while you’re announcing. I’m sure we’ve all worked on focusing at the task of DJing while there is a lot going on around us, including people talking to us, so practice keeping your focus while on the microphone as well.

12. Don’t give up the microphone. Many other people think they can make clear announcements. Most can’t. Unless you have the utmost confidence in them, it’s better to ask them for the details and make the announcement yourself. Also, once you give control of the microphone away, it can sometimes be hard to get it back.

13. Be yourself. If you're comfortable, relaxed and genuine, you'll come across well. Avoid trying to create some sort of "persona" which will most likely sound forced and awkward. You’re not Cab Calloway after all.

Jesse

ScottieK
Posts: 55
Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2002 2:56 pm
Location: Sacramento, Ca
Contact:

#10 Post by ScottieK » Tue Jan 13, 2004 11:44 am

JesseMiner wrote: 12. Don’t give up the microphone. Many other people think they can make clear announcements. Most can’t. Unless you have the utmost confidence in them, it’s better to ask them for the details and make the announcement yourself. Also, once you give control of the microphone away, it can sometimes be hard to get it back.
Yeah thats a big one. I made that mistake once, it turned out terrible. Now I'm the only one who gets to sound dumb on the mic.

User avatar
djstarr
Posts: 1043
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2003 2:09 pm
Location: Seattle

#11 Post by djstarr » Tue Jan 13, 2004 1:30 pm

one more small point - make sure the microphone is working! Some of the venues here there are no issue, but there is one venue where most of the time the microphone is not plugged in, and when it is, the volume has to be turned up (almost to the max) for the mike to work --- I tend to forget to check the mike out before I DJ there and it always causes me problems......

User avatar
JesseMiner
Posts: 1034
Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2002 5:36 pm
Location: San Francisco, CA
Contact:

#12 Post by JesseMiner » Tue Jan 13, 2004 1:40 pm

djstarr wrote:one more small point - make sure the microphone is working!
That's a good point to mention. I too regularly DJ at a dance where I need to plug in the microphone and bring the levels up and make sure everything is in fact working properly.

It is definitely important to make sure the microphone is working before the evening gets started. Test it when you arrive, before things get underway. You don't want to get to the middle of the evening when it's time to make an important announcement only to find that the microphone doesn't work. Then you're on the spot, fumbling around trying to fix the problem while everyone is waiting for you.

Jesse

Nate Dogg
Posts: 886
Joined: Sat Dec 14, 2002 3:29 pm
Location: Austin, TX

#13 Post by Nate Dogg » Tue Jan 13, 2004 2:13 pm

I think letting the event organizers use the microphone to make annoucements is not a bad thing. As one the Syndicate Officers, I would be pretty taken back if a DJ refused to let me make an annoucement/refused to make the annoucement for me. Most of the time, the DJ does not want to talk, so it is never much of an issue.

I do agree that letting any random dancer have the microphone is something to be weary of.

User avatar
JesseMiner
Posts: 1034
Joined: Mon Nov 18, 2002 5:36 pm
Location: San Francisco, CA
Contact:

#14 Post by JesseMiner » Tue Jan 13, 2004 2:27 pm

Nate Dogg wrote:I think letting the event organizers use the microphone to make annoucements is not a bad thing. As one the Syndicate Officers, I would be pretty taken back if a DJ refused to let me make an annoucement/refused to make the annoucement for me. Most of the time, the DJ does not want to talk, so it is never much of an issue.
Let me put it this way: let the more-skilled individual make the announcement. If the DJ can make a more effective announcement, then they should do so instead of giving the microphone over to the organizer. I'm not suggesting that the DJ should ever refuse to make an announcement for an organizer. I've just heard too many organizers making announcements when they should really be delegating that task to a person with more skills in that area. And we are talking here about the DJ developing those specific skills.

Jesse

Nate Dogg
Posts: 886
Joined: Sat Dec 14, 2002 3:29 pm
Location: Austin, TX

#15 Post by Nate Dogg » Tue Jan 13, 2004 2:59 pm

Yeah, one of our newest local DJs, Wes, is probably the best speaker we have in our scene. Last Thursday, he made all the annoucements during his shift.

An hour earlier, the opposite happened, the DJ before him gave me the usual uncomfortable look that he puts on whenever I ask him to make an announcement, so I ended up doing it. He is one of my favorite DJs, he just is not much into speaking in public.

The annoucements obviously helped, we had a great turn-out at the Saturday dance we were promoting.

Nathan

Locked