Karaoke Forums

This seems to be a somewhat new thing.. maybe in the last two years or so.. people coming up to sing and pretty much holding the microphone by the ball.

The trouble with that, at least when using the Nady Duo mics, is that cupping the ball tends to make the mike quite a bit 'hotter', and they can get squealy.

Holding those mics by the shaft, they're pretty resilient to feedback and squeals.. but the ball grabbers.. it's like they're singing to a baby bird they have trapped in their hands.

Aside from wrapping the base of the ball with barb wire, any ideas on how to discourage this microphone handling practice?

Each and every time that happens, I simply just tell them to not do it, and show them how to hold the microphone. I turn each of those into an opportunity to "teach" someone how to properly use the mic. It also helps form a relationship with the person. I never make them feel stupid for doing it. Its about being friendly and helpful. Really pretty simple.

I usually see it from the younger wannabe rap stars. For some reason they think cupping (grabbing the ball) make them sound better. Yes it does give me some feedback, so I turn them down. I try to expalin it on a case by case basis, but some will never learn.

For those that continue to cup the ball, I just turn them down. When they complain, I tell them to quit it, and they will sound better.

You have to just tell them, or after they are done, do a quick explanation over the mic to the crowd for a quick & proper way to hold the mic & WHY they sound like crap holding it the other way. Wanna be rapper = AM radio sound, proper mic held = nice full sound.

If the singer refuses, if your mixer is capable, you can always sweep the mid frequency to about 1K & cut the the mids quite a bit and boost the highs & lows a tad to compensate, not a great solution but will sound better than what they sound like now.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

This mic "technique" of cupping the mic is an absolute epidemic where I am. Many of the offenders just don't care, even if I explain why they shouldn't do it. It's the under 30 crowd that are the worst.

I've had a few who even told me, "I'm in a band. I know what I'm doing"

I guess holding a microphone properly just doesn't look cool enough.

It's everywhere these days. Sometimes I get on the mic and say "Pro Tip: The sound goes in the end. If you cover up the end...no sound".

But it rarely makes a difference. I just turn them down so it doesn't feedback and let them sound crappy.

I don't know that it's all tht new, I've been seeing it for years and I see it from young and middle-aged alike. As Lon said, the result is an eye gauging amount of mid-range and a complete loss of low end. With a typical 3-band swept mid channel EQ, you can either pull out the mids at around 2.5K or add in some additional 250Hz. I'd recommend the former because it will help avoid feedback plus as a general rule it's always better to cut than boost.

That all said, there are songs where I do this technique intentionally. However even then I don't really hold the screen but rather cup my hands behind it. I have a few other regular singers who are smart enough to understand how to use that technique for effect as well. However, I still get plenty who think it's "cool" or whatever to hold a mic that way. Some of them are very good singers so it's disappointing when they do something stupid like that. For them I'll usually try to make the suggestion that they hold it the correct way. Past that they're on their own. For the singers who sound awful anyway or who I can tell don't really care, I don't even bother trying. Many times people just have fun with the image and couldn't care less about how it makes them sound. Good enough, whatever makes you happy.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Well.. I say i've seen this crop up in the last few years.. because prior to that, they'd either hold the mic like they were gnawing on a turkey leg, or they'd hold the mic up side down, as if they were singing into a mic hanging from an overhead boom.

Bringing the level down on ball grabbers usually results in them looking at you, then banging the mic like a drum and saying, "Hey! This isn't on!"

depending on the person, i will turn up the 500ish area (which i jokingly call the suck knob) and they look at me like "WTF?" i yell back "dont cup it" and miraculously (spelling?) after moving their hand and a quick turn down of the knob, they sound better and usually smile like a teenager who just saw his first breast. we send out an email newsletter to our mailing list about new songs, specials, or shows and i put in a column called "sound check" and just give little tidbits on mic technique, etc. i just covered this topic in this months first issue, interresting timing

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Paradigm Karaoke, The New Standard.......Shift Happens

feedback alert !!!

Just boost the midrange way up and let it feed back. That'll stop 'em.

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

While gripping the mic by the shaft is the proper method, I've found that the head is more sensitive than the shaft.

C the cupper

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I can neither confirm nor deny ever having or knowing anything about nothing.... mrscott

That would be the case with a young man.....but when you get old like me.....well let's just say my wife can whack it with the claw of a hammer, and no feedback, no nothin' comes out....maybe a small fart out of the old woofer....but even that's not a sure thing....hope this helps.....

Way way WAY too much information.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

yes, but it'll come in handy, when you see that big claw hammer comming at you.... .....don't forget to wear your cup.......

I hear ya. Between sets, the soundman approached me and told me not to "claw" the mic. I said of course not, I never do that. But the singer in the band that was opening for us that night was doing it the whole time, giving the sound guy a headache for 45 minutes.

You're right... I guess they think it "looks cool" or something.



That's interesting. Is it for a "bullhorn" type effect? I just got done recording Alice Cooper's "Billion Dollar Babies" where the bullhorn, or "telephone vox" effect is used in parts of the song.

I'd usually refer to it as the transistor or AM radio sound.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

It got so bad in one of my places that I actually began hanging a sign under the singers monitor. In large letters the to line " PLEASE DO NOT CUP THE MICROPHONE), and below that simple instructions on how to hold the mic.

It's actually a plaque that looks very nice, by the way...

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"No Contests, No Divas, Just A Good Time!"

" Disc based and loving it..."

Yes, and 99% of them are ugly.