Annoyance

Something bugs me.

Okay. Ask anyone who really knows me, and I've got more than my share of pet peeves. Stuff just bugs me, okay?

Anyhoo, most anyone these days has a functional knowledge of a microphone; that is, to say, y'all know what a mic is and what is does/is used for. No one needs to know how for this discussion.

Furthermore, I'd wager that most of ya even know- or are smart enough to utilize basic context clues to decipher - the difference between a wired mic and a wireless one. Just in case, today's lesson includes pictures. First, the single most common handheld wired mic in use in the known universe, the Shure SM58:

And to follow, the SM58 capsule (that's the part of the mic that pics up the sound and surrounding components) mounted on a UR2 handheld transmitter; in other words, a wireless version of the same mic:


Now, these mics are the the industry standard handheld vocal microphones. Neither are terribly expensive, and both are readily available at any music store worth its salt.

Large touring sound companies have literally thousands of these on hand at any given time.

So why is it that we keep seeing ads on TV, pictures in newspapers/magazines, and photographs galore of some artist taking that magical "cover photo" holding the wired 58 with NO CABLE ATTACHED??? Any artist that's making their way onto t-shirts that they didn't make themselves is being backed by a record company that's promoting them. Is it too much to ask to A. plug in a mic cable or B. rent the wireless version for the photo session?

Most folks go on about their daily lives never knowing of the ignorance of producers, musicians, and photographers who are all too stupid or worried to mention how completely moronic it looks to be pretending to sing into a microphone that isn't even plugged in.

Well, now you know.

This public service announcement brought to you by your cranky Monday version of your humble host. Mabye nice-nice tomorrow;)



tweaker