Did the White House Abandon SM57VIP?

[Sounzlike]

For more than 50 years, the standard in microphones for POTUS has been a pair of $100 microphones - the venerable SM57, side by side, one for room sound and one for media feed. At the 2017 inauguration, the configuration was different.

The form factor of the two mics used on Jan. 20, 2017 was not as easily identifiable as the flat-top version of everybody's favorite ice-cream-cone mic. One was a compact mic, possibly a dynamic mic end-mounted on a gooseneck. The other, sporting a giant foam wind screen, was cantilever mounted beneath the gooseneck.

It's perhaps too early to tell if this is a permanent trend. I did check images of the previous inauguration in 2012 and the familiar pair of SM57s was there.

My questions are:

Does anybody recognize the mics on stage at the 2017 inauguration?
Was the bottom mic a SM57 with an oversized wind screen or something else?
What was the top mic?
What reasons might be behind this apparent change?

In re: the last question (reasons for change) let's please avoid getting political. I am asking a legitimate question about a potentially historic change in sound reinforcement - not about the politics involved. Play nice. So far, I've not found much discussion of this on the Web, so this thread could rise the top if anyone else takes notice and the SM57 is retiring, at least for a while, after 50 years of White House duty.

I would speculate part of the reason for a change might be that the person using the mic might have somewhat more experience behind the mic outside of political contexts. I wonder if his experience on television sound-stages might influence his mic preferences. He did express some complaints (perhaps verified as founded) about mic setup at one of the debates. And he's done a lot of crowd work on the campaign trail, with a unique vocal style. His experience, age, height and vocal style might all contribute to his choice of mics.

I'm hoping others who've seen Donald Trump's microphones in other settings might contribute more information about his preferences. Or those who watch other candidates on the campaign trail.

Does the dual SM57VIP setup usually appear at inauguration or have candidates used that on the campaign trail?

Has anyone ever seen Donald Trump use an SM57 in any venue prior to inauguration?

[Wonks]

You're only trying to get people to watch the inauguration and get the viewing figure up, aren't you?

[Dynamic Mike]

I suspect whatever he users they'll be American made.

[Hugh Robjohns]

I was washing my hair and didn't watch it....

...but if you mean this setup:







It looks to me like a single mic. What you've tried to identify as "a compact mic, possibly a dynamic mic end-mounted on a gooseneck" ... is just the goosneck!

The only mic I can see is a single SM57 with a large foam gag, mounted in a standard Shure 'donut' shock-mount suspended from a standard gooseneck.

H

[Folderol]

Hmm. Poster joined today.
I wonder if that's significant.

[One Horse Town]

Does Shure have a manufacturing plant in Mexico? Let's hope so.

[Wonks]

Even SM57s need protecting from Trump.

[Mike Stranks]

Well, his style of mic usage will have had sound-techs at every venue he's used tearing their hair out....

He always works the mic far too close and pops it like crazy.....

Maybe the soundtechs on Friday thought that a big fat windshield might mitigate the popping... and of course it would have helped a little with any blustery wind... (see what I did there? )

[Hugh Robjohns]

[ManFromGlass]

+2

[Ariosto]

He just wants to make American mic's great again. It's a sure thing.

[Sounzlike]

Thanks for finding the side views, whomever did that. Of course, to those who noticed I registered here yesterday and care only to drive up numbers by making people search Google images, you're right. I was so busy caring about politics I didn't even bother finding a side view. From that angle, what looks like a low-profile dynamic mic is obviously the shock mount.

So it seems - based on todays images from some swearing in, the double mic setup is out. I'm still not convinced the lone mic is an SM57. The donut shock mount looks like standard Shure, but the mic - to my old eyes -- seems to have a curvature between the mount and the wind screen. more like

I doubt the large wind screen in the outdoor venue on Jan. 20 was intended to control popping plosives. If it's an SM57, it would likely be an A81WS in anticipation of outdoor winds. I don't recall ever seeing oversized wind screens on the presidential mics, but I'd never paid much attention until I noticed the dissappearance of the SM57VIP setup that had been standard presidential stage gear since the 60s.

If POTUS does have one fewer SM57s on stage, he has one less mic built in Mexico by an American company. If he's switched to Electro-Voice, his voice would be captured by a mic made in US or maybe Canada.

As for vocal style and mic use, that's what is interesting to me (contrary to those who are eager to find some political motive behind the reason person would seek out an audio forum to discuss an audio engineering issue while the political world debates crowd size).

I would agree that DJT tends to work the mic more than any other POTUS in my long memory. He seems frustrated by the fact that the mic is placed 2/3 the way across the top of a podium, where it picks up a well projected voice. He seems to prefer a closer mic placement -- more similar to the kiss-the-mic technique used by 90 percent of rock-n-roll or hip-hop singers.

Public speakers who are accustomed to a hand-held mic control plosive pops by placing the mic below the mouth, at anywhere from 90 to 45 degrees from the mid-line of vocal projection. (a line from the center of the throat to the middle of the mouth. Typically, public speakers in front of loud crowds will hold the mike below the mouth, then place it in front of the mouth, very close - rock-n-roll style - when they want to shout over a crowd. With experience, they learn to instinctively avoid plosives when shouting into a close mic. I'm guessing we'd find DJT's plosive issues arising when he uses podium mics.

It seems he's accustomed to holding the mic because he tends to grab at the mic every time he walks up to it on a podium. It's usually too low for him, and usually pointed straight into the mouth, where if I'm not mistaken, he's trying to tilt it to an angle typical of a handheld mike.

I would guess the reason DJT moved away from the double mic also has to do with his performance experience. If he's accustomed to working crowds with a hot mic, a pair of mics would be akward for him because he would be looking for the stage mic, to one side or the other, so he could work the mic.

Technique aside, can anyone find an images that confirms or falsifies that the remainin POTUS mic is the hecho in Mexico SM57, and if not, what is it?

And also, FWIW, the dual SM57VIP has at times been accompanied by a third SM57 mic on stages used by previous presidents. I know some people will have a hard time believing that a person could be more interested presidential mic selection than presidential politics, but so it is. I have some broadcast media background -- including a lot of live event production, and other media background, but I'm not doing much audio engineering these days. If you think a journalist would not be interested in anything other than politics, well, you're on the same boat as DJT with that assumption, but it's not entirely true. I'm just curious about why the one mic, and eager to find confirmation of what mic he's using.

[shufflebeat]

I can't help but imagine Les Dawson in this position,

"She's a big woman, my wife".

[alexis]

He just wants to make American mic's great again. It's a sure thing.

I saw what you did there!

[DGL.]

I'm surprised that as it was Trump they didn't just give him an 80's TOTP style wireless mic.

It's the only time when you go "testing, testing, 1 2, 1 2" and you want it not to work

[Bob Bickerton]

Well it's interesting that the mic is on a gooseneck, which the double SM57s aren't (and combined would be perhaps too heavy). Maybe it's a Trump spec so he can play with the mic incessantly, which he did in the debates, and then he can blame someone for messing around with his sound. He clearly has no idea when it comes to mic technique (or pretty much anything else - especially estimating crowd numbers).

Maybe the large windsock was compensating for something?

Bob

[awjoe]

No, just standard blowhard protection.

[Mixedup]

Am I the only one to notice what looks like a 'dead cat' windshield on Drumpf's head?

[Wonks]

Is it true that Trump is collaborating with a well-known German outfit to bring out a new range of Behringer 'Alternative Truth' monitors?

[One Horse Town]

As a famous musician can I just say how wonderful it is just to grab equipment by the handle any time I damn well please.

[CS70]

Well it's interesting that the mic is on a gooseneck, which the double SM57s aren't (and combined would be perhaps too heavy). Maybe it's a Trump spec so he can play with the mic incessantly, which he did in the debates, and then he can blame someone for messing around with his sound. He clearly has no idea when it comes to mic technique (or pretty much anything else - especially estimating crowd numbers).

Maybe the large windsock was compensating for something?

Bob

As an aside, at my last gig we had certainly more than 1.5 million viewers. I swear the room was totally packed.

[CS70]

So it seems - based on todays images from some swearing in, the double mic setup is out. I'm still not convinced the lone mic is an SM57.

I have a 57 in my hands right now (well, five seconds ago), and the one in picture looks like one to me?

[ronmac]

I suspect he will switch to Audix as soon as someone happens to let slip the 57 is made in Mexico.

[awjoe]

Not to mention any Strat that was played during the proceedings.

I mean, if he wanted to get to the event in an all-American car, he'd have wound up walking.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/06/is-y ... -american/

Mods: Please feel free to delete this post as having nothing to do audio recording, if you like. I'm following a train of thought more than the issue of which mic the Donald uses.

[jgavs]

Chris Leonard was one of the main Sound Engineers working with Maryland Sound the Sound Company vendor. It was Chris Leonards 4th Inauguration. I had followed his posts Smarting the system. Testing the microphone which was a single Shure SM57. He has been a system and monitor tech on tours I have done. Here is a video he recommended to watch. In the middle they explain the mic setups previous and now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e71idYw ... e=youtu.be