Re: Don't forget the microphone!

[katefans@world.std.com (Chris'n'Vickie of Kansas City)]

   A postscript from Chris. The reasons that I included that "P.S." on my
last post, explaining our relationship, are: people _have_ asked, we are,
to my knowledge, the only co-posting couple on .gaffa, and I have an name
that is used by as many women as men. Before anyone goes through old posts
looking, I have picked nits off someone else's spelling once before, but in
that case I felt it justified. My first post was a flame of Jon Drukman, but
Drukman apparently needs regular flame-broiling to maintain his youthful
vigor. I have tried to avoid posting without a reason, and try to make
anything I post constructive. I post only when I feel I have something to
contribute that someone else might have missed. The comment about the
microphone is in my old field of expertise, and I thought it was interesting.

 The weird part is, Julian didn't say anything about the subject matter of
the post itself! To comment _only_ about a postscript on an otherwise well-
intentioned article seems a little petty. To react in the way he did seems
even more so. If Julian is under end-of-semester pressure his tone can be
forgiven, but if he is not, then he is exhibiting a level of humorlessness
far beyond any IED has been accused of possessing. If his post is an example
of his "sense of humor," on the other hand, he should use smilies so we can
tell. I may or may not be a funny person, (I think I have a sense of humor
that some people like) but I think, at least, it is clear when I am trying
to be. 

  lynne@Stars.Reston.Unisys.COM (Lynne Ragazzini) asked:

> Peter Gabriel used a headset microphone during the "Security" tour,
> '81-'82 or thereabouts... Maybe they worked on it together...?
>
> cat o' tonic

 and jburka@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Jeffrey C. Burka) replied:

> Well, Security didn't come out until '82, and "Plays Live" was recorded on
> the Autumn '82 American leg of the Security tour... this is what, about
> 3 years after the Tour of Life?
>   Kate definitely seems to get credit.  <grin>
>
> Jeff

SHURE introduced an improved version of a headset that they had been making
for telephone and camera operators and started advertising it in musician's
magazines mainly to drummers and keyboard players (this was pre-midi when
players would have a dozen keyboards arranged around them). The unit Peter
used was one of these. It still had an earphone attached. Shortly after
that Countryman introduced a unit with a cardioid pattern.

  A few other performers used headsets early after Kate; Phil Collins comes
to mind, as do the Tubes (pre-success and endless repetition of a formula). 
I remember how utterly pointless it seemed for Billy Squire to be using one
in one of his concert videos that was played endlessly on Empty-Vee. I mean,
he didn't dance or play guitar or anything else that a headset would have
been handy for, so he just sort of whacked at the air with his hands balled
up into fists. Todd Rundgren and Utopia tried a rather silly alternative for
one tour, the "tie-size-paper-clip" mounted microphone. These didn't work 
very well.

                                 Chris Williams
                                   of Chris'n'Vickie
                                      of Kansas City, Mo.
                                         katefans@world.std.com