The invisible detail that enhances your entire show
I hate cables. And I hate headset mics even more, with that thing sitting on your cheek like a scar (or worse: taped in place). It ruins the look of all our photos and videos:
As magicians and mentalists, we should be able to use tools that are both powerful and discreet, while keeping our hands free. Here’s the solution I found to fix my mic problems.
I use the Hollyland Lark M2S. Other mics have similar features, but this one combines all the advantages.
You’ll find plenty of information and details online about this device with outstanding battery life. Here’s the official video tutorial:
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The kit is simple: a case (which recharges all the accessories) and two transmitter mics. Then you can choose between a USB-C receiver, a 3.5mm jack receiver, or both.
Each mic in the kit sends its signal to the receiver. The jack receiver plugs into the venue’s sound system (speakers); depending on their setup, you may need an adapter for the 3.5mm jack.
Place one of the mics on your jacket lapel, your shirt, or your collar. Each mic is a tiny, lightweight clip, so it attaches anywhere, with no cable to hide in your clothes and no bulky pack to clip to your belt or pocket.
The smallest and most discreet part of the mic sits on the outside, and it’s almost invisible if you’re wearing dark clothing.
Since the kit includes two mics and they attach quickly and easily, you can clip the second mic onto your participant as she joins you, so her voice is also amplified through the speakers. Your audience will react better to your effects if they can hear the participant reacting as well.
This solves the problem of sending your sound to the speakers during your show.
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Here’s another tip using this mic.
I sometimes want to position the participant in a very specific spot on stage, either to improve staging or to protect my angles. To “anchor” her in place, I ask her to speak into a stand microphone that I’ve set up on stage for her. The mic doesn’t move, and that forces the person not to move either.
In this setup, you can attach one of the small Hollyland mics to the stand microphone; the stand mic is connected to the venue’s speakers, while the Hollyland mic is connected to your video recording. This way, if the person speaks into the stand mic, the Hollyland mic reliably captures her voice for your recording.
Placing the Hollyland mic on the stand microphone saves you from having to clip it onto the participant’s clothing.
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Now let’s say you also want to record yourself, either because the video is used to improve yourself (essential), or because you want to use it later for promotion.
If you place a camera or smartphone in the room to film you, the built-in mic of your camera/smartphone will be too far away, and the recorded sound will be horrendous.
Thankfully, Hollyland also solves this. One of the kits includes a USB-C receiver that plugs directly into your smartphone.
Important: it is not possible to send audio to both the venue speakers and a camera/smartphone at the same time with a single kit. If you want to run sound through the speakers and record clean audio on your phone at the same time, you need two separate kits: kit A for the speakers, and kit B for video recording.
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What I like about this system is the feeling of freedom. No cables, no pack on you, nothing pulling or getting in the way, no need to constantly adjust a headset on your ears. The mic clips onto your shirt, it’s tiny, no lights, basically invisible. On stage, you forget it’s even there, and so does the audience.
It’s the kind of tool you don’t notice, but that dramatically improves the overall quality of what you do. It’s not really a “magic” or “mentalism” topic, but it’s exactly the kind of detail that changes how your clients perceive you.
The kits are available on Amazon and other stores.
(For your information: this article is not sponsored. Another professional magician and I each purchased this product, tested and used it in real-world conditions, and I wrote this review independently.)
