To prevent distortion, how should you position the microphone relative to the mouth?

• A. Place the microphone directly against the lips.
• B. Place the microphone at arm's length with no regard to angle.
• C. Maintain distance and angle to the mouth; avoid direct contact with lips.
• D. Position the microphone behind your head.

Answer: (C)

The main idea is to control how the voice drives the microphone so the signal stays clean and within the mic’s linear range. If the microphone is pressed directly against the lips, loud consonant sounds and breath can slam the diaphragm, causing pops and distortion. Moisture from the mouth and the mechanical noise of lips touching the mic can also add unwanted noise and make the response unreliable. Keeping the microphone at a short distance and angled toward the mouth captures most of the vocal energy while reducing those strong air bursts, breath noises, and any moisture issues. The angle helps ensure it picks up the voice efficiently without being overwhelmed by direct air from lips, which improves clarity and consistency as you talk. So, maintain distance and angle to the mouth and avoid direct contact with the lips for the best, distortion-free sound.