In the last week I’ve seen more than a few people using a device that seems to be a microphone but wraps around the neck. What is it and how does it work?
The first time I saw this was while watching a WWII movie where the pilots had headphones and all that, but instead of a microphone in front of their mouth, they had two little ‘thingies’ strapped on their neck.
The second time I saw it was in the movie Speed. In the movie, the s.w.a.t. members all had the same type of set-up. When they went to talk on it they squeezed it and then chatted away.
Obviously it’s a mike of some kind. But how does it work and why isn’t it more widely used?
What you are describing is called a throat microphone. A cursory google search brings up mostly manufacturers, but you can probably dig up more info.
I know they work by picking up direct vibrations from the vocal cords, and I gather the main issue is comfort, or lack thereof. this site has a paragraph about them. (scroll down a bit)
I used to use throat microphones a lot, on a field radio (Clansman 349). They’re not really uncomfortable and you forget you’re wearing it after a few minutes. The received voice is almost indistinguishable from that heard on normal microphones and they do allow you to speak and be heard at the other end whilst speaking barely audibly.