# Synchronized applause?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synchronized-applause/358630>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 29, 2006, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synchronized-applause/358630 "2006-05-29T15:43:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synchronized-applause/358630/1 "2006-05-29T15:43:37Z")

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I was just (accidently) listening to Bush’s speech, and was reminded of how audience clapping tends to sound synchronized on tv or the radio. In person applause sounds like one continuous noise, but over the air it sounds "clap, clap, clap, …). I don’t know how better to describe it. Sorry.  
Why?

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**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synchronized-applause/358630/2 "2006-05-29T16:36:45Z")

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In person you are listening to the collecting sounds hitting your ears at once. People’s ears are omidirectional.

On t.v. you are listening to a microphone aimed at the audience. It is usually NOT omnidirectional, but is instead typically a shotgun mike that is unidirectional with phase cancellation along the barrel of it’s body. This allows for a narrowly focused arc of good quality sound reproduction. In short, the audience mic is picking up the clapping of a few people directly in line with the mike’s head.

If you were to hear a musical performance that is live, and well-miked, over the radio it is likely that you would hear a few house mikes mixed together, plus the appluase rolling towards the stage mikes.

Political events that do not involve lots of audience participation typcally throw one mike at the audience. And, if there **is** audience participation, it’s a mike on a stand that someone walks up to and speaks into.

In short, you are hearing just exactly as much as the production crew lets you hear. Typically, a few hands clapping in line with the house mike. It is the same effect as listening to a bootleg recording- you hear the band cause they are loud, but the audience clapping and especially the people RIGHT around the bootlegger clap with startling clarity next to the muddied booming loudness of said band.

Cartooniverse

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synchronized-applause/358630/3 "2006-05-29T21:07:35Z")

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A friend (musician) told me that once.  
And thanks. That makes sense.  
mangeorge

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**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synchronized-applause/358630/4 "2006-05-29T23:16:33Z")

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Did anyone else read this title as “Synchronnized _applesauce_”?

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2006, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synchronized-applause/358630/5 "2006-05-29T23:50:00Z")

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> [@alphaboi867](#):
>
> Did anyone else read this title as “Synchronnized _applesauce_”?

No dirty talk allowed on this forum. :o

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**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synchronized-applause/358630/6 "2006-05-30T01:00:41Z")

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> [@alphaboi867](#):
>
> Did anyone else read this title as “Synchronnized _applesauce_”?

I did.

Now I’m scared.

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**Author:** ![1010011010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea666f/32.png) [@1010011010](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1010011010)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2006, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/synchronized-applause/358630/7 "2006-05-30T02:29:15Z")

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All Glory To The Hypnotoad!