Just throw the mic on the ground really hard, then unplug it and tie the cable in knots. If you want to go real hardcore, break the stand over your knee.
In an amphitheater…. Even being an omni, the shape of mic wouldn’t allow it to pick up everywhere. No the thing that would allow it to pick up in really all directions would be the articulation of the tripod stand.
You’d be surprised how well some omnidirectional mics pick up, even directly behind them. I have a couple that are so sensitive that they’re useless for anything other than studio work where there’s no possibility of feedback.
Then it has to have a different position, not? Like not pointed to the direction of Nick’shead? The last thing was quite my point: the result an omnidirectional in such a “room” would be… wild… or I may only have used too cheap ones and my ex-roomate was lying about their price 😉
Omnidirectional mics are rather wild, so to speak. They pick up far too much ambient noise to really be useful for any kind of live performance or public speaking, where the loudspeakers are anywhere near them. They have no focal point, as it were. They’re good sitting on a table in a board room, because they will pick up everyone at the table. If you want something that’s really going to isolate the person who is speaking, you need a good cardioid or even a super-cardioid. Some of them use the term “unidirectional”, but that’s a bit of a misnomer, since that implies a straight line. Even a good super-cardioid mic’s pattern isn’t a straight line.
Answer: The scientist and engineers who wanted their leadership to sound smarter than they really were. Unfortunately it was a failed experiment and the mic went rogue.
Alternatively, it was a complete success, and was immediately booted out by an irate and of-course-I’m-not-jealous leadership. Politicians can stand anything except being laughed at, even if it’s just by the staff.
IIRC, Helen gave the coffee maker AI because it made the vacuum cleaner happy. So finding out who did it and why may not help you understand it any better.
He’s gonna look for a middle ground before deciding to if the mike is a dumbbass or just hyped for the equalization of being high. Not that would go top notch, but what other to scoop the intentions?
Indeed. I came into the comments here hoping someone else might have thoughts on that. It’s the same tongue-out-the-side-of-the-mouth look of concentration that she’s had in a couple of past strips (e.g. February 11); she seems to be doing SOMETHING on her phone, and I suspect that we’ll find out in the fullness of time that it was plot-relevant. On the other hand, she’s of the sort of age where she could simply be an habitual phone user. Doubtless we’ll find out in the fullness of time. Or not, as the case may be.
This one might be dangerous, but honestly, I can’t imagine how. I don’t know if the other end of the cable is even plugged into anything.
Even if the mic has somehow energized itself to electrocute an opponent, as long as Nick’s wearing shoes with rubber soles and not standing in water, he should be relatively safe.
A pocket pet isn’t obviously dangerous either, unless it turns out to be a life-sucking vampire. Maybe this is a telekinetic mike or, like a Jojo character, it can summon Stands.
Make friends with it? Maybe not. (In 1977 at the World Science Fiction Convention there was a spontaneous development of “Mr Microphone is your friend,” originally an attempt to get singers to stay close to the microphone. A song was written, sung once, and lost, about the microphone’s reaction.)
Plus I wouldn’t put it past the Baron to install a remote to open Monstro’s crate in case somebody thought of that very thing, as well as give the “behemoth” some instructions as well.
Even if that were a legal way to win the tournament, Nick could never bring himself to harm a beloved Whimsy character. “Baron Mistycorn’s Loopy Labyrinth” is his all-time favorite Game Boy cartridge, and that kind of bond between man and corporate mascot can never be sundered.
The more I think about it, though, that still shouldn’t stop him. I love my best friend, and I’d risk my life in a heartbeat if it would save his. But I also wouldn’t hesitate to beat some sense into him (or beat some nonsense out of him) if he was being a complete tool like the Baron here.
Is the Mike any relation to the Dane?
Sounds more like the Rock.
Genre Awareness. The most powerful superpower of all.
Nick seems to have an accurately located silliness benchmark; he just needs to keep orienting himself to it.
Virginia can help him with that.
Anyone *not* hear Mike in Fred Blassie’s voice?
Personally I’m hearing him in the voice of “The Boulder” from Avatar: the Last Airbender.
I think it started out as, ahem, “The Boulder” in Jeff’s scripts, but I kept adding other rassling stuff.
Me too. And Shaenon has already shown an affinity for using Mick Foley analogues.
Just throw the mic on the ground really hard, then unplug it and tie the cable in knots. If you want to go real hardcore, break the stand over your knee.
Objective is: drop the mike.
*golf clap*
Can the Mike talk and chew gum at the same time?
Since it has a cardioid pick up pattern, if you walk behind it, it can’t sense you.
You’re just assuming it’s cardioid. It could be omnidirectional.
In an amphitheater…. Even being an omni, the shape of mic wouldn’t allow it to pick up everywhere. No the thing that would allow it to pick up in really all directions would be the articulation of the tripod stand.
You’d be surprised how well some omnidirectional mics pick up, even directly behind them. I have a couple that are so sensitive that they’re useless for anything other than studio work where there’s no possibility of feedback.
Then it has to have a different position, not? Like not pointed to the direction of Nick’shead? The last thing was quite my point: the result an omnidirectional in such a “room” would be… wild… or I may only have used too cheap ones and my ex-roomate was lying about their price 😉
Omnidirectional mics are rather wild, so to speak. They pick up far too much ambient noise to really be useful for any kind of live performance or public speaking, where the loudspeakers are anywhere near them. They have no focal point, as it were. They’re good sitting on a table in a board room, because they will pick up everyone at the table. If you want something that’s really going to isolate the person who is speaking, you need a good cardioid or even a super-cardioid. Some of them use the term “unidirectional”, but that’s a bit of a misnomer, since that implies a straight line. Even a good super-cardioid mic’s pattern isn’t a straight line.
And a Jeckel disk
sorry, Jecklin. I know it’z what it’s always used for, but that works pretty well to avoid parasite ambiance.
Yeah, but you’re not going to use a jecklin disk on stage.
But… it would be perfect to hide embarassed faces!
The solution to stage fright? Interesting idea.
…and the comic lampshades itself.
Wait, this mike isn’t wearing a lampshade… (unlike the one for which the trope is named)
okay, who put AI in a mic?
…wait, that’s a stupid question
Answer: The scientist and engineers who wanted their leadership to sound smarter than they really were. Unfortunately it was a failed experiment and the mic went rogue.
Alternatively, it was a complete success, and was immediately booted out by an irate and of-course-I’m-not-jealous leadership. Politicians can stand anything except being laughed at, even if it’s just by the staff.
same people who’d put it in a water cooler?
IIRC, Helen gave the coffee maker AI because it made the vacuum cleaner happy. So finding out who did it and why may not help you understand it any better.
I remembered we actually have AI in our RL mics. It’s called noise reduction.
You’re implying that noise reduction is intelligent?
It’s in AI textbooks, so … yes?
Well, I suppose the word “intelligence” is relative, so okay.
Release the UNITY! It’s a about time she had a nice “sound” snack!
Is UNITY in the Machine Union? I think not, so she’s not invited.
Nick doesn’t exactly seem like he’s trebling in fear.
He’s gonna look for a middle ground before deciding to if the mike is a dumbbass or just hyped for the equalization of being high. Not that would go top notch, but what other to scoop the intentions?
What IS Nera doing…?
Indeed. I came into the comments here hoping someone else might have thoughts on that. It’s the same tongue-out-the-side-of-the-mouth look of concentration that she’s had in a couple of past strips (e.g. February 11); she seems to be doing SOMETHING on her phone, and I suspect that we’ll find out in the fullness of time that it was plot-relevant. On the other hand, she’s of the sort of age where she could simply be an habitual phone user. Doubtless we’ll find out in the fullness of time. Or not, as the case may be.
Base on where she’s holding it, I’d say using the camera/video recorder….
Probably livestreaming this event.
Just move the speaker closer to mouthy Mike until he’s snagged in his own audio-feedback loop.
https://boingboing.net/2019/03/16/crowbar-wielding-unicorn-raids.html
The Mike is really in no position to comment on anybody else’s neck size.
Mike just wants someone to listen
Talk (in)to me, bro.
I get the feeling Baron is trying to get Nick through without killing him.
I get the feeling the Baron is pushing Nick from behind due and the position looks compromising.
It has a plug. Unplug it.
*Mike drop*
Be careful of The Mike. Remember what happened to Les Harvey of Stone the Crows?
This one might be dangerous, but honestly, I can’t imagine how. I don’t know if the other end of the cable is even plugged into anything.
Even if the mic has somehow energized itself to electrocute an opponent, as long as Nick’s wearing shoes with rubber soles and not standing in water, he should be relatively safe.
A pocket pet isn’t obviously dangerous either, unless it turns out to be a life-sucking vampire. Maybe this is a telekinetic mike or, like a Jojo character, it can summon Stands.
Make friends with it? Maybe not. (In 1977 at the World Science Fiction Convention there was a spontaneous development of “Mr Microphone is your friend,” originally an attempt to get singers to stay close to the microphone. A song was written, sung once, and lost, about the microphone’s reaction.)
Okay, this is just getting downright inefficient.
Nick could win this thing decisively by beating up just one robot: Baron Von Mistycorn.
That could be why the Baron is pushing to get him back out in the arena so quickly.
Plus I wouldn’t put it past the Baron to install a remote to open Monstro’s crate in case somebody thought of that very thing, as well as give the “behemoth” some instructions as well.
Even if that were a legal way to win the tournament, Nick could never bring himself to harm a beloved Whimsy character. “Baron Mistycorn’s Loopy Labyrinth” is his all-time favorite Game Boy cartridge, and that kind of bond between man and corporate mascot can never be sundered.
Thank you for the insight! Not that I have ever been that attached to a corporate mascot….
The more I think about it, though, that still shouldn’t stop him. I love my best friend, and I’d risk my life in a heartbeat if it would save his. But I also wouldn’t hesitate to beat some sense into him (or beat some nonsense out of him) if he was being a complete tool like the Baron here.