What is it with those goofy-looking microphones?

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They only use these things when they are talking in the paddock/garage/wherever they are. What is the point of these things?

 
i suppose they should keep other sounds out because usually you can't hear a damn thing when someone is interviewed in the pits.
 
yeah i assume some sort of directional microphones or something.
 
Yeah, I read somewhere that they only pick up noises within a 15cm radius.

Presumably thats the Hungarian commentary box. I see they've continued Murray Walker's tradition of standing during a broadcast.

The two mics reminds me of an article I read about Walker and Hunt back in the days. They weren't allowed to have two mics because they'd always talk over each other and try and shout each other down. They had to share one mic, and were always looking to grab it away from the other. They hated each other because James was always drunk, and Murray wouldn't ever share the mic. Eventually they learnt to work together, then Hunt sadly passed away in 1993. It was fascinating stuff though!
 
I thought they only pick up sound from 5cm's, hence why they go so close to your face. Also, they are some of the clearest micophones ever made.
 
ooh red bull, looks like HondaF1 caught you out. BY A FACTOR OF THREE!!!
 
:lol:
 
AFAIK you hold it with the piece against your lip and that guarantees that the mic is in exactly the right place to give clear sound. You will find most sports commentators use them as it is hard to hold a normal mic at the right distance if you get excited.

Example of a football commentator with the same type of mic.

jpg%5C2005100800020906.jpg
 
Looks uncomfortable. I wish we still had "hunt the shunt" instead of James Allen.

Hunt Quotes:
Murray Walker: "And Prost's Ferrari is on fire as it enters the swimming pool(corner at Monaco)"
James Hunt: "Well that'll put it out then"

Murray Walker: ''Berger's car is on fire!''
James Hunt: ''No Murray that's his rainlight''

There is a superb one which I can't find when James said he couldn't quite make out what was going on in the pits at a Grand Prix (think it was Imola).....funny thing is, James was in the BBC broadcasting studio in England!!:lmao:
 
As long as we're in the subject of audio equipment used in F1. Can anyone give me more info about the headphones that the drivers use? (As to who makes them etc...) Judging from this picture, it seems like each headphone is unique and that it's custom molded to each driver's ears.

f1-2007-hun-xp-1347.jpg
 
^ Possibly an internal job from their radio supplier. I reckon they'd all be trying to out-do each other with driver earpieces.
 
right the commentator mic is a spiecal one... its not made like a normal mic. and is a lot more expensive they are very delicate and cant take any hard knocks.. like the ones you would see a radio dj using they are on a stand so you cant damage them and they are set in place ... they place they beside there mouth by a lip sort of thing so it will be the same level of sound so the sound guy dosent have to change it all the time...

the ear phones are made for each driver... we get them done for presenter ear pieces..
 
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