No denying it, COVID-19 did quite a lot of damage to the fitness industry. But weirdly it's also brought some positives, and some of them are big news! We've moved years ahead in terms of technology, we're able to reach and help WAY more people towards leading healthier lives, and we're so much more 'on it' with hygiene than ever before (not saying all gyms were disgusting before anyone shoots me down!). For me, one other huge positive is the fact that lots more instructors and gyms have finally woken up to how much we need our own headmics. OK, this might only have happened because of the need to minimise shouting (and airborne droplets and aerosols that come with them as a potential COVID carrier). It might have only happened because of the need to minimise shared equipment. But it's happened, and after years of preaching to anyone who'd listen about why sharing headmics with the same soggy windsheild / wringing wet windguard / soggy sponge / moist muff is the grossest, most unhygienic thing ever, I'm happy!
So, now that we know headmics are:
a good thing to minimise our potential to spread COVID-19
a good way to protect your voice & prolong your career, and
a good way to avoid catching stuff like the common cold, herpes and now COVID-19 from other instructors
let's talk about how to get set up, without necessarily breaking the bank. Here are a few essential buys and user tips I can think of, across 5 short sections...just roll on through to find the parts that are personally interesting/relevant for you. Experienced instructors, some of this might be old hat to you, but I hope there's something in here that's helpful!
So! Let's get to what's needed (starting with the most important and least costly!):
1. Windshields (in the right size), batteries & a mic belt
If I'm honest, these should be the first things you buy as a new fitness instructor. I have a mic belt & multiple windshields in every gym bag (yeah, I'm that person...plus side - by doing this I also avoid lots of the colds that go around instructors every winter). I also have a stash of AAA, AA and 9v batteries in my bag just so I'm not caught out (batteries are one of the mysteries of the gym...nobody knows where they go, but I'd bet money some people eat them). If you know which battery type you tend to use most, it's really worth buying some industrial ones of these (they simply last longer), and then having some supermarket cheapies of the others in case you end up somewhere different as a cover instructor.
Anyway, back to the important stuff. Just searching for 'fitness mic belt' online will get you loads of choice; you can pick up a decent one that'll last years for around £20-30 Max. Windshields are really inexpensive, you just need to be sure you get the right size. I found this ace picture from Complete Audio online - hopefully it'll help you avoid buying pea or golf ball sized ones (although tbh doing this is almost a right of passage, so if you make this mistake, own it ;). My personal faves for mic belts are the super quirky ones Bordoni sport produce, and for windshields I love the Samson 5 piece (because who doesn't want a different colour for every working day?).
2. A headmic unit
OK, this is where things get a little more costly, but in my eyes, it's so worth the output. Buying a headmic unit is something that'll be dictated by your budget to a point, but if you can afford to invest in one that's mid-range up, you'll get a much better fit, performance and a longer lifespan from it. You could go for something that's wireless here, but be aware that sometimes this i) makes the unit clunkier and more likely to fall off during use (they always seem to fall off my head but maybe that's just me), and ii) you're not always guaranteed you can plug the receiver for this into the sound system (especially for cover instructors going somewhere new). So, my preference is to get a mic that plugs into a transmitter pack.
I've been a massive fan of Trantec mics for years now - they fit my head without falling off or disappearing up my nose no matter whether I'm bouncing about doing HIIT or upside-down doing yoga, and although carry an initial outlay if you look after them, they last. The one I keep buying is the Trantec TS66 or TS46...you can get it from lots of places, but as a guide it seems to be between £120-140 online inc. VAT (UK, August 2020). There are LOADS of cheaper options out there though, some starting at as little as £25 (check out this Trantec at £39 inc. VAT!). Good place to start looking at what's available are Sound Dynamics or Gear4Music if you're in the UK.
Once you have one of these, it's a good plan to make sure you have something to keep it safe - headmics won't last long in the bottom of a gym bag. I now have a neoprene pouch for mine (before I bought this though, I used to keep it in a cheap Tupperware box :). Oh, and you can use this to keep some handy wipes and tissues to clean down and dry your mic after use in there too.
**Always take the windshield off the mic and dry them both off after you use it btw - the bit of the headset your speak into (and sweat on the most) is the most important, and delicate.**
3. Teach at lots of clubs? Buy adapters for different systems
This one was an absolute game changer for me. Working with Les Mills, I'm used to going to gyms all over the place and finding every different kind of sound system set-up possible. Just having a headmic with one kind of connector, I wasn't always able to connect to the system on site until these became a thing for me! I had these connectors made by Sound Dynamics, although I'm sure it'd be something any audio company with a tech department could help with. They don't cost the earth (from memory £20-30 each), but mean that I can use my headmic with almost any system. Win!
If you have the choice, two suggestions re this:
1. Buy your headmic with the connector you're likely to use the MOST so that you're not relying on connectors too much.
2. Like the headmic, these are delicate so they need to be looked after otherwise they'll last all of 5 minutes.
4. The full shebang (headmic, transmitter and receiver)
Ok, short of getting into mixers and buying your own full sound system, this is the end of the road...and it really depends on what you're trying to achieve as to whether it's worthwhile. For me, in honesty it wasn't worth me buying this until the combination of COVID & setting up and online business led me there this year. For some instructors though, if your'e finding you regularly have to teach without a headmic due to broken systems at gyms, or your gym simply doesn't provide instructor audio equipment at all (some places already did this pre-COVID, others are now doing it as they re-open) then its an investment that'll pay itself back in no time.
The bottom line, if you want a full multi-channel system that's high quality, it'll cost you...but how many of us actually need that? So, i'll just cover budget and mid-range.
If you just want something cost-effective to get you started (let's face it, working in the fitness industry isn't usually associated with feeling flush), you can pick up a UHF wireless headset system with a teeny receiver that'll plug into a headphone jack on a stereo for anywhere between £25 and £100. Pros - super cost effective, and transportable without hassle as there's nothing to them, plus they're easy to convert for use as online streaming mics as its often possible to plug them directly into a computer. Cons - wireless systems like this don't tend to give you the highest quality sound ever compared to trad. belt pack radio mics, and if you go super cheap you'll get what you pay for...don't expect a £25 version to be super reliable or last forever if you're sweating on it week in, week out. Also, go back to what I said about wireless mics falling off of your head and not always plugging into the sound system.
The second option is to grab a single channel system. These look more like the traditional transmitter & receiver systems you'd see in studios, and start at less than £70 including the transmitter, receiver and a lightweight headmic unit. Win. The potential downside...its single channel so if you're teaching in a big gym with multiple studios close together you might risk interference. Pretty damn decent as a starter though!
If you have a bit more to invest, then go for something mid-range that's got a few channels (so you can move channel if you end up picking up a centre walkie talkie or another studio). I have a Trantec S4.04 4 channel system that I adore (I'm guessing you know by now I love a Trantec). It's the same as the systems that get used 6am-9pm 7 days a week in some gyms I teach at, and as it seems to last well for them I'm expecting mine to be going for a long time! I bought a version of the system that came with a lapel mic rather than a headset as this saved me a bit of cash at the time, but if you search around you can get this system with a headmic for around £160+ (depending on the headset you choose).
Once you have all this, you're pretty much set! The only other investment I've made recently is a better bag to carry it all around (the box doesn't fit too well in my gym bag & by the time you've bought all the cables and batteries and windshields you can't fit everything in there anyway). Instead of getting an expensive system carry bag, I ended up buying a cheap camera bag & I'm pretty chuffed with it - the system fits perfectly, with room to add mic belt, spare batteries, lots of different audio cables and leads to make sure I can connect up my mic and music, and even a mini tripod if I'm somewhere I need to hook up my phone to film or livestream. The one I got is in the picture above - it was £17 from Amazon Basics - it's well made, comes with a detachable shoulder strap, is well padded & has moveable dividers inside so you can make it fit to your kit. I've stuck a pic down below on how all this comes together.
5. Other stuff...(extras that will get you out of a pickle & help you teach online)
I think at this stage you're probably wondering what the hell else you might need after investing in loads of kit. The answer is, not much. But here are a few extra things I have in my bag that do come in handy time to time:
A 3.5mm stereo jack to 3.5mm stereo jack cable to connect my phone/ipad/laptop to sound system's AUX/HEADPHONES IN (just in case the one with the system is MIA).
A 6.3mm Stereo Jack Plug (chord jack) to 3.5mm Stereo Jack (headphone jack) Socket to make the cable above fit the fat Audio cable plugs on some older systems.
A 3.5mm stereo jack to 2x RCA (red and black) to connect to the back of the system (same as above, but helps if there's no AUX IN at the front of the mixer.
An XLR to USB cable to connect my mic receiver to my Mac so I can stream classes online.
A spare XLR female to XLR male cable to plug into just in case the gym doesn't have one.
Chewing gum. Because I love coffee ;)
OK, think that's it...there's more here than I thought, but I hope it's helpful! If you have any tips or ideas you would add from experience for new instructors, pop them in the comments - let's share!
Bryony Ross is a Consultant Scientist, Group Fitness Specialist and Les Mills International Trainer. If you'd like to stay in touch with what she's up to, please feel free to subscribe & she'll be in touch when there are interesting things to share (not every day, and no spam, promise).
Comments