Muppeteer headband microphones

[FISH'N'WOLFE]

I searched and came up with zilch, zip and a little nada too. I'm curious as to what type of microphones were used for these, (not the current lavalier ones, the ones from the 70's) how they were mounted, why they had tons of foam wrapped around them, (I assume this was used as a pop reducer, but I am unsure) and basically any info in general on them would be great. They seem as if they were very fined tuned/specifically designed for their use. Sorry for the boring question, but I'm a techie and I love to know the ins and outs of this sort of thing.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

I can't tell you the mics used, but the foam was for reducing pops. The headbands supposedly were made by the Muppet workshop. They're likely not that different from the current generation of headband-mounted lav mics, just probably a little bigger and more rugged.

 

[practicecactus]

..you mean the madonna microphones?

 

[FISH'N'WOLFE]

The what now? If you mean the headset microphones the singers use, then no, I don't. The muppet ones were 100% custom made. Thanks for a little help there Buck, I did know the headbands were made by the workshop and I figured the foam was a pop reducer. Any other info would be good, if anyone has any.

 

[FISH'N'WOLFE]

Here's some OK screen grabs of Jim Henson's headsets, for those of you wondering which ones I was referring too.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

The whole thing was probably re-rigged from pieces of other microphones to create those.

 

[FISH'N'WOLFE]

Yeah, probably. I'm more interested in the tech specs and how they're put together though. Also I think they are different from the lavs since in one pic from The Muppet Show Jim Henson has a lav clipped on his shirt plus he's wearing the headset. They just seem too big to be lavs.

 

[Ryan]

Yeah, probably. I'm more interested in the tech specs and how they're put together though. Also I think they are different from the lavs since in one pic from The Muppet Show Jim Henson has a lav clipped on his shirt plus he's wearing the headset. They just seem too big to be lavs.

I've been wondering the same thing, sorry to be of little assitance. I know that headset mikes can be purchased, but I don't think it's what you're looking for. In more recent projects (Greg The Bunny, for instance) I've seen a headbeand with a small microphone on the top of the performer's forehead, so I guess that's the high tech version of the TMS mic.

 

[FISH'N'WOLFE]

I've been wondering the same thing, sorry to be of little assitance.

Hey don't worry about it, all I can do is hope someone who's actually used/worked on one of these will see this thread.

I know that headset mikes can be purchased, but I don't think it's what you're looking for.

Yeah, those aren't what I'm looking for info on.

In more recent projects (Greg The Bunny, for instance) I've seen a headbeand with a small microphone on the top of the performer's forehead, so I guess that's the high tech version of the TMS mic.

Yep, those are just your basic omni-directional lav mic taped to a headband.

 

[practicecactus]

So your just looking for info on how they were made?
Cause I was just gonna say ..You can just buy a lapel mic or somethin..But I can understand,if You wanna make a muppet mic.
..sorry I can't help you..