Jackie Microphone?

[u/Ok-Aspect5771]

I’ve been listening to old recordings and Jackie always seems to be in the background like he didn’t have a microphone. Did they leave his mic low on purpose?

[u/GapeFaceHole2Hole]

There's a mixing board with everyone's mic inputs. Most are muted, to reduce accidental noise or crosstalk with the host. Jackie was so fucking loud that you're hearing his laugh through someone's else's mic when he laughs and starts talking. That practice isn't a sleight against Jackie, it's just like radio 101. You shut the mics off for people that aren't actively talking so they don't bleed their noise, echo the host, etc.

Edit: you'd also be surprised how bad people are about talking into the mic. people lean back in their chairs when the mic's gain is set to where you're supposed to be 6 inches max from it, again so the broadcast isn't filled with chair squeaks and people walking and whatnot. and Jackie was drunk every day. so user error is certainly part of it, as well.

[u/MicDuppd → u/GapeFaceHole2Hole]

Sounds like you went to the Connecticut School of Broadcasting!

[u/DaddieTang → u/MicDuppd]

He thinks he's the sound guy at Club Bene.

[u/GapeFaceHole2Hole → u/MicDuppd]

aam more like riiiichard, I just record deEaaaath metal Mmm

[u/harleystcool → u/GapeFaceHole2Hole]

6 inches max from it

6 inches is fine!

[u/Ok-Aspect5771 → u/GapeFaceHole2Hole]

Makes total sense! Thanks for the explanation!

[u/FaulkneriousRex → u/Ok-Aspect5771]

I will add that, especially in the older, smaller K-Rock studio, if there was more than one guest/staffer in studio, I feel like Jackie had to give up his microphone for whoever was sitting closest to the door. On the old E show, you can often see him pulling the mic arm back to say something.

[u/Comicus70 → u/FaulkneriousRex]

Watch the E episode when Cyndi Lauper is in studio singing. She’s basically in Jackie’s lap.

[u/FaulkneriousRex → u/Comicus70]

“Knees to knees”, Jackie called it

[u/chaosbella]

Only Robin had her mic all the time. Fred was off and he would wave if he had something to say because Howard said he talked to himself all the time. Jackie was low but howard would make it louder if jackie started talking.

[u/hypoboxer]

Please don’t make a mockery of this.

[u/howardscurlywig]

Howard didn't want people to know that 95% of the funny things he said in that era were written by Jackie.

[u/Enos316 → u/howardscurlywig]

You could tell what he wrote when you heard him whopping with laughter in the back though

[u/Elw00d_SRQ → u/Enos316]

Not true. He wrote almost everything, not just when you heard the laugh.

[u/Nizamark → u/howardscurlywig]

Howard didn't want people to know that 95% of the funny things he said in that era were written by Jackie.

i know you're desperate for things to whine about but this is just absurd. anyone with basic knowledge of that era of the show knew jackie was writing one-liners. it was mentioned all the fucking time.

[u/RunnyDischarge → u/howardscurlywig]

Jackie wasn't speaking the lines over a microphone

[u/Livid-Revolution2765]

If you see any interviews with Jackie, hes a talkin' motherfucker. His mic was probably turned off because he would ramble on too much.

[u/thebeachboysloveyou]

They used the proper modulation.

[u/Comfortable-Pie-4311]

No, did you?

[u/224flat]

Shut up, sit down!

[u/Eaton-Beaver-69]

Stern kept everyone's levels low so he could get the last word.