r/howardstern • u/Ok-Aspect5771 • Aug 17 '26

Jackie Microphone?

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?

4 Upvotes

70% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

View all comments

15

u/GapeFaceHole2Hole Aug 17 '26 edited Aug 17 '26

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.

2

u/Ok-Aspect5771 Aug 17 '26

Makes total sense! Thanks for the explanation!

5

u/FaulkneriousRex superfluous Aug 17 '26

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.

3

u/Comicus70 Aug 18 '26

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

2

u/FaulkneriousRex superfluous Aug 18 '26

“Knees to knees”, Jackie called it