Amplifiers and Megaphones

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Amplifiers and Megaphones

Akilah and Stephanie show us how it’s done.

You’ve put in all this wonderful research and organizing into your tour, and it would be heartbreaking if the people who show up can’t hear what you are saying. Here’s some helpful information on how to be heard above the din or city streets.

This is what you’ve got to do – seriously consider renting, borrowing or buying an amplifier/microphone or megaphone. We’ve made it easy for you to ‘self-organize’ (a Jane Jacobs term we know and love) to get this done.

OPTION #1 – BUY IT

If you want to buy something basic for this purpose, we’ve had success with a small mic/amplifier unit that costs around $60 USD. It’s called the Sky Model WAP-5D – according to New Yorker tour guides, it’s the ‘industry standard’. It gets strapped around your waist or over the shoulder – yeah baby – looking good! We have found the most reliable source for these bad boys is in Florida – and they deliver them promptly to us Canadians. The waist-band amplifier runs on batteries and the unit doubles as a battery charger if you buy rechargeable batteries. You can find one online.

To order the WAP-5D, you need to contact Audio Sounds Electronics, Inc. at (305) 594-0559 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

The cost for the WAP-5D is $40.38 USD, and shipping is another $16.20 USD. Shipping is UPS Ground – they can get the systems to you in about 3-5 days. UPS has been known to charge a $37 brokerage fee when delivering to Canada, which will may be added to the delivery costs. Overnight shipping is quite expensive, so we don’t recommend it.

OPTION #2: RENT OR BORROW IT

Halleluiah! You can also rent megaphones from Long & McQuade Music Stores for $5 a day. There are Long & McQaude stores across Canada, with the exception of Quebec.

You can also buy a megaphone for about $100. In the past we have found them at electronics stores like Future Shop, Best Buy and The Source.

And of course, many of you have connections to community organizations that OWN a megaphone – ask if you can borrow it.

OPTION #3: IMPROVISE

As a last resort, if you cannot get access to a microphone or amplifier, there’s a non-technological method, too. Face people when you speak by corralling your walkers in tightly where there’s as little street noise as possible and face them when you speak. You can get them to stand on stairs or a rise, and speak to them ‘amphitheatre’ style. You could also climb on top of something a bit higher, and project over the group. You’ve really got to belt it out, especially if you’re on busy streets.

Do not be shy - you are the host and the more you get them talking, the better. If Broadway actors can make themselves heard to 600 people, you can make yourself heard to 20. Other tips include turning the crowd so they are facing you, and you are facing a wall – do not talk into traffic, talk into a wall and the walkers.

Another low-tech amplification device you can make yourself is a bullhorn: roll a piece of thick paper or cardboard into a cone shape and yell through that. Maybe some of you have a past in cheerleading and will be familiar with this technique – go team!

Click here to download a PDF version of this document.