Oscars Audio Problems: Microphone Feedback Upsets Viewers and Presenters

Billy Crystal

First Posted: 02/26/2012 11:54 pm Updated: 02/26/2012 11:56 pm

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Those watching at home might have thought they were hearing things, but it seems as though the microphones at the Oscars actually had issues with feedback.

A number of presenters seemed caught off guard by the painful ringing as well.

"Fix the mics," Jimmy Fallon tweeted, while a viewer Cody Meltzer wrote, "Dear Oscar awards, turn your MICS DOWN!"

Did you notice any sound glitches while you were watching the 84th annual Academy Awards at home? Let us know in the comments.

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Those watching at home might have thought they were hearing things, but it seems as though the microphones at the Oscars actually had issues with feedback. A number of presenters seemed caught off...
Those watching at home might have thought they were hearing things, but it seems as though the microphones at the Oscars actually had issues with feedback. A number of presenters seemed caught off...
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James Brown
130 Fans
 
07:59 PM on 02/27/2012
Don't be so hard on them.
Using microphones and film is a new thing for them so its not hard to understand why they can't get it right.
After all Hollywood made 'The Artist' didn't they???
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Orphie
217 Fans
05:55 PM on 02/27/2012
The only sound issue I noticed was the unreasonably high mix for the phony crowd screams during the red carpet pre show.
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Orphie
217 Fans
05:53 PM on 02/27/2012
Sounded fine to me. . maybe those without 5.1 had problems in the boil down to just left and right?
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scollingsworth
Sarcastic only when lips are moving
419 Fans
04:12 PM on 02/27/2012
I thought it was the speakers in my cheap TV that I have in the bedroom.
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janha
336 Fans
02:42 AM on 02/27/2012
I feel kind of dumb now.......we paused the show several times saying "do you hear ringing or a bell"!
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Fdski
6 Fans
12:17 AM on 02/27/2012
The live mics sounded pretty bad. Back in the old analogue days the mics would have howled, but with todays digital soundboards, thats the sound you get when you have a digital sound loop. Ouch.
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Spay2012
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12:32 AM on 02/27/2012
Pretty bad :(
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Dana Wachs
75 Fans
08:04 AM on 02/27/2012
Not true. I am an engineer and whether it's analogue or digital, feedback is feedback caused by the same, very easy to fix problem. I am shocked such a huge production had such issues.
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Fdski
6 Fans
09:03 AM on 02/27/2012
I agree, but I heard the same digital artifacts you get when you accidentally track a digital sound recorder while its in record. Something was trying to suppress it from going full out feedback. There were some parts where I thought they got a handle on it, then it came back again.
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Bruce Cole
22 Fans
10:18 AM on 02/27/2012
They were attempting to deal with the ambient noise in the Kodak Theater by slapping a noise reduction plug-in in the chain. It was awful. It's indicative of how internally focused and navel-gazing that telecast has become. The broadcast audio is an afterthought for them. They had the EXACT same problem last year. Two breaks in a row without figuring it out is inexcusable. Two years in a row - that whole crew should be replaced.
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