Guest post by William H. Reid
Small group presentations are sometimes best served by good mic/speaker combinations, not just a mic.
(1) SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE, CHEAP.
Consider a "teacher's microphone" (also used by tour guides) with a small speaker worn around the neck or clipped to a pocket. Check them out on Amazon & elsewhere for $25 to $75. The mic is usually a "head mic" with a light headset and a little microphone placed near the side of the mouth, connected (sometimes wirelessly) to a small speaker worn around your neck. Battery operated (usually rechargeable), hands-free, self-contained, easy to walk around. ZOWEETEK makes several and sells one with very good ratings on Amazon for $35.80. There are many others.
(2) LESS SIMPLE, NOT SELF-CONTAINED, MORE VOLUME, BETTER SOUND.
If you're planning to stand in one place, such as at a podium, you'll need a mic (and maybe a mic stand if you don't want to hold the mic), a simple speaker/amplifier, and a cable to connect them (there are also wireless systems) and bring an extension cord for those times when the electrical outlet is far away. (Tape to secure the cord is a good idea if people are walking by). That sounds like a lot, and may often be overkill. The simplest version, bare-bones, should cost about $100-125.
(3) SIMPLE, NOT SELF-CONTAINED, WALK-AROUND.
If you're not speaking from a lectern, it's great to be able to walk around. A hand-held mic is fine, either with a cable (though that limits mobility) or with a wireless connection to the speaker/amp. Wireless mic/speaker combinations are great, and not very expensive (probably starting under $100, but check the ratings for quality) for book club/readings purposes. If you already have a non-wireless mic or speaker/amp, consider a wireless adapter on each (starting at about $50 per set) to free you up.
(4) HANDS-FREE, NOT SELF-CONTAINED.
If you need both hands away from the lectern or mic stand, consider a "head mic" (similar to what singers often wear on TV, but without the earpiece), clip-on or lavalier (old-school). Those generally come with a little transmitter pack that clips onto a belt or pocket, and the simplest ones transmit to a wireless receiver on the speaker/amp. Sets, including a simple speaker/amp, suitable for small-group speaking may start under $100, a little more with better sound. For any of the above, be sure the system is clear enough and loud enough for your purpose, and that any wireless version works within the distance you anticipate (usually "Bluetooth" distances of 20 to 100 feet).
(5) MIC ONLY.
If the venue is large or professional enough to have its own public address (PA) system, they probably have a mic for you, but you may want to bring your own. (Be sure yours will plug into—or communicate wirelessly with—the venue's PA).
Forensic psychiatrist William H. Reid is the author most recently of A Dark Night in Aurora: Inside James Holmes and the Colorado Mass Shootings, which draws on 23 hours of unredacted interview transcripts never seen by the public and Reid's own research to bring the reader inside the mind of a mass murderer. The result is a chilling, gripping study of abnormal psychology and how a lovely boy named Jimmy became a killer.
See also Public Speaking, PA Systems, and You (The Small Venue Survivalist)