This phrase is one of my pet peeves at conferences, and I say this as a former offender. Like many people with loud voices (and some theatre training about speaking from the diaphragm), I have in the past proclaimed boastfully that I can address the room without a mic. This is a pretention I picked up from years of speaking in union halls. So, I think I don't need the mic. Fine. For me. What most loud-voiced people fail to realize is that it's not about them. Many people in standard-sized conference halls have a difficult time hearing under the best of circumstances. More than a couple of my friends are completely deaf in one ear. Many people lose hearing acuity starting as early as their mid 40s.
It's not about you! You might not need the mic, but some people in the audience do!
A sub-component of this pet peeve is the way most people use lapel mics. They hold them with their thumb and forefinger as though the mic is a little piece of tea cake or a disgusting bug. Then they put the mic directly in front of their mouths to ensure that every percussive sound they make with their lips--linguists call these bilabial plosives--crackles and pops in a most annoying way (that is to say nothing of the silly tea-cake/bug-holding look that accompanies this sound).
The best thing to do with that lapel mic is to PUT IT ON YOUR LAPEL! You might not be able to hear it, but it was designed to pick up your voice from down there. If you can't hear it, don't worry. Someone can adjust the sound at the mixing console for the rest of the room. And if it still bothers you, remember... you don't need a mic! Right?
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