Should I keep using the microphone?

Yes, you should.

I see this come up from time to time. Someone is speaking to a group of perhaps 20 or 30 people, and wonder if they can avoid the internal awkwardness of using the mic, so they hold the mic to the side and ask “can you still hear me”?

Not wanting to be rude, people let them put the mic down and it’s worse for everyone. Unless it’s a crackly system or…