In a meeting, making video and audio available to all attendees has become almost the standard of the meeting. While both audio and video content are part of effective remote communication, to some extent, audio tends to come first during a meeting. Or it can be said that the quality of the audio directly determines the quality of a meeting.
In a meeting, if you encounter poor video quality or video signal loss, it is equivalent to interrupting the communication and collaboration process, which is of course very inconvenient for participants. But even if the video signal is not restored or improved, the meeting can still continue, and files can be shared via email if necessary. However, if the audio is lost, the meeting will stop. In meetings, video is important for communication, but audio is absolutely crucial.
Good audio quality is affected by many factors. First and foremost, it is to capture speech. Good capture relies on a good microphone, the right type of microphone, and an understanding of room acoustics. Proper use of the microphone can go a long way toward other potential interferences in the audio channel. Microphones are a critical factor in the disruption of effective audio communication in meeting rooms. So, how do you pick the right microphone for your meeting room? Below is a reference guide.
Know how much acoustics
Before researching microphones, acoustic factors must be considered. Structurally, aesthetically, functionally, and costably, it is not always feasible to deploy acoustic treatments in meeting rooms. In most conference rooms, the typical acoustic problem is the reflective surface. Hard or shiny building and furniture materials tend to reflect the frequencies of sounds, which are essential for the intelligibility of speech.
In a room that can accommodate 12 to 15 people or less, these reflections are unlikely to affect the intelligibility of the people in the room listening to others. In the case of microphone capture, these reflections can affect the sharpness of the far end. These reflections arrive at the microphone later than the original sound. If they reach the microphone almost as loud as the original signal, it obscures what is being said in part of it.
In a room with advanced reverberation, there will be many belated reflections that will retain enough of the original sound pressure level to be heard and masked the speaker's words.
The best way to solve the reverberation is to add as much soft sound-absorbing material as possible to the room. Curtains, rugs, and artwork hanging on a large canvas are all good options, and try to avoid prints or photos covered in glass. Any measures to mitigate reflections will improve the sharpness of the distal end.
Now that we've learned the basics of acoustics, let's take a look at the types of microphones that are currently popular on the market and their advantages and disadvantages.
Tabletop microphone
Tabletop microphones can come in many forms. A common one is a gooseneck microphone. The base of the gooseneck microphone is placed on the table, and the neck extends the microphone to the person speaking, arguably the best acoustic method. However, they are often perceived as visually unappealing, and some people feel uncomfortable when facing the microphone and speak softer.
In addition, depending on the pickup pattern and the speaker's action state, they may leave the pickup pattern while speaking. Other desktop microphones include low-profile interface microphones. They are placed very close to the surface of the table, and even the surface of the interface can be used to improve its efficiency. This helps people get rid of the worry of pickup patterns, but it also means that the microphone element is farther away from the person speaking. Another problem is that the microphone can be blocked by the laptop, obscured by paper, and prone to making noise at the conference table.
Ceiling microphone
The microphone on the ceiling is suspended from the ceiling to capture speech from above, and some of the shortcomings of the desktop microphone can be solved by moving the microphone away from the table. They won't be covered by paper or blocked by laptops, and they're less likely to pick up noise from desks.
Ceiling microphones are usually less noticeable because they are located above the line of sight. If a sufficient number of ceiling microphones are installed in the right places, then the problem of the speaker getting up from the table and not being picked up can be solved. And aesthetically speaking, the ceiling microphone can effectively avoid the problem of cables passing through the table and affecting the aesthetics of the meeting room.
However, they are further away from the person speaking. Although most ceiling microphones allow for variable mounting heights to accommodate different ceiling types, they are essentially always farther away from the person speaking than desktop microphones. Also, while ceiling microphones are unlikely to pick up noise from the table, they may be close to other noises, such as the projector's fan.
Beamforming microphones
Beamforming microphones are also growing in popularity and the number of options available, most of which are in enhanced pendant or desktop versions. But they differ from traditional single-element microphones because they are characterized by acoustic arrays. Beamforming microphone arrays use multiple elements to create a richer pickup pattern.
When a person speaks, a processing algorithm compares the signal strength of the speech across all or some elements to determine the position of the speaker relative to the array. This processing algorithm can automatically focus and pick up the speaker's voice, and reduce or reject other invalid voices. This advanced processing method allows beamforming arrays to track whether the speaker is moving and in some cases will support multiple beams emitted simultaneously.
epilogue
While we all want to have the perfect conference room microphone, we have to admit that there is no one-size-fits-all answer to microphones. Even in rooms with the same size conference table and the same number of chairs, it may be necessary to choose a microphone based on acoustics, aesthetics, or room functionality. While it's wise to standardize in meeting rooms within the enterprise, this standardization should be reserved for user experience and control systems and infrastructure technology.
The choice of microphone needs to be made in the final and effective decision based on various influencing factors. Rather than using the same single approach for different rooms, careful consideration of needs and challenges, as well as seeking professional advice, will result in a more effective and high-quality input-output than trying to apply a one-size-fits-all approach.
Source: HiFi audio network
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