Commercial Integrator + Security Sales Sept/Oct 2023 - 57

C llab rati n
TODAY and TOMORROW
rarely speak directly into the mic, choosing instead to talk
up or down the table to the other people sitting there. Make
sure that the goosenecks are long enough to reach over the
top of the screen of a standard laptop to avoid the obvious
issues. Alternatively, mount them off to one side or the other
so they don't get covered up.
Suggested Microphone Types: ceiling-mounted beamforming
microphone arrays, wireless bodypack/lavalier and
handheld microphones, lectern gooseneck microphones and
wired table-mount gooseneck microphones.
Large Boardrooms
Generally, a boardroom would be the top of the line for most
companies' conferencing needs. Normally, this would be a
" white glove " room, with the AV team in a control room mixing
both the audio and video. Ceiling-mounted tile-style beamforming
array microphones can be acceptable here; however,
the ceiling design doesn't often support the positioning and
appearance of these. Also, many designs look for the ability
to voice lift one area of the room, while growing progressively
louder to the other side. This kind of ceiling array of both
microphones and speakers takes some careful balancing and
equalization. Often, the result can only be heard when you
turn the system off and hear the difference when the " lift " goes
away - subtle, but effective. There are a few manufacturers
that offer small-format ceiling microphones for this setup.
Wireless microphones are a useful, yet challenging, option.
They should therefore only be considered when there is no
practical way to use a wired alternative, or if the room's conThere
is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to microphones.
But it's important to consider certain parameters,
as well as how to address customers' requirements,
when selecting mics for different types and sizes of rooms.
figuration is always changing. The biggest thing to consider
is the small bandwidth of radio frequencies assigned by the
FCC in our industry. The more frequencies needed in a conference
center, the higher the resolution those devices need
to be, and the more expensive they become. Using RF in an
office building out in the middle of the country is difficult
enough. Configuring one in a high-rise office building in the
middle of Manhattan is a whole other issue!
There are 2.4GHz/5GHz systems that work well for
conference centers, although, when you're in a boardroom,
you would be better off considering systems in the
470MHz/530MHz or 925MHz/960MHz range. In some
instances, you will need an FCC license for some of these.
Since this range includes some local TV channel interference,
it depends where you are as to how many channels you
would be allowed to use. We have installed complex spaces
in Manhattan that have 50 to 60 wireless microphones
operating on one floor of a building - but it's not without its
challenges, and it's not without interference from other companies'
offices above, below and in the surrounding buildings.
Use as little transmit power as you need - and only enough
antenna to pick up inside your space. Transmitting out to the
entire neighborhood is not required for an office system.
In addition, you must choose a handheld microphone head
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Commercial Integrator + Security Sales Sept/Oct 2023

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