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Ceiling is believing with the Shure MXA910

Richard Knott, project engineer at Shure UK, discusses the benefits of using ceiling array microphone technology

Richard Knott, project engineer at Shure UK, discusses the benefits of using ceiling array microphone technology

When it comes to conferencing, the key to effective, productive and efficient meetings is for participants to be able to join a call, participate in it fully and comfortably, and understand their fellow attendees. While this may seem simple, many people are still wary of conferencing systems, sometimes because they are too time-consuming to set up and use or because important points can be lost or misheard due to latency issues or poor quality audio.

Ceiling array microphone technology can solve these issues and bring many other benefits to meeting and presentation spaces of all different sizes and configurations. A key factor when investing in a conferencing system is user acceptance – if users don’t feel comfortable with the system and it isn’t responsive to their needs, it won’t be fully utilised. Ceiling array microphones allow participants to act naturally and not focus on speaking into a fixed microphone, so regardless of whether they are sitting upright, leaning back, using their laptops or talking at the display, they can be heard clearly and understood by all. As array lobes can be aimed at specific areas of the room both seated participants and presenters will be clearly picked up, even if they move around.

The MXA910 was also recently installed in Bayer’s new UK headquarters which features a number of collaborative spaces, meeting rooms, and presentation suites. Central to the building is the main meeting space and town hall area. This large space is designed to be divisible into a number of rooms or opened into one space, creating a challenge when it comes to maintaining clear, intelligible audio. To achieve this, the space was designed for audio conferencing and voice-lift from two Microflex® Advance™ MXA910 Ceiling Array Conferencing Microphones and a Microflex® Wireless AV Conferencing system. Here a major factor behind the decision was the fact that the Microflex® family is corporate network ready.

The MXA910 has opened up new options for installed sound systems in corporate applications: the MXA910s allow presenters to move around the room, converse with colleagues and gesticulate, knowing that the microphones will pick them up. In addition, by installing the microphones overhead, rather than on a table, users can enjoy a discreet, natural conferencing experience while enjoying a clutter-free meeting space.