The importance of voice amplification technology in meeting rooms

In this column, Magnetron explains the importance of voice amplification technology to clearly hear participants present in a room. Permite aumentar el nivel lo suficiente como para compensar la disminución de la inteligibilidad del habla causada por la distancia entre los asistentes.

It's no secret that the world is undergoing a profound transformation.. The pandemic has altered the way we relate to the space around us, and maintaining interpersonal distance is a challenge in conference rooms and auditoriums. Although the solution may seem simple, how to reduce capacity and maintain separation between people, physical distancing can also pose difficulties in the business and educational sphere.

In addition to the obvious limitations in communication and the ability to understand each other clearly when we are physically distanced, there are several factors that can have a big impact on the way people interact with the speaker or with each other.. For example, when co-workers are connected remotely, talking students, air conditioning noise, repetitive sounds such as typing or tapping, without forgetting the bad acoustics of the room.

Now that companies and educational institutions are looking for ways to adapt their spaces to meet the new demands, it is essential to carry out a rethinking of the audiovisual equipment installed.

The big picture

In meetings and seminars where some participants are face-to-face and others go online, through video conferencing applications such as zoom or Microsoft Teams, it is possible to create an effective audio ecosystem that not only connects virtual assistants with the speaker, but also consider the big picture: ensure good audio quality in the meeting room for everyone physically present and connect in-person participants with virtual participants.

All participants must be able to easily interact with each other and hear each other perfectly, regardless of whether they are online or sitting in the meeting room or auditorium.

In this sense, voice amplification is a fundamental technology to be able to hear clearly. Uses the components of a traditional sound system to amplify the voice of all participants present in a room.

The best thing about this system is that it increases the level of voice by just a few dB., enough to compensate for the decreased speech intelligibility caused by distance between attendees. The effect is so subtle that it is not even perceived by physically present participants., let alone virtual ones.

Just like any conventional sound reinforcement system, voice amplification technology needs microphones, Amplifiers, digital signal processors and speakers, among other components. In times of pandemic and post-COVID, microphones are undoubtedly the easiest option to optimize a voice amplification system.

Ceiling microphones optimize the voice amplification system

Ceiling microphones ensure 'contactless audio', thanks to its array of microphones with beam formation technology, so there's no need to swerpe or share the microphone.

Not only does it help maintain a safe physical distance between participants., it also encourages physical and virtual interaction between them, making conferences, debates and seminars are more natural.

Nor should we forget the comfort it means for a teacher or a speaker. Upon entering the room, knows everything will work without having to carry a handheld microphone, place a lapel or stay in front of a desktop.

You can focus on your presentation or presentation, in hands-free mode, with the comforting feeling that all the participants present in the room or connected remotely will understand you perfectly.

In this context, the TeamConnect Ceiling microphone 2 (TCC2) of Sennheiser, brand marketed by Magnetron, is a very interesting solution. Its adaptive beam formation technology automatically follows the speaker's voice, so that you can speak naturally, no matter if you are sitting, standing or moving around the room.

Meetings and classes gain in flexibility, since it is no longer a problem to have more speakers than expected, and interactions in the room are more natural. Something that, No doubt, helps remote participants and distance learners feel more integrated into the meeting or seminar.

recently, TeamConnect Ceiling 2 has been updated to incorporate TruVoicelift, a free feature that ensures crystal-clear audio throughout the room. This new technology is not just another complement, but it has been equipped with several features that allow you to enjoy a quality listening experience.

Among these features is TruVoicelift, which is based on an advanced frequency change algorithm. Thanks to this, and unlike standard voice amplification systems, TCC2 is able to offer higher gain without coupling, which can make a huge difference when it comes to listening perfectly to the speaker.

Also includes an anti-acople mute function, so that if the audio levels are too high, CBT2 is briefly muted to avoid annoying couplings.

In conversations with several speakers, sometimes there are pauses when speaking. With TruVoicelift, if a predefined audio threshold is not reached, a noise gate is activated that silences the TCC2 system to prevent any background noise from being amplified, like that of the whispers.

In any room there are usually areas where the audio will be mainly captured, as in the front of a chair room. By defining this area as 'priority zone', the microphone will focus on it when there is an audio signal and will not pick up conversations from other areas of the room.

On the other hand, there may be areas where it is necessary to exclude noise sources, such as air conditioners or fans. TruVoicelift allows you to easily solve this problem by configuring "advanced exclusion zones".

Open ecosystems save costs

From an installation and IT standpoint, an open system like TCC2, that can be integrated with any other ecosystem already installed, is ideal.

A system of these characteristics not only works perfectly with existing equipment, but it will remain compatible if you change platforms.

In addition to saving costs, an open system allows to combine the most suitable products for the intended task. A good starting point is to choose products that, For example, are certified for Microsoft Teams and Zoom, ensuring the system is up and running on time.

Another advantage for IT staff is the ability to easily configure TCC2 and TruVoicelift using the free Sennheiser Control Cockpit software, as microphone settings can be controlled from a centralized point. The ceiling microphone is also compatible with Dante Domain Manager.

TCC2 is compatible with all major video conferencing and, In addition, offers additional benefits to companies and educational institutions equipped with Q-SYS ecosystems, since they can use a plugin of QSC to easily set up and control the microphone.

likewise, full compatibility of TCC2 with the control platform Crestron allows remote access to audio parameters, to the silence function and the personalized control of the Led of the ceiling microphone.

with Bose Professional and the ES1 and DS4 ceiling audio solutions have a very complete recessed system for conference rooms. In addition, TeamConnect Ceiling 2 is fully compatible with audio and video solutions from Extron. Thanks to its open protocol, TCC2 can also be integrated into any other solution.

Another interesting option is to use TCC2 for camera control. In this case, Real-time positioning data from the ceiling microphone is used to capture the video of the speaker speaking so that it can be sent to remote participants, so hybrid meetings and presentations are much more interesting and natural for remote participants.

A glimpse into the future

Hybrid meetings and seminars are here to stay. The advantages they offer to companies and higher education institutions go beyond contactless audio and convenience.

For universities, remote students have become an additional source of income, and being able to offer them advanced solutions that improve distance participation will make the courses even more attractive to them.

On the other hand, companies can organize meetings and exchange views with experts and international clients more frequently. Although the first meeting can be face-to-face to meet in person, the following could be done remotely and, with the right technology, in the most natural way possible.

The addition of voice amplification technology will make these hybrid experiences enjoyable for employees and on-face students. Audio from remote participants is clear and intelligible anywhere in the room, and the presenter is clearly heard, no matter how far away it is.

The combination of the ceiling microphone and the voice amplification system provides a very natural and fluid communication between all the participants in the debate, whether they attend in person or are remote.

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