# Microphones (Conference Room)



## connexion2005 (Aug 30, 2007)

Hey everyone. I've recently been assigned to research and select a microphone for our company's conference room. I've never real done a great deal of research on microphones before. Basically our room is 10x25 feet. The mic needs to be able to pick up anyone's voice no matter where they are at and we would prefer it to have sound canceling technologies built in as well. If you guys have any brand suggestions please let me know. Also budget is not that important as we are looking for a great piece of hardware not just something cheap.

Thanks in advance,

Josh

Remember that this needs to be a conference room mic and not just your ultimate desktop mic.


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## cams-dad (May 29, 2007)

Polycom make some of the best conferencing mics in the business. May cost a bit more, but reliability and performance have to be worth something. Check them out here:
http://www.polycom.com/usa/en/products/products.html


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## connexion2005 (Aug 30, 2007)

Ive looked into them a bit. What we are really looking for however, is a USB device (one device) that will pick up everyone at every point. Would that device do that and is it USB capable? We will be doing alot of video conferencing by the way.


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## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

Why do you want / need to run a microphone through a computer? What technology are you using for the videoconferencing?


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## connexion2005 (Aug 30, 2007)

We are currently using Skype which is a free VOiP service owned by Google.


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## connexion2005 (Aug 30, 2007)

We currently do not have actual VOiP networking setup but Skype allows you do it through your pc.


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## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

So you're doing single point-to-point video conferencing with one computer in a 250 sq ft room with what for video? A generic web cam? That's a pretty big room for a free/cheap video conference solution. The best room mics I've used in the past couldn't cover that type of area. Even Polycom systems use multiple microphone points for larger rooms.


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## ferrija1 (Apr 11, 2006)

DoubleHelix said:


> So you're doing single point-to-point video conferencing with one computer in a 250 sq ft room with what for video? A generic web cam? That's a pretty big room for a free/cheap video conference solution. The best room mics I've used in the past couldn't cover that type of area. Even Polycom systems use multiple microphone points for larger rooms.


Skype is really good, though it doesn't do video, I think connexion2005 is talking about just audio.

Anyway you do this, you're going to have to have multiple mics. And Polycom makes some good ones.

By the way, Skype is owned by Ebay, not Google.


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## DoubleHelix (Dec 10, 2004)

I'm not aware that one computer can have multiple USB microphones, and one isn't going to do the trick for such a large room.


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## Mosquito555 (Apr 25, 2007)

Hi

Not so sure if that helps but as I'm studying sound stuff I would suggest using a regular (XLR connection mic) and some amplification which is directly connected to your sound card. You'll have better sound at a little more price. As for the amplification I don't mean the amplifier coming from the computer to the speaker set but a system (a 80Euro sound console does the trick for me-if you don't need more than 2 channels you can find even cheaper stuff) that amplifies the mic signal going into the sound card.

And I believe you won't have any problems with skype as windows will recognize your set as a standard mic.

I didn't get my degree yet so please please please ask around a little more before taking my suggestion into serious consideration.


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## Mosquito555 (Apr 25, 2007)

Sorry forgot to add that...

If u use a console you will be able to add more mics on the set and control them directly and dynamically.


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## ferrija1 (Apr 11, 2006)

If you wanted to have multiple mics you would probably have to have a few onmi-directional mics going into a mixer and then sending that to a PC via firewire.


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## connexion2005 (Aug 30, 2007)

Well I have researched and here is a setup I am currently looking into...

http://www.emicrophones.com/microph...subCatID=4&prodID=110&name=Dual_Voice_Tracker

Here is a pic of a Drawing I created of our Conference Room as well...


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## ferrija1 (Apr 11, 2006)

That looks pretty good, and it's fairly inexpensive.


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