A recurring theme for companies and school environments is how to improve the quality of meetings in order to get the most out of them.

Companies often have a board/meeting room. Before the pandemic the only concern was to fix the audio just for that one room and the people that were in it. Now to that concern we must also add the possibility of hosting a hybrid meeting, in which some people are joining remotely through a video conference platform.Something similar happens at schools, with students not being able to attend for different medical reasons, but cannot miss classes.

In both cases what we try to avoid are the unnecessary “Can you hear me?”, “Could you please repeat it?” and many other interruptions that happen when the sound quality doesn’t allow us to deliver a fluid speech.

What is the best microphone option for a conference room? 

In order to get the best sound quality in a conference room we always suggest selecting a push-to-talk system. This system offers the advantage of having a person acting as the moderator (or chairperson) that can immediately take control of the conversation if needed and also prevents undesired noises and whispering, since in order to participate in the conversation you have to press a button on the microphone unit. Another advantage is that you can add additional microphones to expand the system in a really easy way, if needed.

Connecting a push-to-talk system is really quite simple; you’ll need a control unit, which connects to the last microphone unit in the system chain. For hybrid meetings, the control unit can also be connected to a computer using a USB cable. 

See the image below for an example:

What kind of microphone can pick up the whole room?

In educational settings it’s impractical for teachers to be holding a microphone or pressing a button to talk; the best solutions could be either a ceiling microphone that can cover a surface of about 654 square, or a Voice Tracker that can come in affordable versions or more expensive and sophisticated ones. Both of these options can pick up the audio perfectly, while giving the speaker freedom to move around. Students will be able to hear clearly both on site or remotely.

Which kind of microphone should I use for Zoom? Which one is the best for video conferencing?

If you are taking part in a meeting remotely and need to improve the sound quality of your voice, USB or Bluetooth microphones are recommended, which can be connected to your devices. Which one to choose will depend on your budget. However, anyone that you can get will be better than the built-in microphone from your laptop or cellphone.

Now keep in mind that if your job is to be in charge of the sound for a conference room or classroom, do not hesitate to go for one of the previous suggestions. Lastly, below you’ll find some of the products mentioned here that can be purchased from our store.