Photo By: By ITU Pictures, on Flickr
5 Speaker Micing Solutions
By: Dan D.
Conferences, meetings and workshops come in all shapes and sizes, used for diverse topics and many purposes. They all require the same thing, a good microphone; however,note that good depends on the situation. One must consider the size of the venue, the amount of attendees and type of presentation. Worry not, every situation will have its ideal microphone.
1. Meeting Room
The meeting room, it can seat up to 30 people with one or more large tables. The tables are usually rectangular or in a round shape. A Gooseneck microphone is the optimal choice in meeting rooms. The microphone’s extension upward protects them from being covered by stationery items such as binders, folders, and papers. Boundary microphones are another viable option for those that prefer a low-profile design. For the best coverage use, one microphone per person or one shared between two people. Consider integrating a discussion system, which combines the microphone with a loudspeaker in one unit, to ensuring sound coverage throughout any sized room.
2. Large Meeting Facilities
Large meeting facilities range in anything from courtrooms where the law is upheld, to city council chambers where new laws are made. In these situations with bigger venues, microphones are a must! Use an automatic microphone mixer, when a live sound operator will not be present. A device which will automatically reduce the strength of a microphone’s audio signal when it’s not in use. Therefore the microphone of the person speaking will take precedence over others.
3. Classroom
Having intelligible speech is vital in educational environments. Traditional classrooms have a capacity for around 35 students, seated, facing the lecturer. Teachers are likely to roam around in front of the class, utilizing tools such as the whiteboard or overhead projector. In this case, wireless headsets or lavalier microphones are recommended to promote hands-free movements.
4. Lecture Hall
Unlike a classroom setting, lecture halls can scale up to hundreds of people listening to a single lecturer or a panel discussion. With such a large room it’s important to have the voice, of the individual who is speaking, reach the back row. Often in these big auditoriums, speakers, are pointing towards a projector screen or towards students to pick out questions. A wireless lavalier or headset is ideal, to allow instructors to have a full range of motion in their hands and arms. Placing a set of monitor speakers further out within the room may also help project the voice of the lecturer.
5. Workshop
Workshop sizes vary widely, but they have similar environments to the typical classrooms in a school. A type of wireless microphone would work best, particularly a lapel or lavalier microphone. Enabling presenters to walk freely around the stage, or room, without worrying about dragging a cord behind them.