How To Properly Position The Voice Tracker Array Microphone In Different Rooms

This entry was posted in Array Microphones and tagged on by .

One of the questions you may ask yourself is “where do I place the Voice Tracker Array Microphone to optimize performance?” Let us help you with the following tips.

How Best To Use The Voice Tracker Array Microphone In Different Rooms

With these tips learn how to best use the Voice Tracker array microphone in different rooms.

Conference Room

Although the Voice Tracker picks up through an impressive 360° field of view, it is more sensitive from the front. Therefore, when placing the Voice Tracker on a conference table, we recommend situating it towards the front of the conference table pointing towards the far end.

Classroom Lecture Recording

For classroom recording, it is often placed on the podium in the front of the room, facing the rear of the room. This position helps to best pick up both the professor’s and the student’s voices.

Ceilings

hamish-commentOften, users want to place the Voice Tracker on the ceiling to remove clutter from the conference table or to reduce the possibility that the microphone will “walk off”.

If the Voice Tracker is placed on the ceiling, the same positioning rules apply- place it near the front of the room pointing towards the rear. Note that if you place it on the ceiling you will have a longer audio cable to run to the PC or other microphone input device. The Voice Tracker I has an unbalanced analog output through a 3.5 mm Jack, so 3.5 mm audio extension cables work fine.

The Voice Tracker™ II has both USB audio output and analog audio output. Since there are restrictions on the length of USB cables, and USB extension cables often do not work well, we recommend using the analog audio output for long runs. If you are using the AEC feature in the Voice Tracker™ II, you’ll need two 3.5 mm audio extension cables, one for the audio out of the Voice Tracker and one for the reference signal in. You also need to provide power to both the Voice Tracker I and the Voice Tracker™ II, using a wall power supply.

The Voice Tracker I has a built-in ceiling mount. There is a weight in its base to give it heft. The weight can be unscrewed (making the Voice Tracker I very light). Removing the weight reveals 4 screw holes so the Voice Tracker can be attached (upside down) to the ceiling. The microphone array itself can be swiveled to point slightly downward.

The Voice Tracker™ II also has a weight in the base that can be removed. It comes with a ceiling mounting plate that is connected to the screw hole that holds the weight.

Note that the Voice Tracker array microphone has background noise correction algorithms to filter out stationary noise from fans, air conditioner docs etc. If the microphone is placed too close to such a noise source, the algorithm can create some distortion in the audio output (voices sound like they are underwater); so be sure to locate the Voice Tracker away from such noise sources. The long pickup range of the microphone should make such placement possible.

Large Rooms

If the room is large, or reverberant, you may want to combine the output of 2 or more Voice Trackers. This can be done easily combining the analog outputs through a simple 3.5 mm Y or a mixer. If the room is wider than it is long, place both Voice Tracker’s toward the front of the room, pointing towards the rear. If it’s longer than its wide, place one (or more) in the front and one (or more) in the back.

Experience The Difference In Acoustic Magic Voice Tracker Array Microphones

Whichever type of room you are using your array microphone in, you can be confident in knowing that Acoustic Magic Voice Tracker Array Microphones will give you the best clarity, noise reduction and functionality. Learn more about our innovative.

Questions? Call Us Now!

Lecture Recording Microphone: Key Equipment For Distance Learning

Many people these days are interested in furthering their education as a way to qualify for the next step on their career ladder or to make a complete career change. Distance learning or online learning has become very popular, and schools use a variety of mediums including teleconferencing to provide course information to students.

Leading Technology In Our High Quality Lecture Recording Microphone

With our scanning unidirectional technology, only a single conferencing microphone is needed, as compared to several microphones that are normally needed for a large room. This enables high quality, complete room coverage more easily and efficiently.

By using a high quality lecture recording microphone like the Voice Tracker to make recordings, universities and schools are able to allow their online listeners to feel as though they are right in the classroom and don’t miss a single word of what is being said by the instructor as well as questions asked by students throughout the room. Our technology effectively eliminates background noise and echo.

Why Students Choose Distance Learning

There are a number of reasons why distance learning (audio and video conferencing) appeals to modern learners, including:

  • They do not have to live in close proximity to the school of their choice. Distance learning opens up more educational options for modern learners.
  • Distance learners have the flexibility to take classes at any time of day or night that suits their schedule. They are not limited to times that classes are being offered on campus.
  • Online programs can often be completed on a part-time basis, which allows adult learners to upgrade their education without having to take time away from work or family responsibilities.
  • The course material that online students complete is identical to what students work on in an on-campus program in many cases. They can receive an identical level of education without having to set foot on campus.
  • The diploma, degree or certificate issued once the work has been completed is identical to one obtained by a student who attended classes on campus.

Voice Tracker Array Microphones Effectively Record Lectures For Online Students

Online students need the freedom to log into their course website and access materials at a time that they find convenient. Classroom microphones must be powerful enough to pick up the instructor’s speech clearly so that every word can be conveyed clearly to these distance learners.

Acoustic Magic’s Voice Tracker array microphone provides high-quality sound for classroom recordings. It can be used with both conventional and VoIP conferencing systems.

If the off-site student participates in the class through a loudspeaker in the classroom, acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) becomes an important requirement. Acoustic echo occurs when the voice of the far end students from the loudspeakers in the classroom is picked up by the open microphone in the classroom and sent back to the far end students as an echo.

If the Voice Tracker array microphone is connected to a conventional conferencing system that has its own AEC, the Voice Tracker I can be used. If it is connected to a VoIP conferencing system that does not have a robust AEC, the Voice Tracker II should be used because it has a built-in AEC.

The sound quality is clear and reliable, and students will be able to follow the material being presented with ease.

When the quality of distance learning depends on the microphone used to record lectures, there is no better choice than the Voice Tracker!

Call us now to find out more about the Voice Tracker and other recording solutions to help you communicate more clearly with others who are at a distance!