Common Conference Room AV Problems

Have you ever been in a meeting but you can’t hear the presenter? Have you ever given a presentation and then your microphone stops working? Nothing is worse to an audience or a presenter than not being able to effectively hear or give a presentation. Here we’ll address common conference room AV problems.

Common Standard Conference Room Sound Issues
Low Volume
Imagine you’re giving a presentation and people are continuously interrupting you and asking you to repeat what you just said. You’ve spent time preparing and making sure you get the words just right only to discover that nobody can hear you. It’s frustrating and embarrassing. Volume issues are one of the most common conference room AV problems.

This common issue often occurs because a microphone isn’t picking up the voice and has insufficient gain or the speaker hasn’t placed the microphone close enough to their mouth. Our AV installers will set up your conference room, installing and testing microphones and setting the volumes to the appropriate levels. For conference calls, we’ll do a trial run of the equipment by calling in before your big meeting or presentation and making necessary adjustments accordingly.

Delays
Both intended and unintended delays can cause conference room AV problems. Unintended delays can be frustrating to the audience listening if not properly timed. Some audio systems have a slight delay built into their delivery to minimize the risk of feedback or other audio related issues. However, if the delay is too long it can be distracting to both the presenter and the audience. Therefore, if you’re incorporating a delay into your audio system, make sure it’s as brief as possible.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth systems experience delays because they’re not fixed-wire systems and communication occurs wirelessly. Therefore, if the equipment isn’t communicating properly, the sound becomes delayed, garbled or even muted. Our AV installers will let you know how your equipment is set up. We establish your connection settings during installation, checking the sound equipment and ensuring everything communicates seamlessly without wireless interference.

Feedback
Feedback often occurs when microphones are too close to each other and can be distracting to both the speaker and audience. However, it’s more common when a microphone is positioned too close to a speaker. This creates a piercing loop of loud and annoying sound.

Whenever you use a microphone, make sure you’re a suitable distance away from any speaker and other microphones, or that other microphones are turned off while you’re speaking. Our AV installers know and understand the maximum number of microphones and the gain level an audio system can handle effectively. They’ll install each microphone at the appropriate distance and volume settings to prevent feedback.

Conference Rooms With Table Seating
Imagine trying to talk to or hear someone at the far end of the table from you. Our team of professionals can seamlessly integrate sound equipment with your existing conference room tables and run lines to connections already available in the floor. Or, they can organize cables to run across the floor to their respective inputs without distracting from your beautiful conference room, increasing your company’s professionalism. We’ll make sure everyone at the table has a voice.

Large Conference Room AV Problems
Communicating in a larger conference room comes with its own set of problems.

Speakers
Depending on the size of your conference room, you’ll want speakers that project from the front of the room to the back. However, the larger the room, the more likely you’ll need speakers strategically placed around the room. These can be installed in the ceiling so everyone has sound regardless of their position in the room.

Room acoustics are greatly affected depending on size and space. Therefore, the size of the room and the type of speakers used are critical. Our team knows what speakers work best for your unique conference room space. They’ll also know where and how far apart to place them and how many to use to ensure you get maximum sound output.

Microphones
Is your conference room set up for a presenter to remain stationary at a podium or will they need to have the flexibility to move around? Our AV installers will help you figure out the best way to configure the room for microphones. If you’re using a podium, a fixed-wire microphone will do the job. However, a wireless microphone is ideal for presenters who may need to move around the room. We’ll provide you with options and the best equipment to fit your needs.

The primary goal of audio equipment is to make sure that speakers, audiences and other participants can effectively hear and communicate with each other whether it’s through speakers, microphones or a telephone. It’s important to have your AV equipment regularly serviced and maintained to keep it in the best working condition and protect your investment. When your AV equipment doesn’t perform its best, your business doesn’t perform its best. Rely on our trusted AV installers to help with your conference room AV problems to make your business more effective and efficient. Contact Smart Offices and Smart Homes today for commercial audio system installation, video conferencing installation and more!