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Why Digital Signal Processing is a Game Changer for Audio Conferencing Hardware

Business productivity is killed by audio distortion that results in meeting participants missing details. This is where DSP technology can assist.
November, 19 2019 |
Audio professional adjusting ceiling array

Audio distortion is the death of productivity in audio conferencing. When meeting participants can’t hear the details of a conversation or have to ask for important information to be repeated, repeatedly, it’s game over. There’s almost nothing worse than an audio conference disrupted by unwanted noises, echoes or distortions. This is where Shure intuitive technology enters. 

The Shure IntelliMix® Digital Signal Processing (DSP) proprietary algorithms enhance every element of conference sound, giving you and your team the absolute best quality audio for video conferences in rooms of any size.

IntelliMix saves you from the anguish of poor audio created by unwanted noise or distortions. Instead, it delivers unparalleled clarity to enhance communication, workflow and, ultimately, business productivity. When meeting participants hear every detail, the only interruptions come from a natural flow of great ideas and not the challenges associated with poor audio.          

Where is a DSP Processor Used?

Our P300 Audio Conferencing Processor and the Microflex® Advance™ MXA910 Ceiling Array Microphone with IntelliMix® are equipped with Shure’s IntelliMix® portfolio of algorithms. Let’s take a look under the hood to learn how they bring out the best in our hardware.

IntelliMix Enhances the Flexibility 

The Microflex® Advance™ MXA910 Ceiling Array Microphone with IntelliMix® combines state-of-the-art array microphone technology with the Shure IntelliMix DSP. It offers - Acoustic Echo Cancellation, Noise Reduction, and Automatic Mixing for exceptional and unprecedented control.

The microphone features outstanding “ease of deployment” capabilities. These include simplified templates and Autofocus Technology for immediate out-of-box setup. Designer software compatibility provides unmatched ease of configuration, so the system can be installed quickly and efficiently.

Features and Benefits

IntelliMix enables Shure products to enhance every aspect of audio and offers consistently better-sounding video conferences by introducing enhanced DSP processing. 

Here are some of the core elements of the technology and the reasons why every conference room can benefit from this audio conference processing:

Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) removes far-end audio that leaks into the microphone, providing an echo-free conference experience.

Noise Reduction helps to overcome challenging room acoustics by minimizing unwanted distractions such as HVAC sounds that can impede clear communication.

Automatic Mixing increases presence and reduces noise pickup and transmission, improving clarity, intelligibility and providing seamless interaction between conference sites.

Automatic Gain Control (AGC) adjusts the volume on each channel to ensure consistency between quiet and loud talkers.

Compression manages sudden changes in the output signal from the automixer for improved audio quality.

Delay aligns audio and video when a video system introduces latency (where you hear someone speak, and their mouth moves later).

Parametric Equalization (PEQ) offers precise control of sound.Each array microphone features a 4-band PEQ on every channel. The MXA910 also includes three EQ Contour presets for quick and easy microphone tuning.

Adding Intelligence to the Audio Experience 

IntelliMix delivers the best quality audio than ever before in larger meeting spaces by combining multiple MXA910s with just one P300 processor. 

Bringing these two products together offers the ultimate conference audio experience. This scalability is easier to implement and more cost effective, thanks to IntelliMix and the distributed DSP architecture. Distributing DSP across microphones and connectivity interfaces lowers the cost and complexity for multi-room installations or rooms needing more than one ceiling array microphone.

Without the intuitive DSP, our products wouldn’t be able to provide the powerful and unparalleled audio conferencing experience they do. And with so much business emphasis on clear communication, your hardware can’t afford to be without IntelliMix. 

Find out more about IntelliMix DSP.

Read our previous blog articles on the benefits of IntelliMix: 

https://www.shure.com/en-US/conferencing-meetings/ignite/ensuring-consistent-conferencing-quality-around-the-world

https://www.shure.com/en-US/conferencing-meetings/ignite/why-automatic-mixing-is-crucial-for-conferencing

Low-Andrew.webp
Andrew Low
Andrew is Manager, Global Marketing, Integrated Systems. When not focussing on audio technology, he can be found in the basements of London pubs playing his guitar, badly. A London resident for ten years, Andrew took the leap across the pond after studying at the School of Audio Engineering's NYC campus.