Shure aims for the boardroom with Microflex Advance
Published: PRODUCTS
Comprising networked ceiling and table array microphones, audio interfaces, and control software, Microflex Advance has now debuted with a mission to take Shure into high-end corporate boardrooms and meeting spaces. The manufacturer debuted the scalable solution at ISE 2016, describing it as offering ‘enhanced A/V conferencing that integrates seamlessly into a premium meeting space aesthetic’.
A key feature of the system is the ability to flush-mount a Microflex Advance Ceiling Array alongside standard ceiling tiles, while the launch also marks the introduction of the ‘toroid’ polar pattern in the Microflex Advance Table Array. Additionally, the system presents an enhanced version of Shure’s IntelliMix Digital Signal Processing Suite, including ‘Steerable Coverage’ technology, to enable control of audio capture within a meeting space. Dante compatibility completes the core specification.
Looked at in more detail, the individual system components are described by Shure’s Rob Klegon, associate manager, global product management, as combining the company’s knowledge in ‘both the acoustic and digital signal processing domains’.
Specifically, the Ceiling Array uses Shure’s steerable coverage technology to enable up to eight lobes that are configurable in three dimensions. It can be flush-mounted in any standard ceiling tile grid, or installed below the ceiling with Vesa-D and wire hanging mounts. Meanwhile, the Table Array works with the IntelliMix DSP Suite to deploy up to four discrete audio channels around a table. It also uses the new ‘toroid’ ring-shaped pattern to reject unwanted artefacts from overhead, such as HVAC noise or projector fans. Operation is via programmable capacitive-touch mute switches with the ability to customise LED colour and shape to indicate microphone status.
For A-D/D-A conversion, four Audio Network Interfaces provide audio routing in and out of the Dante domain. They are available in standard XLR (mic/line) and block (mic/line) connector versions that include LED and mute switch pins for logic-enabled analogue microphones. All of the interfaces also include a single Ethernet port for routing and a browser-based software platform for control of connectivity and monitoring.
Finally, the range includes built-in control software, providing an interface for adjusting microphone attributes such as configuration of presets, templates, and polar patterns. The system can also be integrated with third party controllers such as Crestron and AMX.