2025: Best Practices for Audio Pickup in Large Conference Rooms

In 2025, ensuring clear audio capture from multiple speakers in large conference rooms continues to be a critical challenge. As rooms become more spacious and the number of attendees grows—with seats spread further apart and more frequent interaction—it becomes increasingly difficult to guarantee that each participant’s voice is transmitted clearly and evenly to remote listeners. This is one of the most persistent technical hurdles in modern conferencing.

In practice, even though many audio products advertise the ability to cover entire rooms or handle dozens of microphones, they often fall short in real-world settings. For example, voices more than about 1 meter (3 feet) away from a microphone frequently become too quiet or unintelligible for remote participants. In one company’s large conference room, despite theoretical calculations suggesting that only 2–3 microphones would suffice, they ultimately had to install 7–8 just to achieve acceptable audio pickup. Adding extra microphones not only drives up costs significantly but also introduces new challenges such as overlapping coverage areas, increased noise, and interference between devices.

Drawing from such common scenarios, this article examines the key obstacles in multi-speaker audio pickup as they exist in 2025, presenting practical recommendations and actionable best practices. We’ll discuss technical strategies appropriate for conference rooms of various sizes and detail how innovations like beamforming and multi-microphone daisy-chaining can help maximize both clarity and consistency. Whether your focus is audio system design or algorithm development, you’ll find insights here to better address the complexities of large-room audio capture.

Challenges of Audio Pickup in Large Conference Rooms

In a large conference room, a single microphone array rarely delivers even and consistent pickup for all speakers. The main reason: sound intensity drops sharply with distance. Every time the distance from a microphone doubles, the sound pressure level falls by about 6 decibels, drastically reducing volume and clarity. As a result, the further a person is from the microphone, the fainter their voice becomes, while reverberation and background noise become more prominent. User guides from conference mic vendors consistently emphasize: placing microphones far from speakers results in “hollow, muffled” sound. To ensure intelligibility, microphones should be positioned as close to the talker as possible—ideally within arm’s reach¹. For example, the Polycom HDX documentation states each desktop microphone provides an effective pickup range of just 3–6 feet (about 1–2 meters), depending on room acoustics². In other words, for optimal results, speakers should be within about 1–2 meters of a mic. Beyond that, remote participants will notice their voices dropping off or becoming hard to understand.

When speakers are spread throughout the room, one microphone array simply can’t “cover” them all. Most conference microphones, in ideal conditions, offer a pickup radius of roughly 1.5 to 2.5 meters²³. Anyone seated outside that area won’t be heard clearly, making it very difficult to rely on just one or two devices for a large group. As demonstrated in the earlier example, actual coverage typically falls short of what vendors claim: microphones that are supposed to “cover the whole room” often only pick up nearby voices, while distant speech is lost under background noise. To address these blind spots, administrators are forced to add more microphones to the system.

Specs vs. Reality: What Microphone Numbers Really Mean

Manufacturers’ specifications for pickup range and participant capacity are usually based on idealized scenarios. But real conference rooms are far messier—filled with unpredictable reverberation, background noise, and tricky seating—so actual performance is rarely as good as the datasheet numbers suggest. For example, a popular video conferencing system might recommend using 2–3 extension microphones for a large room, but in practice, users discover that audio is poor unless they deploy 7–8 microphones to reach every participant. This is increasingly common: modular solutions like Logitech Rally officially support up to seven microphone pods to ensure full coverage in sizable rooms⁴. According to Logitech, each Rally pod ideally picks up sound within about a 15-foot (4.5-meter) diameter³. But to truly ensure every seat falls inside at least one microphone’s pickup range, multiple units must be distributed evenly along long tables³⁴. In other words, quoted “maximum coverage” is theoretical. Consistently high-quality pickup always requires some redundancy.

Marketing language may play up “smart algorithms” and “noise reduction,” suggesting a single device is sufficient. Regardless of how advanced the DSPs are, physics still applies: voices at a distance will inevitably be lost. The gap between advertised specs and real performance is widest in meetings where several people are speaking at once. Even a directional microphone with beam steering can’t always keep up, so the only real solution is to add more microphones, placed in the right spots and used with suitable algorithms. However, simply piling on devices creates its own set of problems—overlapping coverage, cumulative noise, and system complexity. There’s a crucial balance to strike: you can’t minimize hardware simply by trusting the specs, nor can you just keep adding microphones without proper configuration and processing.

Microphone Configuration Strategies by Room Size

The right audio setup depends heavily on room size and participant count. Here’s how best to approach microphone selection and placement:

Small Meeting Rooms (Approx. 4–6 People)

In a small space (less than 20 square meters), things are simple: a single omnidirectional speakerphone or a conference camera with an integrated microphone array is usually sufficient. Devices like Poly Sync, Jabra Speak, or Yealink CP typically have a pickup radius of 2–3 meters; placing one centrally on the table provides clear coverage for all speakers⁵. In these settings, a single 360° microphone easily supports groups of up to 4–6, and most modern units offer built-in noise and echo reduction for added clarity. The key is a central, unobstructed mic location and ensuring all participants are within close proximity to the device. This approach keeps costs and cabling to a minimum.

Medium-Sized Meeting Rooms (Approx. 6–15 People)

Medium-sized rooms (one or two long tables, ~12 seats) require multiple microphones working together for complete coverage. The standard solution is to place 2–3 desktop microphones (wired or wireless) evenly along the table, or to use a conference phone or video bar that supports extension mics. For example, the Poly Trio 8800 works with three satellite microphones, each covering a radius of about 8.2 feet (2.5 meters)⁶⁷. Logitech Rally Bar’s built-in mic covers a 7-meter (23-foot) radius, but larger rooms need extra Rally Mic Pods⁸⁴. The general rule: allow one microphone for every 3–4 meters of table, so no one sits too far away. Shure and other experts recommend roughly one microphone per pair of participants, evenly spaced between seats¹. When using four or more microphones, it’s vital to employ an automatic mixer or clear manual muting procedures, to avoid amplified noise from too many open mics¹. The goal is to blanket the room in coverage with a manageable device count so all voices are clear.

Pawpaw’s Wireless Daisy Chain Conference Microphone Solution uses LE Audio wireless mesh chaining to cover up to 40 square meters (430 sq. ft.) of table with just two units. Its adaptive three-beam 360° array quickly tracks voices between 0.3–5 meters while reducing background noise by about 25 dB. With no cabling required, it can be set up in five minutes, and far-end attendees no longer complain about voices fading into the distance.

Large Rooms (15+ People, Multiple Tables, or Auditoriums)

The largest rooms—spanning multiple tables or an auditorium—pose the toughest challenges, demanding professional-grade solutions. In these spaces, simply adding desktop microphones isn’t enough; you need a carefully engineered audio system. Common approaches include:

• Distributed Desktop Microphone Arrays: Microphones are placed at each table or seat and combined with sophisticated automatic mixers. Similar to the “discussion systems” used in council chambers, these setups allow every participant a microphone, but the automixer (such as those from Shure) ensures only the relevant ones are active at any time to keep clarity high and background noise low¹. Special features like a “chairperson” mic can take priority in the mix. This delivers excellent sound quality because every voice is captured up close, but comes at the cost of complex wiring and potential feedback if not carefully managed⁹.

• Ceiling Microphone Arrays: A growing trend is the use of beamforming ceiling microphones that cover the entire room from above. Examples include Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC2) and Shure MXA920, which use large numbers of mic elements and advanced algorithms to steer pickup beams towards each active speaker. TCC2, for instance, claims to cover an area about 10 meters (33 feet) in diameter—suitable for a large room or classroom¹⁰. In reality, these ceiling arrays can easily cover a room up to 30 x 30 feet (9 x 9 meters) without additional desktop microphones⁹. The diagram illustrates how a ceiling array can track and pick up several speakers at once, anywhere in the room.

• Hybrid Solutions: In particularly large or flexible spaces (like boardrooms holding dozens), the best systems combine ceiling arrays for general coverage, tabletop or gooseneck microphones for key speakers, and wireless handheld or lavalier microphones for presenters on the move⁹. All audio feeds converge in a professional digital signal processor (DSP) for automixing, echo cancellation, and noise suppression. This flexible mix allows you to optimize pickup for every purpose: ceiling arrays for ambient pickup, table mics for panelists, and wireless mics for mobile presenters. Designing such systems requires careful tuning and room acoustics management—minimizing reverberation, avoiding feedback from PA speakers, and ensuring microphones cooperate seamlessly. Though costlier, these systems deliver the performance required for mission-critical or international meetings.

In summary, any large conference room must guarantee microphone coverage for every talker. Rather than under-specifying and scrambling to add mics after installation, budget for redundancy and choose scalable systems that can expand as needed⁵. Pawpaw’s wireless daisy-chaining, which won the 2025 GAS Innovation Award for technology advancement, supports seamless expansion, and now offers evaluation boards, SDKs, and customization services, helping integrators and OEMs roll out wireless chaining in weeks. Professional processing with automixing, echo cancellation, and noise suppression is essential to keep audio clear and balanced. The next section sums up the best practices for multi-mic deployment.

Best Practices for Multi-Microphone Setups

Here are key strategies for large or multi-mic conference rooms to maximize coverage and minimize pitfalls:

• Identify Each Microphone’s Effective Range: Before setup, map out the room dimensions and seating layout to determine how far each microphone can pick up effectively—typically 3–6 feet (about 1–2 meters)². Make sure every participant is within at least one microphone’s coverage zone. If there are any “dead spots,” add mics or move placements—don’t just trust manufacturer “maximums.” As Shure advises, always try to place microphones as close as practical—ideally within arm’s reach of each talker¹.

• Add Microphones with Care: More isn’t always better. Excess open mics can compete acoustically, raising room noise and muddiness. A good rule of thumb: each mic should serve about two participants¹. If you find yourself needing more than one mic per two attendees, look first at improving room acoustics or system selection, not just adding more gear. Also, place microphones evenly and avoid too much overlapping area, which can cause phase problems and decrease intelligibility.

• Use Automatic Mixers and Manual Mute Controls Wisely: In multi-microphone setups, an automatic mixer—often built into modern DSPs—is crucial¹. It detects who’s talking and only activates mics near that person, closing or lowering gain on the others, which greatly cuts down background noise and reverberation build-up. This technology, now standard in most mid-to-large systems (e.g., Shure SCM series), dates back to the late 1960s¹¹. If automixers aren’t available, ensure every microphone has a clearly labeled mute button, or designate a meeting moderator to control which mics are live. Well-managed mics are the key to clean, intelligible remote audio.

• Leverage Beamforming and Smart Audio Algorithms: Modern arrays offer advanced algorithms for better audio pickup. Beamforming forms software-controlled pickup zones that track shifting speakers¹¹. The best systems can create multiple beams, acting like virtual microphones to capture several simultaneous speakers—especially helpful in dynamic discussions. Today’s pro microphones also offer AI-powered noise reduction, echo cancellation, and automatic level balancing. System designers should fine-tune these features to best fit their specific space and use case—for example, calibrate the voice detection so that soft speakers are reliably picked up without false triggers from background noise.

• Prioritize Room Acoustics and Speaker Placement: Even the best microphones can’t fix a bad acoustic environment. Hard surfaces and glass create echoes that no DSP can fully remove. Adding absorptive materials—carpet, drapes, or bookshelves—significantly improves clarity⁹. If the room needs loudspeaker reinforcement, position PA speakers carefully to avoid pointing directly at microphones, using directionality and feedback suppressors as needed. Good room design is fundamental—the best hardware cannot compensate for a poor acoustic foundation.

Conclusion

The challenge of evenly capturing all voices in a large conference room reveals a common industry disconnect between marketing and real-world use. Manufacturers’ specs on coverage area and supported participants often apply only to perfect conditions, while actual rooms are filled with unique complications. For product managers, the lesson is to base recommendations on conservative, tested coverage and to offer clear, scenario-based setup guides that help customers avoid expensive mistakes. Instead of overpromising, set realistic expectations—clearly stating, for instance, “a large conference room will require at least five microphones and an automixer”—so users get it right the first time. Remember that user experience depends on the total solution, not just headline features or individual hardware specs.

For engineers and algorithm developers, multi-speaker conference rooms provide fertile ground for innovation. There’s plenty of opportunity to develop and refine audio technology: from multi-beam beamforming that tracks several people at once, to smarter dereverberation and noise canceling that can enhance distant or soft-spoken voices—often using AI and adaptive learning. Top products already point the way: combining multi-beam arrays with machine-learning driven pickup, or using sensors and camera data to help locate speakers automatically¹¹. With intelligent multi-mic coordination, signal processing, and good room design, the large conference room audio challenge can be solved—ensuring that every voice, from every corner, is heard clearly by remote audiences. That’s the ultimate goal of truly inclusive meetings.