Place microphones so every seat is within the mic's rated pickup range, ideally closer than that, and keep them away from the room's loudspeakers, HVAC vents and laptops' fans. For most rooms that means a video bar at the front covering the first several feet of table, plus table or ceiling mics spaced evenly down the table so no one sits more than about 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 1.8 m) from a mic.
Step by step
- Measure the room and table. Note table length, seat positions and where the display wall is. See how to measure a room for video conferencing.
- Check the bar's pickup range. Manufacturers quote a range; treat it as a maximum in an average room, not a target. See mic pickup range.
- Mark seats beyond the bar's comfortable range. In most medium and large rooms, this is the back half of the table.
- Add expansion mics to cover those seats. Space them evenly down the centerline of the table.
- Keep mics away from speakers. Don't put a table mic right next to a separate loudspeaker or under a ceiling speaker.
- Avoid noise sources. Not under HVAC vents, beside projectors, or next to a laptop's fan.
- Run cables cleanly through grommets or under the table. See cable management for conference tables.
- Test from every seat with a remote person listening, speaking at normal volume, then quietly. See how to test a conference room before a meeting.
Placement by mic type
| Mic type | Where to put it | Rule of thumb |
|---|---|---|
| Video bar mics | Above or below the display | Covers front of table; rated range varies by bar |
| Table mic / pod | Centerline of the table | Roughly one per 6-8 seats (closer in echoey rooms), evenly spaced |
| Ceiling array | Above the table, not above the speakers | Typically centered over the seating; follow vendor coverage maps |
| Wireless presenter mic | On the presenter | For trainers and lecturers who move |
| Speakerphone | Center of a small table | 1-6 people around it |
Placement by room size
| Room | Typical setup |
|---|---|
| Huddle (2-4) | Video bar alone |
| Small (4-6) | Video bar alone, or one table mic for a long table |
| Medium (8-12) | Bar + 1-2 table mics, e.g. Logitech Rally Mic Pod or Poly Studio Table Microphone |
| Large (12-20) | Bar or codec + 2-4 table mics, or ceiling arrays like the Yealink CM20 |
| Boardroom / training | Ceiling or a full set of table mics; consider a DSP |
For long tables, a hub such as the Logitech Rally Mic Pod Hub lets you lay out Mic Pods in a hub-and-spoke pattern instead of one long chain. Poly rooms can daisy-chain Poly Studio A2 Table Microphones, up to 8 per room. See daisy-chaining conference microphones.
Table mics vs ceiling mics
| Table mics | Ceiling mics | |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup | Close to talkers, usually clearer | Further away, more room sound |
| Table | Visible on the table | Clear table |
| Flexibility | Easy to move | Fixed; good for rooms that change layout |
| Install | Simple | Needs ceiling work, PoE, often a DSP |
See ceiling microphones for conference rooms and table microphones.
Common mistakes
- Trusting the max range. A "6 m pickup" bar in a hard, echoey room will sound distant at 6 m.
- One mic for a long table. People at the far end sound faint.
- Mixing brands without a DSP. Each device runs its own echo cancellation and they fight each other.
- Mics under ceiling speakers, which causes echo.
- Hiding mics behind laptops or display stands.
- Ignoring acoustics. Bare glass and concrete make any mic sound worse. See conference room acoustics.
For a fuller audio plan, see conference room microphone setup and how to improve audio in a large conference room.
Not sure how many mics you need? Send us the table size and seat count and we'll map the coverage.
Related guides
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