How to solve conference calling conundrum

May 12, 2009 10:11 AM

Large conference room; polycom Soundstation VTX1000. Sounds great if you're in the room...lousy if you're calling. Help!

We have a Polycom Soundstation VTX1000, with no external microphones. We have a large (40ft x 20ft) conference room with about 50 people on a conference call. We also have a handful of people calling in from remote locations. Everyone present in the conference room has a great experience, but everyone in the remote locations are almost completely unable to participate.

Unwanted sounds (side conversations, crumpling papers, coughing) are quite loud and clear, but actual conversations/presentations are not clear.

I realize that a lot of the problem could be solved with encouraging people to be as quiet as possible and not make outside noise. However, since it's a lunchtime conference call, this advice is generally not heeded.

I'm not necessarily wedded to the polycom system. Is there a better alternative? What would you recommend for additional microphones if the Polycom is truly the best option?

posted by FloryTric to Technology (5 answers total)

No matter what solution you try, if you can't stop people from having their side conversations or otherwise making noise that competes with the presentation, then you're hosed.... seems simple enough. Humans are very good about tuning out interference when they're in the same room with the primary source of their attention -- they can turn to face the actual speaker (and take advantage of how our ears will collect noise from in front of us more efficiently than from other locations), etc. But the callers don't have that luxury -- everything coming over the pipe is the same, whether it's the presentation or Sally's conversation about her weekend with they guy sitting next to her. So I'd posit that the problem isn't the Polycom, it's the behavior in the room around the Polycom.
posted by delfuego at 11:15 AM on May 12, 2009

Those things just suck for the person listening in. Always have, always will.
posted by kindall at 4:14 PM on May 12, 2009

Any idea what the kind of room the people calling in looks like? We had a conference room that had been repainted and the walls were left bare for awhile. The sound in that room was terrible, especially when a call was being made from there, because the bare walls were bouncing sound all over the place.

Also, what kind of phones are the remote people using? Have them put a mouse pad, or a pad of paper under the phone they are using, and see if that doesn't improve the sound. However if it's a polycom to polycom call, it's just going to sound lousy.
posted by lootie777 at 9:16 AM on May 13, 2009

Response by poster: The room is rather bare. It has some minimal artwork on the walls, and is configured most of the time for a stand-and-deliver training classroom.

I'm intrigued by your suggestion, lootie. Most of the people calling in are using cellphones or your typical, run-of-the-mill handset. Most are not using speakerphones. In general, the remotely located people do not make a lot of noise, and they generally put their phone on mute when not speaking. The sound heard in the conference room when the remote person is talking is actually quite good. It's the poor souls on the remote end that can't hear anything.
posted by FloryTric at 8:19 PM on May 13, 2009

Best answer: Well, cell phones are going to have bad time regardless, unless they have scary good reception. If they can get their hands on a good quality head set, that would help.

I'm going to tell you to place something under the Polycom unit in the conference room where the call is originating. I think a desk blotter, large mouse pad or a oversized pad of paper will do it.

It seems to me that the sound is "bouncing" around the room and a lot of the speakers voice is getting degradation before making through the Polycom and out to the remote callers. Putting something under the unit may stop some of the bouncing. You may also want to see if putting more stuff on the walls is in the budget. That will also cut down on the sound getting "lost".

Good Luck!
posted by lootie777 at 7:52 AM on May 14, 2009