Commercial Integrator March 2022 - 37

SPONSORED CONTENT
3 QUESTIONS
Audix on a Revolutionary
Microphone Innovation
for Larger Rooms
Commercial Integrator speaks to Audix's David
Garlett about the small-form-factor M45, which
is capable of amazing pickup in large rooms.
Commercial Integrator (CI):
These days, the AV community
is devoting a lot of
attention to the education
and enterprise categories
because their respective
technology needs have
never been greater. From a
mic'ing perspective, can you
share some of the biggest
challenges in providing economical
coverage of group
spaces like classrooms and
meeting rooms?
David Garlett: Absolutely!
We here at Audix are feeling
that need for good solutions in
larger rooms, as well. You know,
the biggest challenge that we
face - and that I think all of our
friends out in the industry also
face - is larger spaces, like
classrooms, tend to have challenging
acoustics. And ceiling
microphone techniques are very
dependent on how well the
room behaves. So, you're faced
with those two challenges: One,
address the room itself, or, two,
try to develop a microphone
technology that isn't so susceptible
to the reflections that the
room may unfortunately have.
And that's what we've done
here today with the new M45.
CI: Let's talk about Audix's
new product, the M45. It
commercialintegrator.com
directly addresses those
challenges by enabling a
single microphone to cover
up to 25 individuals, and to
cover them extremely well.
How can the M45 possibly
do that?
Garlett: Well, it's a very clever
microphone. We sought to
further miniaturize the compact
shotguns we currently
offer, but not compromise
the sound quality. Long story
short, what this allows is a very
controlled and deep pickup
pattern. And it's very easy
to aim because we gave it a
pivot-and-swivel mount that
works perfectly in the ceiling.
On top of that, the microphone
is incredibly sensitive.
This is the most sensitive ceiling
microphone Audix makes.
It also allows you to pick up
an area in environments with
less-favorable acoustics. If
the acoustics of the space are
slightly improved, that pickup
pattern can be expanded to
areas of beyond 20 feet away
from the microphone. For
example, the room that I'm in
right now is 29 feet wide by
25 feet deep, and with terrible
acoustics. Only two M45s
are easily covering the entire
seating area.
The efficacy of the M45 is
David Garlett, key account manager/
consultant liaison, Audix.
going to change things in how
we think about microphones in
a classroom...a public meeting
space...a lecture hall...where
we need to get interaction
with the members at a presentation
or a classroom or all of
the above.
Our integrator audience
is probably thinking two
things: First, how easy is this
to integrate? Second, how
well will the M45 play with
existing integrated environments,
such as Dante-centered
environments? What
insights can you provide in
that regard?
Garlett: On the Dante side,
we've done a couple of
innovative things. Audix has a
Dante onramp box we call the
DN4. A simple analog-todigital
converter that provides
phantom power wasn't
enough for us. We wanted a
fully controllable, high-quality
integrated preamp and the
ability to power and control
dual-color LED lights built
into the M45 and other Audix
in-ceiling mics. Like any Dante
device, Dante controller is
utilized for network setup and
routing. Then, to easily access
the preamp and LED controls
offered by the DN4, we provide
a third-party API, as well
as native plugins supported by
our friends at QSC, Symetrix
and Extron. PoE from your
switch, or an external power
supply, powers all this up. It's
plenum-rated and the installation
procedure is wonderfully
simple via pre-terminated
Ethernet cables between our
mics and the DN4. Any of my
friends out there who have
spent time on a ladder with a
tweaker screwdriver, Phoenix
connectors and wire snips will
love this!
Now, to install the M45
microphone in the ceiling, drill
a one-and-a-half-inch hole; insert
the microphone assembly
up through the hole; put the
ring back on; give it a twist;
and installation is complete.
So, what if you have a retrofit
system with existing wiring or
an analog installation? Well,
the M45 ships with a very clever
category-to-Phoenix-block
adapter. For you folks who are
looking at wiring that's already
in existence, this is how you
solve for that. We tried to
make the installation as pragmatic
and simple as possible.
One might even say we're appeasing
the lazy installer, but
I don't think there's anything
wrong with that.
MARCH 2022 Commercial Integrator 37
http://www.commercialintegrator.com
Commercial Integrator March 2022

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