At Hitachi Capital America, the financing arm of electronics giant Hitachi, Ltd., conferencing and corporate communications take center stage in a new boardroom and bistro designed and integrated by Electronic Techniques, Inc. (ETI) of Garden City, New York. ETI chose audio conferencing equipment from ClearOne to enable teleconferencing in both rooms. Each room uses two XAP 800 mixers and a XAP TH2 telephone hybrid. In the boardroom, which is used primarily for executive meetings, 16 wireless microphones are run through the two XAP 800s. The XAPs eliminate echo and background noise to ensure a clear audio signal. The wireless mics help maintain the room’s clean, professional look while ensuring ideal audio pickup, regardless of the number of people involved in a conference or where they are seated around the boardroom table.

The bistro, used for large-group and company-wide meetings, features 12 ceiling-mounted microphones. The use of ceiling mics allows for multiple room configurations without negatively impacting microphone coverage. However, it also makes it more difficult to achieve good teleconferencing sound quality. This is because the mics are located farther away from talkers than if they were mounted on a table, so they pick up more of the room’s ambient noise and less of what the talker is saying. The XAPs’ advanced audio processing features were key to overcoming these challenges and delivering clear, intelligible sound.

“For us, ClearOne was the obvious choice when it came to selecting teleconferencing equipment,” said ETI’s Jacques Casanova. “The echo- and noise cancellation capabilities of their XAP systems deliver unmatched sound quality. The G-Ware configuration software is a breeze to use and makes for a smooth installation—and ClearOne’s technical support is top-notch.”