Boardroom audio fails in predictable ways:
- Too many open microphones.
- Gain structure set for a full table when three people are present.
- No one in the building confident enough to change anything.
Start from the seating
Start from seating. A fixed table with assigned positions suits gooseneck or boundary microphones, which sit close to the talker and need less gain. A flexible room that gets rearranged weekly is better served by ceiling arrays, accepting the trade-off of greater distance for the sake of not having microphones to reset.
Open microphones govern stability
However many are installed, the number open at once is what governs stability. Automatic mixing that closes unused channels buys more usable gain than any amount of equalisation.
Design for the person who operates it
Finally, design the control surface for the person who actually operates it. A room that only the integrator can drive is a room that will be driven badly.
