Sennheiser has rolled out a free firmware update that introduces TruVoicelift for TeamConnect Ceiling 2.

TeamConnect Ceiling 2 is a microphone ceiling array solution for conferencing audio in business and distance learning applications. Now, via the the new firmware update, it can be combined with Sennheiser’s TruVoicelift amplification system, which designed to optimised audio for classrooms, lecture halls and boardrooms. 

“We have many happy TeamConnect Ceiling 2 users across the globe, and we asked ourselves: What if they could use their existing tech for even more?” said Jens Werner, portfolio manager in Sennheiser’s business communication division. “This was the starting point for designing the latest software update which adds the TruVoicelift functionality to TeamConnect Ceiling 2. It endows the mic array with many innovative features for perfect audio all the way to the back row.”

For existing TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC2) implementations, users can add the TruVoicelift functionality by installing the firmware update (1.6.4) via the new version of the Sennheiser Control Cockpit app (4.3.0).

Meanwhile, new users will gain two solutions in one from the start. Depending on the size and configuration of the room, additional TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphones can be installed as audience mics, creating a touchless microphone solution that reduces potential hygiene risks.

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TruVoicelift is powered by an advanced frequency shift algorithm that delivers a few extra dB of gain. It also includes a ‘feedback prevention mute’ function, whereby if levels should get too loud, TCC 2 briefly mutes to prevent feedback. During pauses in speaking, if a pre-defined audio threshold is not reached, a noise gate will be activated that mutes TeamConnect Ceiling 2 to prevent background noise from being amplified.

Werner added: “The free TruVoicelift update for TCC2 expands the feature set of the conferencing microphone array to a completely new usage scenario for both corporations and education institutions. TruVoicelift helps to establish pleasant audio levels in a room, and lets speakers be confident that they can be perfectly understood throughout the entire auditorium.”

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Electronic music pioneer Jen-Michel Jarre is among a raft of speakers and panellists confirmed to appear at the eight edition of the BIME PRO Convention, set to take place in Bilbao, Spain from October 26-29.

The event will comprise a series of live and virtual conference sessions discussing and exploring the ways in which the music and audio industries can navigate the COVID-19 crisis.

Jarre, who has sold in excess of 80 million records worldwide, will be joined by an array of music industry luminaries at the event, from artists and producers to leading industry executives. Among those confirmed are Argentine actress and singer Tini Stoessel and Spanish and Latin American singer-songwriter sensation Nacho Vegas, while songwriter Linda Perry, the creative force behind hits such as ‘What’s Up’ from 4 Non Blondes, ‘Beautiful’ by Christina Aguilera and ‘Superwoman’ from Alicia Keys, will sit opposite Donita Sparks, leader of grunge band L7, to exchange their insights and experiences in music.

Industry speakers from the UK include Mike Malak, booking agent at Paradigm Agency representing Billie Eillish, CEO of European Festivals at AEG Presents responsible for festivals BST Hyde Park and All Points East James King, ATC/DRIIFT director and CEO Ric Salmon, IFPI director of insight and analysis David Price, and Beverley Whitrack, strategic director at Music Venue Trust.

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International speakers from different professional fields confirmed include renowned producer Rafael Sardina, who’s worked with such artists as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Lady Gaga; Saul Cabrera, consultant and specialist in internationalisation strategies, and current head of market development at EmuBands LATAM and Spain; Patricia Gabeiras, general director of the Music Festival Association (FMA); Tomás Tello, renowned music supervisors and the man behind the music selection of Money Heist; president of Universal Music Publishing Group LATAM and USA Latin Alexandra Lioutikoff; Chucky García, artistic programmer of Colombian festival Rock al Parque; Itzel González, booker for Mexico’s festival of reference Vive Latino and part of entertainment giant Ocesa; and the co- founder of Peru’s Selvámonos festival José E. Rodríguez.

“BIME PRO 2020 programme will cover the current context of the music industry, focusing on all the areas that compose it (festivals, live entertainment, recorded music, publishing, legal, technology and innovation, creation…), stressing the crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, analysing how the challenges it has presented affect the entire industry,” commented BIME PRO director Julen Martin. “We will attempt to find solutions and hope that what is urgent will not cause us to lose sight of what is important, to encourage the industry to continue to pursue the Sustainable Development Goals we have been working on and in which we have made significant strides in recent years, in terms of the environment, gender equality and education.”

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Coming off of a rigorous six-month beta period with over 50 successful conference room installations, Bose Professional is now distributing its ControlSpace EX audio conferencing system globally.

The system includes an all-in-one DSP, three under-table Dante endpoints, and ControlSpace Designer software with features specific to streamlined build-outs of audio conferencing systems.

At the heart of the system is the ControlSpace EX-1280C conferencing processor, which includes integrated support for VoIP, PSTN, analogue and USB audio.

The EX-1280C processor has 64×64 Dante I/O and native support for all Dante conferencing microphones. Additional onboard connectivity includes 12 mic/line inputs, eight analog outputs, an eight-channel Bose AmpLink digital output, stereo in/out USB audio, dual-line VoIP, and PSTN. 

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The first sessions have been revealed for Screen Music Connect, a new London-based conference exploring the world of film, television and video game music, along with the creative talent behind it.

The event will take place at Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room on 24 September.

Created by James Hannigan, award-winning composer and co-founder of the sold-out Game Music Connect conferences, Screen Music Connect is aimed at the music production communities of all media industries – from pro, semi-pro and amateur composers from any background through to producers, engineers, music supervisors and audio directors – plus viewers, fans of soundtracks and anyone else with an interest in the evolution of screen music. Tickets are available at https://www.screenmusicconnect.com.

Partnered with the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors (BASCA), the professional association forthe UK’s music creators and the home of the prestigious Ivor Novello Awards, Screen Music Connect is also proud to be supported by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), and sponsored by COOL Music and ReelCrafter.

The first sessions to be announced include:

“WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE: CLASSICAL MUSIC AND SOUNDTRACKS”

Our panel of leading industry figures discuss their musical world view of, and influence on the artistic and commercial intersection of ‘classical music’ and music for screen media, followed by an intimate live performance from composer and cellist, Philip Sheppard.

With popular symphonic concerts of videogame, theatre and movie music packing the world’s concert halls, andsales of accompanying soundtrack albums buoyant, have the borderlines of classical music now become so blurred asto be relatively meaningless? Is it time to rebrand ‘classical’ as ‘orchestral’ and push harder to break down culturaland generational barriers much further to build on the evident appeal of the orchestral sound, encouraging new listeners to explore the classical canon? Can Final Fantasy and Star Wars be the gateway to Stravinsky and Beethoven? Or is the classical music fraternity and establishment too staid to respond to and embrace a new wave of interest in orchestral music arriving via entertainment media? What is classical music in the 21st century?

Speakers:

Jessica Curry – BAFTA Award-winning Composer (‘Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture’, ‘Dear Esther’) and Presenter of Classic FM’s ‘High Score’.

James Williams – Managing Director, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Darrell Alexander – Film, TV & Games Composer Agent, CEO of COOL Music Ltd and The Chamber Orchestra of London.

Philip Sheppard – Film and Game Composer, Virtuoso Cellist, member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (‘Detroit: Become Human’, David Bowie, UNKLE).

Chair: Jenny Nelson – Author of Classic FM’s ‘Saturday Night at the Movies’ book, former Executive Producer of‘High Score’ on Classic FM, trustee of the Cambridge Film Trust.

“THE STORY OF INTERACTIVE MUSIC – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE”

‘Interactive music’ is a term now deeply embedded in videogame speak. Yet, thirty years ago it simply didn’t exist. We examine what interactive music is, where it came from and why – questions which in turn also lead us to the heart of the matter of the fundamental raison d’être of music in games – its role, purpose, identity and delivery. Further, was some of the interesting creativity of the early days of game music lost in the clamour for cinematic mimicry and why?

With the book on how to do interactive music and indeed music for games seemingly for many now signed and sealed, are there in fact yet trend-bucking radical techniques possible to serve what, after all, is a medium radically different from its linear cousins. John Broomhall hosts a discussion featuring three pioneering interactive composers together with examples of their distinct approaches to the challenges and opportunities of creating music for a non- linear medium.

Speakers:

Olivier Derivière – BAFTA Nominated Composer (‘11-11: Memories Retold’, ‘Get Even’).

James Hannigan – Creative Director of Screen Music Connect and Multi-Award Winning Composer.

Richard Jacques – Ivor Novello and BAFTA Nominated Composer (‘James Bond 007: Blood Stone’, ‘Mass Effect’).

Chair: John Broomhall – Composer, Music Artist (String Theory – ‘Modularity’) and Game Music Connect Co-Founder.

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Often, when people think of sound in meetings, they think of crinkling candy wrappers and tapping fingers – distractions. Audio technology, however, is the most important element of a conference call. When used properly, it ensures that the right sounds are the focus of the call, not the distractions.

On conference calls, time is often wasted when people have to repeat themselves for participants who can’t hear well enough. By improving audio quality, companies can make sure that every person on a conference call is heard clearly, increasing efficiency and productivity.

Here are five tips for improving the audio quality of your conference calls.

1. Know the technology you’re using before you start the conference

There is nothing more embarrassing than starting a conference call only to realize you don’t know how to use your audio equipment. This can mean long delays, wasted time, dropped calls, or compromised audio.

Since conference calls are often opportunities to make good first impressions, it’s important that you can demonstrate competence and efficiency with your audio technology. Before using your conference room audio equipment for the first time, host a test run of all functions with a colleague.

2. Keep the ambient noise level low

Pick a room with solid walls where you can’t hear what’s happening next door. Avoid rooms with noisy HVAC systems or open windows. Don’t fidget with pens, papers, etc. on the table. All of these common background sounds make it harder for participants to hear the speaker.

Reducing ambient noise is particularly important for audio-only conferencing. Since remote participants can’t see you, they can easily be distracted by background noise with no visual context. A professional-sounding conference call has minimal ambient noise so that participants can stay focused on the speaker.

3. Make sure you have enough mics for everyone

Sharing microphones may seem cost-efficient, but it decreases audio quality. If you place one microphone between two participants, they often end up speaking into the sides, and conferencing microphones usually are not designed to pick up sound sources from the sides. Passing microphones back and forth wastes time and can result in picking up both handling noise and the ambient noises in their path.

4. Speak directly into the microphone

People tend to assume that if there’s a microphone anywhere in the room, it will pick up their voices clearly. Microphones designed to pick up speech are directional, however. That means that they pick up sound best from one direction: the front. Position the microphone directly in front of you, face it toward you and then speak directly into the front. This will give you crisp, clear sound.

5. Don’t focus so much on video that you forget about audio

When it comes to AV technology, it’s easy to focus on the video component and forget about audio. Audio has always been a part of conference calls, while video, for many, is still an exciting new trend. People frequently put a large portion of their budget into video technology and don’t leave enough for high-quality audio. If you need to ensure one element of your AV conference call technology will work reliably, choose the more essential part: the audio.

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