Benzinga | Oct 19, 2020 09:12AM EDT

ClearOne Unveils New Beamforming Microphone Array Ceiling Tile

ClearOne (NASDAQ:CLRO), a leading global provider of audio and visual communication solutions, today announces its new BMA 360, the world's most technologically advanced Beamforming Microphone Array Ceiling Tile, delivering unequaled audio performance and deployment ease.

plot_bma_360_polar_broadside_35deg_c A set of polar plots of the BMA 360 beam performance. These plots show that the pickup pattern is frequency invariant with ultra-low sidelobes, below -40 dB.



The ClearOne BMA 360 is the world's first truly wideband, frequency invariant beamforming mic array with uniform gain response across all frequency bands. With FiBeam(tm) technology, conference participants will experience the ultimate in natural and full fidelity audio across all beams and within a single beam.

Deep sidelobe beamforming, DsBeam(tm), provides unparalleled maximum sidelobe depth, below -40 dB, resulting in superior rejection of reverberation and noise in difficult spaces for superb clarity and intelligibility.

The BMA 360 is based on a dramatically new approach to beamforming that provides a new beam topology to easily achieve distortion-free, full 360-degree coverage of any room shape and any seating arrangement using ClearOne Audio Intelligence(tm).

Further advancements in adaptive steering (think of it as smart switching) provide impeccable coverage of each conference participant as well as support for camera tracking.

In addition to the advancements in beamforming technology, the 6G Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) delivers unmatched per-beam full-duplex audio performance. On-board audio algorithms, like noise reduction, filtering, and Automatic Level Control, eliminate the need for per-beam processing in a DSP mixer - requiring fewer DSP mixer resources.

Finally, robust built-in amplifiers, configurable as 4 x 15 Watt or 2 x 30 Watt, provide flexibility for driving loudspeakers.

ClearOne's breakthrough technologies, FiBeam, DsBeam, and 6G AEC combine to create VividVoice(tm), a significant advancement for professional conferencing.

The integrated features in the BMA 360 significantly reduce system design complexity, simplify installation, consume less rack space, and lower system cost. The BMA 360 also supports daisy-chaining of up to three ceiling tiles via P-Link for divisible rooms, or larger conference setups -- for simpler wiring, longer distances, and lower-cost deployments compared to networked "home-run" connections via Ethernet.

Simple, single-workflow configuration is provided by a new release of ClearOne's CONSOLE(r) AI software. Competing products require practitioners to program multiple system components with different toolsets: Ethernet switches, ceiling tiles, DSP mixers, and the Dante controller.

"We introduced the world's first professional conferencing beamforming microphone array in 2012 and it revolutionized the conferencing microphone in the Pro AV industry. Since then, we have introduced a diverse line-up of beamforming microphone array solutions to meet evolving market applications, performance, and pricing needs," explains ClearOne CEO and Chair, Zee Hakimoglu. "And with the new ClearOne BMA 360, we have pushed the envelope again by developing a product that is superior to any other competing product in the market."

The BMA 360 supports three different ceiling grid sizes: 24 in, 600 mm, and 625 mm. It incorporates a VESA-standard hole pattern that supports pole mounting. Hard-ceiling mount accessory kits are also available.

ClearOne's BMA technology is protected by at least a dozen patents and pending patent applications.

The BMA 360 is now shipping worldwide. For more information, click here.

For hi-res images click here.