Where to place the microphone

Overview 

RoomHub and Room OS tune, optimize, and manage ceiling microphones automatically. Good placement gives that tuning the best starting point. The guidelines below cover the essentials. 

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Start with the essentials 

1. Place the microphone above the people, not the room 

Don't aim for the geometric center of the space. Aim for the conversation center, where people actually sit and speak. 

If the microphone sits in the wrong place, tuning can only partly compensate. 

2. Follow the table, not the floor plan 

Always mount the ceiling microphone directly above the table or primary seating area, even if the room itself isn't symmetrical. If the table isn't centered in the room, the microphone shouldn't be either. 

3. Avoid noise sources 

Ceiling microphones hear everything, including what you don't want. Keep distance from: 

• HVAC vents 

• Projectors 

• Loud lighting fixtures 

• Doorways or corridors 

Clean input gives the system better material to work with. 

4. Give the microphone a clear view 

If the microphone has a clear view of the people, it will have a clear sound of them too. Avoid placing microphones near: 

• Beams 

• Soffits 

• Deep ceiling recesses 

Anything that blocks or reflects sound unnaturally reduces consistency. 

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Room-by-room guidance 

These are the simplest and most reliable placement rules when using a single ceiling microphone. 

Medium meeting room (10–16 seats, single table) 

Center the microphone above the table, aligned with the table's long axis. If the table is off-center, the microphone should be too. 

Large meeting room (16–24 seats, long table) 

Find the midpoint of the seating zone, not the midpoint of the room. Place the microphone directly above that point. 

Boardroom (wide or boat-shaped executive table) 

Center the microphone over the densest seating area, usually the middle third of the table. If one person sits farther from center, favor the group, not a single seat. 

Training room, U-shape (participants face inward toward the instructor) 

Mount the microphone above the open center of the U, slightly forward toward the instructor. This balances presenter speech with participant questions. 

Training room, classroom style (rows facing forward) 

Position the microphone above the instructor's teaching zone, typically the front half of the room. 

Auditorium (tiered seating, single presenter) 

Install the microphone above the stage or presenter area only. Audience microphones should be planned separately. 

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Microphone selection: what matters most 

Different ceiling microphones are designed for different room types. Start with room size and usage, then confirm technical limits. 

Tip: Use Pleneo Planner to choose the right microphone for your room: pleneo.com/planner 

Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling Medium Plus (TCCM Plus) — best for medium meeting rooms with standard ceiling heights 

1. Coverage: up to 60 m² (646 ft²) 

Note: Align the 0° mark with the room camera when flush-mounted. 

Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC2) — best for larger, open rooms with flexible seating 

• Coverage: up to 80 m² (861 ft²) 

Note: Does not support AudioIQ (RoomHub automatic tuning). 

Shure MXA920 — best for large or high-ceiling spaces with controlled acoustics 

• Coverage: room-dependent 

• Available in round and square formats 

Shure MXA901 — best for smaller rooms or defined seating zones 

• Coverage: 20 × 20 ft (6.1 × 6.1 m) 

• Available in round and square formats 

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In summary 

Good ceiling microphone placement doesn't require complex acoustics knowledge, just a few clear rules: 

• Focus on where people sit 

• Avoid noise and obstructions 

• Mount directly above the conversation zone 

With good placement, Room OS tunes and maintains audio performance automatically.