Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 — a ceiling microphone array for meeting rooms and conference halls

Kirill Kochetkov

Introduction

The Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 (TCC2) was announced in 2021 for meeting rooms and conference halls. It is the company's second ceiling-microphone generation. New technology reduces cost while adding more features. Compared with its predecessor, it offers faster, more accurate beamforming, flexible network settings, Dante outputs, Power over Ethernet (PoE), and setup through Sennheiser Control Cockpit.

The developer highlights excellent speech transmission in different conditions, simple installation and setup, and convenient monitoring and configuration software. Certification for popular conferencing solutions, including Zoom and Microsoft Teams Rooms, and integration with other manufacturers' equipment are further key features.

Features

Comfortable conversations with clear speech are essential for effective communication and business development. With remote work and distributed offices, this system suits many situations. The manufacturer highlights video conferencing, presentations, collaboration, and education. It can send room audio to remote participants and also reinforce a speaker's voice locally, for example in a large lecture room. Independent surveys show that more than half of companies hold online conferences frequently and expect quality comparable to an in-person meeting.

TruVoicelift is a key feature. A powerful hardware platform and special algorithms automatically steer pickup toward speech and exclude interfering sources. This provides clear speech even in difficult conditions. Dynamic directionality gives speakers and listeners more comfort than a fixed pickup direction.

The system needs no advance setup for a particular room. Speakers can move freely and the room layout can change. Feedback suppression and microphone muting during pauses are also provided. Users can change priorities and operation through Sennheiser Control Cockpit. No special knowledge is required; settings use a three-dimensional graphical view.

Construction and technical features

The unit is shaped as a tile for standard suspended ceiling grids. Its main body measures 590 × 590 × 43 mm and weighs about 6 kg.

The side facing the room has a cross-shaped microphone array, with status indicators at the ends. These can be disabled. Each panel contains 28 microphones.

The original Sennheiser KE 10-237 capsules have 10 mm diaphragms. Known from other company products, they have proved effective for speech.

The stated frequency range is 160–18000 Hz, sensitivity 1 V/Pa, dynamic range 93 dBA, signal-to-noise ratio 83 dBA, and latency 4 ms. Operating conditions are 0–40°C and 20–95% humidity.

Standard colors are white and black. Vinyl film and supplied templates allow users to give the panel another color if needed.

A single PoE network cable supplies power and connects the control system over the local network. Its socket sits in a recess on top and has status and speed indicators.

Analog and digital outputs make integration with other video conferencing systems easy. A connector is supplied for analog audio. Digital audio uses Dante, with Dante Domain Manager and AES67 support. Two ports allow a redundant connection.

A recessed reset button is also in the connection area.

Installation

The manufacturer recommends up to 60 m² per unit, a microphone distance of up to 5 m, and a height of 3 meters above the floor. Minimum height is 2.5 m and maximum about 4–5 m.

According to the manufacturer, most installations use one unit. Larger rooms can use several arrays linked through an audio processor.

Choose a mounting method suitable for the room. The unit can replace a suspended ceiling tile. Optional accessories also allow hanging, direct attachment to an exposed ceiling, or VESA bracket mounting.

The documentation describes all options and lists the required accessories.

Installation needs a network cable from a PoE switch or injector, plus analog and/or digital audio cabling. The system is designed to connect to an audio processor. Direct computer or laptop use may require extra equipment.

Sennheiser Control Cockpit software

Sennheiser Control Cockpit provides local control and configuration. Install it on a Microsoft Windows host on the local network.

Its web interface then allows monitoring and setup from any local network client, including PCs and mobile devices.

A separate control-network segment is advisable because the software version described here has no access-rights control.

A priority zone is one optimization option. Signals from that area receive higher priority in the dynamic beamforming algorithms.

Examples include a presenter's position near a screen or the chairperson's seat at a meeting table.

Up to five exclusion zones can also be set. Signals from them are reduced as much as possible. This helps with fixed noise sources such as a fan-cooled projector or an indoor air-conditioning unit. Zones are configured in three dimensions.

Sennheiser Sound Control is another control option. It works over the local network using TCP/UDP and is based on Open Sound Control. It can check and adjust all TCC2 parameters and supports integration with other manufacturers' equipment.

Integration with video conferencing systems

High-end conferencing systems usually support video as well as audio. This adds useful possibilities and improves discussions and presentations.

The TCC2's open API allows it to send the speaker's current position to an integrated system. This supports automatic camera switching or tracking. Horizontal and vertical angles of the dynamic 30° beam are available. At a microphone distance of four meters, the source can be located within an area about two meters across.

Integrators currently offer such systems for Bose, Crestron, Extron, AMX, and QSC solutions.

Users and integrators naturally want to see the ceiling array working, including camera control driven by its position data.

Demonstration areas are available in Moscow at the Sennheiser Audio and Auvix offices. A demonstration unit is also installed at the Imlight office in Kirov. More locations are planned. The aim is to show camera control with different controllers and allow users to assess the array in different rooms.

Note. This is an adapted machine translation into English. It follows the “In simple terms” approach. Read the original article at https://prosound.ixbt.com/microphones/sennheiser-tcc2.shtml.