Lecterns, Earset Mics, and Goose-necks. A Practical Guide to Conference Microphones

At Aion, this is one of the first practical questions we walk clients through once the seating arrangement is settled: the microphone question becomes much more manageable once you know who is expected to speak, and from where. Here's a breakdown of the main setups and what they require.

empty conference room stage showing presiding table and lectern with fixed microphones

Fixed Table Microphones

At round table meetings, every participant is a potential speaker. For this reason, fixed microphones are placed at each seat — or in some cases, shared between two adjacent participants. These are the classic conference microphones you've probably seen at UN-style meetings: compact units sitting on the table in front of each seat, wired into the central audio system.

They stay put, they're always on hand, and each participant can switch their own microphone on or off directly. Technicians at the mixing desk can do the same remotely — so control works both ways, reflecting the equal status of everyone at the table.

Conference table set up with table microphones at each seat, ready before the event

Wireless Handheld Microphones

In school and cinema setups, not everyone is expected to speak, so fixed microphones at every seat would be both impractical and wasteful. Instead, wireless handheld microphones — called a 'handle' in industry slang, for the obvious reason — are used.

These are passed around in one of two ways: assistants carry them through the room to whoever needs to speak, or in panel discussions, they are placed on the table in front of panellists, who pick them up as needed.

One important note for anyone unfamiliar with professional audio: panellists do not need to switch these microphones on or off. Technicians monitor everything from the mixing desk and activate microphones remotely as speakers are called upon. There is no button to look for.

The Lectern and Its Microphone

Most conferences include a lectern — the standing podium from which speakers present. The lectern has its own fixed microphone, separate from whatever is set up for the audience or the presiding table.

The lectern microphone is also used by announcers, moderators, or any special guest delivering a formal address. If a government minister is opening a conference with a speech, there will almost certainly be a lectern.

Lectern and fixed microphone

The Earset Mic: For Moderators Who Move

Some moderators prefer not to be fixed to a lectern. For these cases — and for any speaker who needs freedom of movement on stage — the earset microphone is the solution.

It is a small device with a transmitter box that clips to the back of the wearer's clothing (typically the waistband of trousers or a skirt). A thin cable runs up to a compact earpiece-style structure that positions the microphone close to the speaker's mouth.

This microphones are essentially invisible in use and, once fitted, allow the speaker to move freely without any audio quality loss. They are particularly common in moderators, MCs, and keynote speakers who like to move around the stage.

Earset and its microphone, with emitter

Panel Setups and the Goose-neck Microphone

Panel discussions — where several speakers sit in a row of chairs on stage, often with a moderator — use one of two microphone arrangements.

The first is the goose-neck microphone: a floor-standing or table-mounted microphone on a long, flexible neck that can be bent to position the microphone exactly where it needs to be. The 'goose-neck' name comes from its flexible joint mechanism, which allows precise positioning close to each panellist's mouth. One goose-neck microphone is typically placed at each panellist's seat.

close up of panel chair with goose neck microphone next to it

The second option is wireless handheld microphones placed on the table in front of each panellist, to be picked up as needed. Either way, as with all conference audio, technicians control which microphones are live at any given moment — panellists don't need to manage this themselves.

Q&A Sessions: Getting Sound to the Audience

Cinema-style setups present a particular challenge: when the floor is opened for questions, the questioner is somewhere in the audience — not at a fixed microphone. The standard solution is for assistants to carry wireless microphones to whoever raises their hand, wait while the question is asked, and then carry the microphone to the next person.

It's a simple system, but it requires attentive assistants and some patience. For large audiences, more than one assistant may circulate simultaneously.

Aion offers all these microphones and more; contact us for more details and consultations.