No Need to Mute, Fix It In the (Intelli)Mix

We’ve all been on a video call when an important idea or presentation comes to an abrupt halt.

“What’s that noise?  Could you mute your microphone, please?”  

This noise can range from someone tapping on the microphone or opening a bag of chips, to silverware clinking when meals are served during meetings that span international time zones.

Traditional noise reducers do a great job of attenuating constant background noise like air conditioning, but random noises are difficult to get rid of.  Algorithms in videoconferencing applications try to eliminate random noises, but often have very noticeable side effects.  If speech and noise overlap, they garble the talker’s voice while trying to remove the noise.  They also process the entire audio mix, so the artifacts they create can distort the sound of other audio program material, even though it does not contain noise.

Now, Shure IntelliMix Room DSP software can eliminate the random noises that disrupt meetings.  Gone are the clicks, clacks, and clunks that can distract you and throw your meeting off track.

Beginning with version 3.1, the IntelliMix Room DSP software includes an AI Denoiser audio processor.  Developed using artificial intelligence and machine learning, this powerful algorithm is able to tell the difference between noises and speech, and reduce the noise with virtually no audible effect on the speech -- even when the speech and noise overlap.

The IntelliMix Room Denoiser removes many types of noises, including:

• Pen clicking
• Keyboard clacking
• Food wrappers crinkling
• Silverware clinking
• Doors slamming

Hear the Denoiser at work in this demo video:

The Denoiser processing block works on the microphone channels while allowing other inputs with program material, such as presentation playback, to pass unaltered. Unlike other solutions, IntelliMix Room’s Denoiser does not alter the sound of other program material such as PC audio playback.

The Denoiser intensity can be set to Low, Medium, or High depending on how completely you want it to eliminate noises.  On the High setting, the Denoiser aggressively removes noise with moderate effects on overlapping speech.  On the Low setting, the Denoiser acts more gently to have virtually no impact on speech.

As with other DSP features, it’s best to experiment with the settings to find the one that works best for you.  For the best results, you’ll probably want to use the Denoiser and Noise Reduction together to control both random and constant noise.

IntelliMix Room DSP software includes powerful processing tools that deliver superior audio quality in all kinds of meeting spaces with up to 16 microphone channels.  It runs on the same room PC as your favorite collaboration platform, making configuration and management easy.

For more information about IntelliMix Room licenses, contact your Shure systems integrator.