How to Add Touch Mute Capability to Low-Profile Microflex Mics

When users walk into a meeting room, they judge the AV equipment based not only on performance but also on how easy it is to use.  They don’t expect to need special training to set up a video call.

An often-overlooked control function is muting and unmuting the audio.  A room control system can certainly do the job, but by the time a participant finds the right button on the touchpad, the need to mute the audio may have passed.

The most intuitive approach is for the mute button to be part of the microphone itself.  Some tabletop and gooseneck microphones (like the MX392/393 and MX412D/418D) include a mute button and status LED, but very small table mics (like the MX395) or gooseneck mics with the preamp integrated into the table (like the MX405/MX410/MX415 modular goosenecks) usually don’t have space.

How to Add Touch Mute Capability to Low-Profile Microflex Mics

The A400MB Mute Button accessory is a touch-sensitive ring that adds convenient audio muting to Microflex MX395-LED low profile boundary microphones and MX405, MX410, or MX415 modular gooseneck microphones equipped with the MX400SMP surface mount preamplifier.

The A400MB installs like a washer between the mic body and the table surface, with the control circuitry hidden underneath the table surface.  The muting functionality is programmable with onboard switches, providing complete flexibility.  In Local mode, the button mutes the microphone’s audio output and the microphone’s LED illuminates according to the mic output. 

In Remote mode, the mic audio remains live all the time and the switch closure signal is sent to a downstream piece of equipment such as an audio mixer, DSP, or room control system.  The microphone’s LED is controlled by an external signal from the downstream device.  The switch action can be momentary (push-to-talk or push-to-mute) or toggled (push-on, push-off).  If A400MB mute buttons are installed with three microphones on a table, pushing any mute button can mute all of the mics at once, and all three LED’s can change color to show that the outgoing audio has been muted.  When used with Shure’s ANI4IN-BLOCK or ANI22-BLOCK audio network interfaces and the P300-IMX audio conferencing processor, the mute and LED behavior is synchronized with Microsoft Teams and Zoom videoconferencing applications.

The A400MB mute button installs easily in a 1-1/8 inch (30 mm) hole in the table, with the mic preamp going through it.  An included adapter cable converts the 5-pin XLR output of the mic to a standard block connector for easy termination without soldering for a hassle-free installation.  The mute button’s circuitry is powered by the same 48-volt phantom power that enables the microphone.  With the optional A400MB-MOUNT accessory, the plug-on adapter can be remotely mounted.

The A400MB Mute Button accessory adds attractive and convenient muting capability to Microflex low-profile boundary and modular gooseneck microphones.  It can be included with new projects or added to existing installations.