Not that long ago, only large companies with big budgets could afford the high-tech meeting spaces. Large conference rooms with mics hanging from the ceilings or small huddle rooms where a video conference could be started with the press of a button were often out of reach. But now, Shure is making it easier and more affordable than ever for companies of any size to have a fully working meeting space. Which is perfect timing, considering the increase in demand for hybrid working spaces.

 

To help businesses succeed, Shure now offers the Stem Ecosystem. Stem was created so that anyone could design and install a working conference room that delivers incredible audio. You don’t need to have a professional AV background to install any of the Stem products or get them working together.

Here is a quick look at all the different products available in the Stem Ecosystem.

The Stem Microphones

Microphones are the key to any quality AV setup used in a conference or huddle room. If you don’t have quality microphones properly installed, the people on the other end of your conference won’t be able to hear you. And if you can’t hear each other, no work is getting done. The Stem Ecosystem features three different microphones: Stem Table, Stem Wall, and Stem Ceiling.

Stem Table

Remember the old speakerphones that sat on the middle of the table in your conference room? Everyone was always half-shouting, leaning in as close as possible to be heard, or having to repeat themselves because the individuals on the other side of the call couldn’t hear anything. And, if you had a long table, you could forget about the people on the far ends being able to participate.

The Stem Table shows how much more productive meetings can be when the speakerphone actually works the way it is intended. The Stem Table sits on your conference room table just like those old speakerphones used to, only it’s able to actually pick up the voices of everyone at the table, regardless of their position. It does this thanks to 9 built-in beamforming microphones that can pick up voices from all around the room. And the LED light ring on top of the device will turn blue and point in the direction of the voice that is currently being picked up.

Don’t want to be heard? You can mute the Stem Table with the press of a single button. When the mic is muted, the LED light ring will pulse red.

The Stem Table is also your speaker, allowing you to hear the people on the other side of your call or video conference. To avoid sounds from the speaker being picked up by those beamforming microphones, the Stem Table has the speaker on the bottom of the device. The downward-facing driver separates the speaker and the microphones, allowing you to hear every word.

Stem Wall

The next microphone in the Shure Stem Ecosystem is the Stem Wall. This product looks like the speaker bar you might have set up at home under your TV. And in many ways the Stem Wall is similar, because it does function as a speaker. But what sets the Stem Wall apart from your speaker is 15 microphones that create 180 degrees of coverage. This allows you to place even a long table in front of the Stem Wall and still have everyone picked up cleanly by the microphones.

Just like with the Stem Table, blue LED lights indicate which individual the microphone is picking up, and pulsing red LED lights indicate the mics have been muted.

The Stem Wall can be wall-mounted either above or below your display, or placed on any flat surface. You can also easily mount your favorite camera right on top of the Stem Wall to create your ideal combo for video conferencing.

Stem Ceiling

The last of the microphones in the Shure Stem Ecosystem is the Stem Ceiling. While the Table has 9 beamforming mics and the Wall has 15, the Stem Ceiling has a whopping 100 microphones! These microphones can be set to one of three different array options, depending on your needs. Narrow focuses the microphones to a small 20 degree pickup pattern, ideal for a single individual at the far end of a table or standing at a podium. Medium offers a 45 degree pickup pattern, which can cover a small table. The last array option is Wide, with a 60 degree pickup pattern designed for large tables.

Besides Stem Ceiling’s versatility, the audio fencing mode can completely remove any outside noise or unwanted distractions from making their way into your meeting. Is your office right off of a busy street? Or is the hallway outside of the conference room typically crowded with coworkers talking loudly as they pass by? The Stem Ceiling will make sure to keep those noises out and only pick up what’s important: the people and ideas in your meeting.

There are two options when it comes to mounting your Stem Ceiling. Chandelier mode allows it to hang from the ceiling on a cable, or you can opt for a low profile and mount your device right in the ceiling. Each Stem Ceiling comes with a Chandelier Suspension Kit or a Square Ceiling Mount, allowing you to choose whatever option is right for you.

While all of the Shure Stem Ecosystem mics have differences that make them unique, they can all be used either as a standalone unit or networked with other Stem Ecosystem products. Regardless of your setup, each device must be connected to a network port that supports PoE+, which will provide the device with power, data, and other IoT and SIP capabilities.

Now that we’ve covered all of the microphones, let’s take a look at the other products in the Shure Stem Ecosystem.

The Stem Speaker

While the Stem Table and Stem Wall both have speakers built-in, sometimes you need to expand the sound in your room. And with the Stem Ceiling, an extra speaker or two will be needed since there isn’t any built into the device. Enter the Stem Speaker.

The Stem Speaker has a powerful driver that can deliver exceptional sound to rooms of any size. The speaker itself has a small profile, measuring just 9 inches in diameter with a depth of 4 inches. And the speaker has three mounting options: ceiling mount, wall mount, and table stand. The package comes with everything you need to mount the speaker in whatever configuration you choose, and includes a 15-ft CAT 6 Ethernet Cable which will allow you to connect to your network.

The Stem Hub

Shure calls the Stem Hub “the brains of the operation” for a reason. While each of the Stem products can work as a standalone device, they really shine when you start to mix-and-match everything. This flexibility means you can use the Shure Stem Ecosystem in any room, regardless of how unique the setup is. The Stem Hub makes that mix-and-match flexibility possible. With it, you can connect up to 10 different audio devices. The Stem Hub enables all endpoints to communicate with each other, and also provides a single place to make connections to any external loudspeakers or other conferencing interfaces.

The Stem Hub has a sleek and slim design, measuring just 7 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches at its thickest point. The Hub can be discreetly mounted on a wall out of sight behind a display, or table mounted inside a credenza.

The Stem Control

The last product in the Shure Stem Ecosystem is designed to give you complete access to the platform, and make it easier than ever to participate in meetings on your favorite video conferencing platforms. The Stem Control is a 10 inch LED touch display that allows you to accomplish a variety of tasks, such as quickly and easily adding new devices to your room and getting them set up in a matter of minutes. The Stem Control also has a natively integrated Zoom Room interface, making joining a meeting completely effortless. You can make SIP audio calls directly from the Stem Control, mute the mics in your room, and control the level of the audio.

Be More Productive

The Shure Stem Ecosystem is meant for companies of any size to be able to hold productive meetings that help them grow their business. You don’t need to have a background in professional A/V systems installation to take full advantage of the Shure Stem Ecosystem. In just a few moments you can have a meeting space that is perfectly suited to the modern needs of a workforce that might not all be located in a single place. And major firmware updates help to make the Stem Ecosystem just get better over time.

If you have questions about whether the Shure Stem Ecosystem is right for your business, or curious about which Stem products you need for your conference room, contact us today at Mainline Marketing. We can answer any questions and discuss showcasing each of the products mentioned in this article at our Experience Center located in Winter Park, FL.