USB microphone support for Desk and Room Series-Webex

Your Desk Pro, Room Kit, Room Kit Mini, and Room 55 gadget are all compatible with the utilization of a USB microphone as well as a USB audio interface. Here is a rundown of the necessary configurations as well as the many models of audio devices that we’ve evaluated.

USB audio devices, including microphones and audio interfaces, are supported by the Desk Pro, Room Kit, Room Kit Mini, and Room 55 packages respectively. USB headsets can be used with the same devices in the Room and on the Desk.

There is support for USB microphones and audio interfaces in the following situations:

• Devices that are registered with Webex
• Devices might be connected to the cloud and receive software updates with Webex Edge for Devices.

When it comes to choosing an external microphone, we generally advise using either the Cisco Webex Table Microphone or the Cisco Ceiling Microphone. These mics have been put through extensive testing with our devices and consistently mute when the test is complete. However, there are certain circumstances in which the use of external USB microphones or USB audio interfaces is necessary or advantageous:

An additional USB table microphone could help improve performance for your device if it does not have a dedicated microphone input, if the size of your room is slightly greater than what is advised, or if the area has difficult acoustics.

• It is possible that shotgun or lavalier mics will be favored in circumstances in which there are particular demands placed on the audio pickup, such as in broadcast scenarios.
• These might be USB microphones themselves, or they might call for a USB audio interface in the middle.
• A USB audio interface also enables the use of additional microphones as well as other kinds of microphones.

Both the Desk Pro and the Room Kit Mini lack dedicated microphone inputs on their respective models. Therefore, the only way to attach an external microphone to one of these devices is through a USB port.

Configuration

If you connect a USB audio device to the USB-A connection on the Room or Desk device, the default behavior is optimized for the usage of a USB headset. There is a connection made between the input (microphone) channel and the output (speaker) channel, but the built-in microphones and speakers are turned off. Every sound is transmitted to and received by your headset.

Changing the setting for the Audio USB Mode is required whenever you want to utilize the USB-A connector for an external microphone or an audio interface. This configuration option can be accessed by the xAPI, the local web interface, or the Control Hub. Make your selection from the available options:

Microphone:

• When it comes to audio input, just the USB microphone is utilized. The speakers that are already installed are used for playing back audio.
• AdditionalMicrophone (only available with the Room Kit Mini): When it comes to audio input, both the USB microphone and the built-in microphone are utilized. The speakers that are already installed are used for playing back audio.

Adjusting the Audio Input USBMicrophone Level setting, which is found in the local web interface, is something you need to do if the audio input level from the USB microphone isn’t the best it can be.

Mute Behaviour
The mute operation works the same regardless of whether you’re utilizing an internal or external Cisco microphone. The mute LEDs on each microphone as well as the notification that appears on the screen are synchronized with one another and accurately reflect the current mute status. When you push the mute button on any one microphone, it will automatically mute all of the other mics as well.

When using a microphone that is not manufactured by Cisco, such as a USB microphone, there is a possibility that consistency will be lost. We suggest that, wherever it is practical to do so, the microphone should be muted using the device to which it is connected.

When you press the mute button on the user interface of the Room or Desk device, each and every microphone is immediately silenced.

Recommendations and requirements

The gadgets that are found in the Room or on the Desk do not support all varieties of USB microphones or USB audio interfaces. These are the characteristics that should be looked for:

• Asynchronous USB audio must be supported by either the microphone or the audio interface. An error message stating that the USB microphone is not supported. A message that reads “Asynchronous type is required” is issued and shown on the device under the Settings menu.
• It is essential that the microphone or audio interface have a consistent and linear frequency response. There is a possibility that “smart” signal processing, such as dynamic companding, will hinder the effectiveness of the device’s echo canceller and lower the quality of the audio output.
• There is a possibility that a USB audio interface will need more power than is provided by the device’s USB-A connector. When this occurs, you are required to connect an external source of power.

The following USB devices’ audio pickup quality as well as their support for asynchronous USB audio have been evaluated by our team.

Microphones:

• MXL AC-404
• Røde NT-USB MINI

Audio interfaces

• Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 (2nd generation)
• M-Audio M-TRACK SOLO (Single Track)
• Roland Cakewalk UA-25 EX

The lists that have been supplied are not exhaustive; it is possible that additional USB audio devices will also operate with the device you have in your room or desk.