Question: What are the advantages of using the Audio-Technica ATUC-50 Discussion System?

Answer: Whether you are in a large-scale conference discussion or smaller meeting environment where different participants are having a discussion, the Audio-Technica ATUC-50 Digital Discussion System can be used to offer crystal-clear audio to each participant. Each member of the discussion may have their own Discussion Unit (DU), comprised of a microphone, dedicated speaker, headphone connection, output volume controls, and channel selection controls. A programmable talk button control is the centerpiece of the DU and is used to submit a request to talk in the Request Talk mode, or to locally activate the talk function in the Free Talk mode. This button helps keep your discussions efficient, effective, and organized. The system is full of features which allow you to easily integrate into existing meeting spaces, as well as advanced features to take your meetings to a new level, with recording capabilities, language interpretation and more. And with 24-bit/48 kHz uncompressed audio, you’re assured the clear, intelligible voice reproduction Audio-Technica is known for.

The ATUC-50DU Discussion Unit in front of each participant offers a standard 3-pin XLR connection for gooseneck-style microphones, including the ATUC-M43H (430 mm (16.9") long) and the ATUC-M58H (580 mm (22.8") long), both with an integrated remote-controlled LED ring, RFI shielding, and hypercardioid pickup patterns. Each DU has a dedicated internal speaker for voice lift as well as a headphone connection, allowing users to listen to the main audio channel or, when available, two different interpretation audio playback channels. For custom integration, there’s the ATUC-50IU Integration Unit (IU), which contains all the “inner workings” of the ATUC-50DU but offers flexibility in the types of inputs and outputs, allowing an integrator to fully customize a system. For extended cable runs, you may use the ATLK-EXT165 Link Extender.

Additionally, ATUC-50INT Interpretation Units may be added into the ATUC-50 system to enhance your multilingual discussions. This setup allows interpreters to hear audio from someone speaking in one language and to speak the interpreted language into their microphone, with this latter feed going out to participants designated to hear the translation. A programmable multicolored status LED is located on the front of each DU for visual indication to other participants when a specific user is speaking.

The ATUC-50CU Control Unit (CU) is the brain of the system. With firmware version 1.6, the CU is capable of driving up to 100 DU or IU stations. These are connected to the CU via standard Cat5e (or greater) cable, along with any necessary Link Extenders. For larger conference discussion spaces, three Control Units may be linked together, bringing the total number of DU/IU stations and participants up to 300. Two Mic/Line inputs and two AUX inputs are located on the rear of the CU, allowing additional sound sources to be mixed into the main audio signal. The CU has an internal recorder that allows you archive a discussion by recording up to four channels in WAV format or up to two channels in MP3 format directly to a USB mass storage device. Each DU/IU may be routed to specific recording channels, which allows the integrator, administrator, or user to design specific multitrack recording configurations. The main output offers an eight-band parametric EQ and dynamics, while all outputs have a 12-band feedback suppressor, which helps ensure sufficient audio levels. The controls and settings may be changed on the front of the CU via the OLED display and jog dial controls or via the Web Remote GUI.

The Web Remote GUI for the ATUC-50 system may be accessed via a web browser on a computer, tablet, or mobile device. This gives full-parameter access for setup in the Administrator Mode and easy-to-use, recallable presets and operation in the Operator Mode. Each DU/IU/INT microphone has individual gain settings, EQ, and Automated Gain Control (AGC), all programmable and recallable in the ATUC-50 system. The Conference Modes may be switched between Free Talk, Request Talk and Full Remote. In Free Talk mode a limit of 1-10 microphones may be open and active at any time with priority interruption options and override settings available. The Request Talk mode is similar, but pressing the talk button on a DU will add the user to a queue of 1-300 participants. Full Remote mode allows the facilitator of the meeting to manually activate specific DU/IU stations to keep the meeting running in an orderly fashion. Many other features and settings can be adjusted and recalled from the Web Remote GUI.

Lastly, we should not fail to mention how easy this system is to set up and operate. Whether the system is going into a permanent installation, a portable meeting room rig, or used as a rental discussion system going out to different locations each day, the ATUC-50 will suit your needs. Each DU/IU is connected in a chain or ring topology to the CU using Cat5e cable. Each CU allows for four different chain connections or two ring connections which loop back to the CU. The ring configuration is beneficial if there’s a break at any point along the Cat5e connection ring – the remaining DU/IU stations will still remain connected to the CU via one of the two ends of the ring connection.

The Audio-Technica ATUC-50 Digital Discussion System was designed to let every participant in your discussion applications hear and be heard. You can see the system in use in the video here. Feel free to contact the Audio Solutions Department with any questions you may have on the ATUC-50 system and how you may best integrate it into your applications.

Learn how to upgrade the ATUC-50CU to the new firmware version 1.6 by clicking here.