Editing 2017 A/V Upgrade Project (section)

===Audience voice lift===
Johnson and Stevens identified many practical and aesthetic problems with handheld microphones.  Recordings frequently did not have complete audio of questions because the audience member would begin speaking before being handed the microphone.  Some participants would refuse the microphone, believing that their voice was loud enough for the small room.  Johnson objected to the microphones because of the appearance of sexism.  The staff members who handed out the microphones were almost always female, which, she said, "Looks a little Vanna White."

Early discussions revolved around the Shure ceiling array, which Michael Merrill said could replace all of the audio capture devices in the room, giving it a cleaner appearance.  Johnson and Stevens were concerned that voice lift would not be good enough, and that audio capture would include too much roomsound and background noise.  Furthermore, they considered the device to be too expensive.  They later decided to use the existing ceiling microphones and to add an all-wireless system with six goosenecks and two lapels.  The existing podium microphone was integrated into the new system.