With its newest product (it’s on the booth at 6141) Audio-Technica adds a unique twist on the ubiquitous IR conferencing paradigm.

The new wireless ATCS-60 introduces “automatic mode”, which accepts up to 50 microphone units, running through a “smart” mixer; the mixer turns the mic on and off, depending on whether the person is speaking or not. The mixer allows from one to five people to talk simultaneously, so this obviously makes for a more casual and interactive discussion environment.

The fully featured system also supports the traditional Permission-to-speak-Madam-Chairperson, paradigm with up to 150 channels and most of the features you would expect.

Oh, and not surprisingly, the microphones are beautiful–sleek and slim, in a modern-looking stand.