MICROPHONE SYSTEM

PURPOSE:To prevent crosstalk by automatically selecting a talker of a maximum level uttered fastest in a sound field where plural talkers are present so as to separate voice signals of plural takers without manual operation. CONSTITUTION:A noise level detection section 16 measures a mean value or a maximum value of an indoor noise level and the result is given to a time lag detection section 14 and a maximum level detection section 15. When a level of a voice outputted from a microphone array 11 via an amplifier 12 exceeds the noise level, the time lag detection section 14 measures a time difference from utterance start points of time and selects a microphone making utterance fastest and gives a command signal to a changeover control section 17 to fix the microphone of the talker. Furthermore, when plural utterance start points of time are within a range of a timing error, the maximum level detected by the maximum level detection section 15 is given to the time lag detection section 14 to select a microphone of a talker with the maximum utterance intensity. Thus, mixing is automated and interference between voice signals is prevented.