Participant-controlled conference calling system

A communication system, which can be used within a conferencing communication system, is provided. The communication system includes at least one communications (10) network, a plurality of communicators (10) connectable to the at least one communications network, each of the communicators being operative to transmit, via the network, audio streams bound from any of the plurality of communicators (10), a plurality of mixers (26). Each of the mixer (26) output associated with one of the communicators (10) is operative to receive from the plurality of communicators (10) a plurality of incoming streams bound from the communicators (10) to the mixer (26) and transmit any mixed combination of the incoming streams to the communicator (10) associated with the mixer (26). The system also includes means for controlling any of the mixers (26) to independently control a volume level of any of the incoming streams being mixed at any of the mixers (26) to create the required mixed combination of the incoming streams.