This setup allows us to route a different audio stream to viewers of the online concert. I don’t have the advanced options in my zoom settings that you are showing for audio. The first thing you need to do is download the Zoom desktop client for Mac or Windows. this is all amazing and useful information, Thank You. This will ensure the audio can be heard with decent sound quality. Log into the Zoom website and then do the following: You will then need to direct students to turn on this setting during your lesson. Audio Settings. The best recording settings. You’ll achieve even better results with more professional equipment such as audio interface with a mic plugged in, tinny, patchy, quiet sound because they are hearing it “second hand” via your microphone, Play the video, or share the music website or application, Start playing your video in full screen mode. Zoom does have a setting that let’s you get around the dreaded sound quality that we normally experience and it is called original sound. We’re trying to set up zoom calls between another band director and my students where we use the clever touch board to view him and my lap top for him to see my kids. You can access Audio Settings directly from a Zoom call by clicking the arrow next to the microphone. Any time you update Zoom, I think it’s wise to double-check the settings again to make sure everything is still working the way you expect it to. I help teachers through my online professional development space – the Midnight Music Community – where there are tutorial videos, courses, links and downloadable resources. They are available on the free version as far as I know. The first thing is to know is that optimal settings can ONLY be done on a computer. 1. While you don’t need to install the app to LISTEN to a Zoom meeting, You do need an account to access the advanced settings to properly configure audio for PERFORMANCE. It will open the now familiar basic audio settings panel. 5) In the new screen, make sure echo cancellation is set to AUTO, and that Disable echo cancellation, high fidelity music mode, and Use stereo audio are UNCHECKED. This is wonderful, and very helpful, Katie. They won’t have access to all of the advanced/extra settings unfortunately. The information in this article applies to all participants in the Zoom session. For this reason, it’s usually best to turn this setting off for music lessons. Zoom has an inbuilt noise suppression function, which can “help” remove distracting noises that can be picked up by your participants’ microphones. It will disable Zoom’s inbuilt noise suppression, remove high pass filtering and remove automatic gain control. Zoom Meetings has become the go-to app for most music teachers online. Enable original sound (advanced settings): This function allows you to preserve the sound from your microphone. I may make a “checklist” version which is a little briefer than the full guide! Go to Zoom/Preferences/Audio Advanced and select the following options… It’s best to turn off background noise suppression when playing music like a guitar. 8 Tips for Better Video Conference Calls. Sometimes settings can be turned on/off at an account level. When you join a performance meeting, just double check your settings and ENJOY! It is not recommended otherwise. It can also consume greater network bandwidth and for that reason it is recommended that you connect your network via an ethernet cable instead of using Wifi. 2. The best option to choose for music lessons is the Low option which means that Zoom’s noise reduction will be minimal. The DSP is external to Zoom and all processing and relationship between mic and speaker is completely external and Zoom's Software Audio Processing has been disabled. Here’s how. It is wonderful at that! The most important thing to do is to change the audio settings for the person leading the music. Once you are in the meeting, make sure you have turned ON the Original Sound button at the top left of the screen. I love to simplify technology for music teachers. Or are some of them only available once you are paying the monthly fee? Zoom audio settings – Desktop/Laptop. Click the button below and a copy of this will be sent directly into your inbox. There are 4 background suppression options you can choose from in Zoom: autio, low, medium and high. (Note, you can check the box for ‘high fidelity music mode’ if you are hardwired via ethernet or have VERY good wifi. However, this feature can be a disadvantage when running a music lesson because the soft low notes played on a cello can be interpreted by Zoom as unwanted background noise and it will work to eliminate it. You can access Audio Settings directly from a Zoom … Thank you very much. ): On the Advanced settings page do the following: *note: the Disable echo cancellation option works best with headphones and a decent quality microphone, **note: the High fidelity music mode increase CPU utilization and consumes greater network bandwidth so it will not suit everyone. After joining the Zoom, you’ll find this setting in your Zoom app under Audio (bottom left) > Audio Settings > Enable Stereo. This setting ensures you enter meetings quietly without bringing sudden noise to the call. That will open the settings panel. Set ‘Echo Cancellation’ to ‘Auto’ as opposed to ‘Aggressive’. Finally, we wrote earlier about the great webcam shortage of 2020 . ... You may also find our article on Tech For Online Singing Teachers useful, which also covers optimal internet upload speeds to make Zoom a super smooth service. Zoom’s default settings are for speech, so it will automatically get rid of any sound it seems as ‘background’, which includes most musical notes, especially long ones. Good luck! The Zoom meeting software is primarily designed for clear speech transmission without the user having to know anything about audio settings or controls. 8. If that’s not possible, you might consider a wifi repeater or extender which will extend the coverage of your wifi network, Use the best quality microphone you can – anything that is a step up from the in-built microphone on your laptop. Under the “Microphone” heading, uncheck “automatically adjust microphone volume”. 7. Here's how to maximize your video chat time. You can find the settings to do this in the advanced audio settings.The external microphone is important, as it will reduce any sound sources inside your device (e.g., fan, keyboard clicks etc.) If you can, connect your audio via computer so that you can play backing or vocal tracks separate to your microphone. Some are available on iPads but not all. Turning on this setting optimises Zoom for highest quality music. 6. First thing’s first, here are a few non-negotiable settings that both you AND your singers need to change. During the coronavirus self-quarantine, my kids have been taking advantage of video conferencing for many of their classes. Next, do the following (see page 10 for an explanation of “why”! While listening to your entire mix (do not solo the vocal), pull down the threshold until the compressor starts compressing. Zoom is one of the best and most popular video conferencing platforms out there. It’s important to know that this setting can increase your CPU utilization so if you are using a computer that struggles at times, you might find that it doesn’t work well for you. 9. This turns off more of the software designed for speech but un-helpful for music. How to use Zoom: 15 video chat tips and tricks to try today. You can also click on your profile picture and choose Settings from the drop-down menu. Click on the Settings icon below your account icon and Select “Audio”. My wife receives singing lessons and provides piano lessons over Zoom (currently without Cleanfeed). It should be blue, and say “Turn Off Original Sound.” That is the correct setting. You have now optimized all the settings of your Zoom account for music performance! Are all these functions available on the free version of Zoom? Unfortunately the features are not quite the same on tablet devices. Zoom Settings Check the ‘Show in-meeting option to “Enable Original Sound” from microphone’. Using those same default setting for music performance is …. The bottom slider bar adjusts your input sensitivity. How To Nail The Perfect Threshold And Ratio: Set the ratio to a moderate setting (~3:1). This means, since the microphones inside the H2n have a 90-degree pattern, one will face towards the body of the guitar, while the other one will be facing the neck, effectively picking up every possible sound. If you don’t have have fast internet, leave it unchecked. This is what it looks like when ‘Original Sound’ is turned on. The top slider bar adjusts your headphone/speaker output volume for your sound. Perhaps a service that lets me adjust the latency of each participant manually? For people using Zoom for its original intended function – ie. This function allows you to preserve the sound from your microphone. Zoom uses the phrase “original Sound”, for the unfiltered audio. 5. This setting ensures you enter meetings quietly without bringing sudden noise to the call. When you have started your Zoom meeting, check the following before the lesson starts: If your student/s will be playing or singing during the lesson it’s a good idea to have them utilise the Original Sound at their end so that you can hear them clearly. Click the ‘Advanced’ push button on the lower right. How to do Karaoke on Zoom with Watch2Gether: Create rooms. 8. If you fix these settings once, they’ll reward you with optimized Zoom meetings forever… 7) Always Mute Microphone. I don't know enough about video conferencing technology to know what to look for in terms of features. On your Zoom desktop client, open Settings by clicking on the cog. How to play music over your Live Stream on Zoom If you're using Zoom to live stream your classes, then here's how to make the sound, sound great! Speaker: Click Test Speaker to play a test tone. Click the drop-down to select the mic you want Zoom to use. Enable stereo. Match all three settings as shown to DISABLE both ‘Suppress Persistent Background Noise” AND ‘Suppress Intermittent Background Noise’. In the very brief video below, I go through a few of the settings I select in Zoom to optimize the audio quality for my daughters' piano lessons. Hello! Click the drop-down menu to select the speaker you want Zoom to use. Generally, it’s good to leave it on while you’re playing or singing and turn it off if you’re just speaking. Toggle the ‘Original Sound’ option in the upper left until it reads ‘Turn OFF original sound’, that means it is ON. Join the Zoom from the Mac or PC Zoom app. My laptop still has an 1/8″ audio in and I use a small mixer to connect an XLR microphone. This disables Zoom’s automatic echo cancellation. 4. Under “Suppress Background Noise” set it to LOW. In addition to being of higher quality than the installed speaker, using an external speaker will help conserve resources for the Zoom session. You may now close the settings panel, you are done in here! 10. I have the most updated version. running regular meetings that involve speaking only – this includes things like paper crunching, keyboard typing, fan noise, the dog barking and so on. If you fix these settings once, they’ll reward you with optimized Zoom meetings forever… 7) Always Mute Microphone. In any case both computers (and external microphone if used) have to be set to the same sampling frequency; the usual options are 44 kHz or 48 kHz; we use 44 as our default. Here’s our very own podcaster Joe Green‘s take on getting the best audio quality you can in these challenging times – ensuring that your calls remain high-quality and professional, regardless of the circumstances.. Use the room. As the performer, don’t try to use a tablet or phone because you won’t have access to the advanced options that are needed to optimize your audio. One option is to use a USB microphone which plugs directly into your computer. You just need to be on the latest version of Zoom. I’m guessing you’re referring to smartphones and/or iPads – if so, the options are not as extensive on those. Zoom Settings Once you’re in the advanced section of the audio settings, make sure both options are set to AUTO. It means when they are singing to everyone Zoom will not compress and adjust the sound – so gives the best sound quality for music. If you're stuck at home because of COVID-19, you can still get work done by collaborating over video. This means that the software stops trying to be smart and detect when you are speaking and just transmits the raw audio feed of the microphone. To set this within the Zoom app: : Click on the Settings wheel in the top right hand corner; Click Audio; Click "advanced", bottom right ‘Audio’ is the third option down in the list on the lefthand side. I’m a qualified teacher but no, I don’t currently teach in a school. I’m Katie Wardrobe – an Australian music technology trainer and consultant with a passion for helping music teachers through my business Midnight Music. If you are unable to do that, locate your computer as close as possible to the router. Thanks so much Ken. Headphones or earbuds are preferred for your best listening, and to keep other people’s sounds from playing out of your speakers and back in through your microphone creating an echo. To update, open Zoom, click your account icon in the upper right corner and Select “Check for Updates”. Instead, you will set your Blue Yeti up like an expert and enjoy podcasting, recording, and streaming. You can turn the Enable Original Sound setting on or off as needed while your Zoom session is running. Thank you in advance! The best recording settings. TIA if you do it! To set this within the Zoom app: : Click on the Settings wheel in the top right hand corner; Click Audio; Click "advanced", bottom right In normal conversation this works well enough but if you're singing or playing together then Zoom gets confused. Close your temporary meeting, and that is all there is to it! Besides, after reading this post, you will indeed not repeat the same mistake I made with my first Blue Yeti Microphone. We’ve had horrible echo feedback and are trying to get the sound set so we don’t have that problem. 2) Click the up carrot next to the microphone symbol on the bottom left of the screen, select audio settings from the menu that pops up. When using Zoom to run music classes, there are a few settings you can adjust to enhance the experience for you and your students. Whether it’s excessive background noise, incessant echo or just plain old bad-sounding laptop microphone, poor sound quality hinders communication and productivity. If you only need students to hear an audio file (such as a, sing-along or play-along track) while they still see you on the screen, you can do the following: Why did we just change all those settings? Getting started with Zoom [checklist] for your participants. Zoom's daily active user count rocketed from 10 million to 200 million due to the unfortunate COVID-19 pandemic. That will open the advanced settings panel. Zoom Settings. There are 4 background suppression options you can choose from in Zoom: autio, low, medium and high. Getting The Best Sound. We have tried zoom.us, webex, hangouts, skype-- same problem across all apps (out of sync singing). I also run live workshops and have presented at countless conferences and other music education events. 5 Tips to Improve Zoom Meeting Audio Quality While Working From Home Nothing ruins a Zoom meeting, Skype call or videoconference faster than poor audio quality. Since I am using a UAD Arrow (super awesome device) as my audio interface, my aggregate audio device will consist of Loopback (1-2) and the UAD Arrow (3-4, 5-6, 7-8). If you’re doing a combination of playing/singing and speaking (which is most music lessons!) Once you download the software, you will need to enter an email address & password to create a Zoom account, then open the Zoom app. You would check this setting … You see, Zoom wasn’t built to have multiple sounds fighting for attention and during the first week of classes many dance teachers experienced glitches in their sound. Zoom’s default settings are for speech, so it will automatically get rid of any sound it seems as ‘background’, which includes most musical notes, especially long ones. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to change your Zoom background and your audio and video settings, and how to … If you are not sharing a video in full screen mode, it’s best to leave this turned off. Essentially, the students should follow the same steps as the teacher – especially if you’re in a one-on-one lesson situation where each of you take turns playing. If you're a music teacher or student, the most… The camera in your laptop lid, phone or tablet is perfectly placed -- to look up your nose. If you're a music teacher or student, the most… That will open the settings panel. Explore how you might use Zoom for your choir rehearsal. well, disastrous! In Zoom, you can go into general settings and adjust the audio, to pick your accessory mic instead of the mic from the webcam. You will need to enable that option in your Zoom web portal first. I help teachers from all around the world through the Midnight Music Community - an online professional development community where teachers can take online courses, ask questions and receive personalised help for the music tech goals. 5. then it’s fine to leave it on for the duration of the lesson. Any idea why I don’t have the other options? If you want simple, effective ideas for using technology in music education, I would LOVE to help you inside the Midnight Music Community. How to Optimize Zoom Audio Settings for Music Performance! Zoom Settings. You can access control of your microphone sensitivity and local output volume by clicking the ‘up-carrot’ next to the microphone icon in the lower left of the meeting panel. Sometimes use a Zoom (brand) H4N microphone with digital output. 1. The best option to choose for music lessons is the Low option which means that Zoom’s noise reduction will be minimal. 2. Set up your Zoom to enable music. While you can use the built in microphone, a USB mic, or other ‘line in’ input on your computer will significantly improve your sound. If you check this box, it’s important to use headphones and a decent quality microphone to get the best result. There are a sequence of changes that will make live vocal and instrument audio during a Zoom meeting as good as direct livestreamRead more So, we gathered the most practical advice available for beginner and intermediate users in one post. “Enable Original Sound” will put the audio from your mic or movie directly to Zoom without noise and echo cancelling. 2020 PFF Sponsor & Advertising Opportunities. Glad it’s a help. Here’s a run-down on what they mean: This setting will automatically make your microphone softer or louder as needed to “even out” (normalize) the volume of your voice (or your singing and playing!) 7. I like to focus on easy ways to incorporate technology into what you are already doing in your music curriculum through a range of creative projects. The information in this article applies to all participants in the Zoom session. Audio Settings. The best way to achieve this is by placing the Zoom H2n about two feet away from the guitar, at the fret-boards level, pointing towards the 12 th fret. Here is a summary of the settings you should consider. Make sure Suppress Background Noise is set to low. 4) Click advanced at the bottom of the screen. Best Zoom Meeting settings for Remote Music Lessons. I’m not sure why Diane – is your Zoom account controlled by an administrator at a school/organisation? Disclaimer: Zoom has a lot of automatic sound compression settings. It can be useful to visit the Zoom support pages and check their instructions for the different devices. Add makeup … Click the “Advanced” button at the bottom of the menu. I know they can enable original sound in settings… most students seem to join lessons via a device…. However, it uses speech-oriented sound “enhancements” that interpret long sustained tones as background noise. I also have trouble keeping up with all the updates (I’m sure this guide already needs checking!). Whether it’s excessive background noise, incessant echo or just plain old bad-sounding laptop microphone, poor sound quality hinders communication and productivity. Thanks Anne. We’d strongly recommend that you adjust your own Zoom settings to cater for transmitting music, since usually Zoom will treat music as background noise. When you want to share a Youtube video, interactive music website or app or a music software application that’s installed locally on your computer there are some specific settings in the Share Screen area that you should be familiar with. They work best when tweaked together. Mobile devices such as phones and iPads are fine for listening, but do not give you access to turn off the necessary settings to allow good sound for instruments during performance. IF YOU ALREADY HAVE ZOOM INSTALLED, check for updates to make sure you have the most recent version of Zoom. ... 'Enable Original Sound' box, meeting attendees can simply click the button at the top-left of this screen to sidestep Zoom's auto level setting. When it is on (you want it to be on) it will say “turn off original sound”. Yes – I believe the students will need to choose all the same settings that you have (ie. if you allow “original sound” to show in your Zoom, it won’t automatically be an option in the student screen – they will need to turn that one first). Even though I am a Zoom administrator at the University hospital where I work (Zoom is just about all I do), it’s hard to keep up on all the software updates. Best Settings For Sound and Recording Set your microphone and speaker, test them, adjust their volume, and change other settings. This link will take you to the official page to install Zoom: https://zoom.us/download. Finally, we wrote earlier about the great webcam shortage of 2020 . 2020 Fest in Place: Best Campsite Contest! To share a movie or song over a zoom meeting you need to change some settings. UN-check the ‘Automatically adjust microphone volume’ this keeps the software from lowering the input when you play louder, and raising it when you play softer. If you have fairly fast internet, check “High fidelity music mode”. There’s a good video explanation here. If you are using headphones (recommended if you can, but not mandatory) make sure “Disable echo cancellation” is checked. Would you like to take a copy of “Complete Guide to Zoom Audio Settings for Music Teachers” with you? Do you have tips for students using Zoom on their iPads? Thankfully, Darry Retter figured out the best settings for sound and shared them with us! I only have signal processing by Windows audio device drivers with auto, on and off as options and echo cancellation with choices of auto and aggressive. 1. PLEASE NOTE: The both sets of instructions following below are for older versions of Zoom. Go to Zoom/Preferences/Audio Advanced and select the following options… It’s best to turn off background noise suppression when playing music like a guitar. To get the best results, the following setup is recommended. Use a computer. Then, set up a Zoom … Your built-in microphone is probably not that good for music either. I can guide people through setting adjustments when they’re on a laptop or desktop but I am unsure of best practices for tablet users.