Our monthly Zoom Open Stage, hosted by Alan Sandeman, is held on the first Thursday of every month. Sound checks are at 6:15 pm and the performances begin at 7:00 pm. Log in to listen or perform. Performers should register in advance with Alan at sandemal405@gmail.com. He’ll provide further details. Listeners can also contact Alan for login information.
Sound Checks
We offer performers sound checks on a first-come first-served basis, starting at 6:15 pm. Tweak your setup so you are sounding your best. Most of us have much more experience setting up for live performances than for Zoom. Please make the adjustments below before coming to the sound check.
Zoom Settings and Tips for Performers
By default, Zoom settings are optimized for speech not music. Here’s how to tweak your system so you will sound better.
Download the Zoom software on a computer, or the Zoom app and use it rather than your device’s browser. That will enable you to use the settings discussed below and your settings will persist between meetings.
Once you are in the Zoom meeting, at the bottom left corner of your screen, click the arrow beside the mic icon and choose audio settings.
Microphone Test your mic and set the volume at maximum unless you get distortion.
Turn off (uncheck) “automatically adjust volume”.
Suppress background noise Select “low”Make sure you don’t have background noises (e.g. fans) that might get picked up.
Music and Professional Audio If you are using an Apple product, some of the following options may be found by clicking the Advanced button. Ensure that “Show in-meeting option”, and “High Fidelity Music Mode” are both checked.
If you have downloaded the Zoom software to your computer and do not see the option for “High Fidelity Music Mode”, update your Zoom software. To do this, log into your Zoom program and click your profile picture near the top right corner of your screen. Then click “Check for Updates”. Turn on (check) “Echo cancellation”. Checking “Use stereo audio” may improve your sound quality. However, it also uses up more bandwidth, so be ready to uncheck it if your video or audio start freezing or there are many gaps.
Advanced button (Windows) Turn off (uncheck) signal processing. Set echo cancellation to “Auto”.
During the meeting, you should have a colored or greyed-in button (in the top left corner with desktops) that says, “Turn Off Original Sound.” If the button says, “Turn on” (rather than off), click the button to change that.
Additional Tips
You will have more options and will sound better if you are NOT using a phone or tablet. However, if you have no choice, don’t let this stop you from performing. You will likely sound better using an external microphone (rather than using one built into your computer.)
If possible, connect to the Internet by plugging in (using an Ethernet cable) rather than wifi. If you fade in and out or have to reconnect often, your bandwidth may still be too low. Turning off your video while you play will preserve your limited resources for your audio. Close all other windows (on a computer) or apps (on a smartphone) so all your resources go to Zoom. And of course, mute yourself while others are performing.