Updated 5-4-21:
Quick Summary
(scroll down if you’d like more detail – photos, purple arrows, etc, or all the way to the bottom of the page for iPad/phone):
- Download Zoom
- and/or Update Zoom
- Go to Audio Settings
- UNcheck “Automatically adjust microphone volume”
- “Suppress background noise” – change to “Low”
- Check “Show in-meeting option to enable ‘Original Sound”
- Check “High fidelity music mode”
- Check “Echo cancellation”
Detailed directions with photos below!
1) Download Zoom to your computer or device in order to have a higher quality experience AND in order to access settings! Click here to download (or here for Chromebook) or get the free app in your app store.
2) Check for updates: click on the circle in the featured photo above (first purple arrow), find the line “Check for updates” in the drop-down menu. Click on it, and your update should start. (May 4, 2021 version is 5.6.5).
(Note: If you’re on a mobile device, your options are more limited, but that’s ok. On an iPad, do be sure to check the setting in the “Meeting” section to “use original sound” – see photos at the bottom of this page. You should find a similar setting on an Android).
Once your update has loaded, be aware that you might (on some computers or devices) need to restart your computer to enable the updates to show.
3) Once you’ve downloaded and/or updated: Click on the settings gear in the photo above. General settings options will open – as pictured in the photo below.
4) Click on Audio – the third item on the list (the blue box in the photo below). Notice the 5 numbered purple arrows in the photo, as explained below the photo:
- Make sure to uncheck the box next to “Automatically adjust microphone volume” (this allows us to hear music as loud and soft without wavering)
- “Suppress background noise” must be changed to “Low” (this is set to Auto by default to maximize clarity of the speaking voice, and will otherwise suppress musical sound as “background noise”)
- Check box to “Show in-meeting option to enable ‘Original Sound” (you’ll need to enable the box on your screen EVERY TIME you start a music lesson in order to have the musical sound conveyed the way it really sounds)
- Check box for “High fidelity music mode”
- Check box for “Echo cancellation” (this is really important if you don’t use headphones or ear buds)
(note: if you don’t see the above in your computer audio settings, then either you’ll need to update or, if you have updated, then restart your computer to ensure that the new version is fully registered on your computer)
If you have an iPad see below. Most students with iPads and iPhones do pretty well with Zoom audio – but please do click “Use Original Sound” as noted in the photos below 1) Settings, bottom left corner; 2) Meetings; 3) Use Original Sound:
