Zoom with different computers and mics

[Doug W]

My wife and I volunteer at a place where someone did a 2 hour talk / piano concert partially live and partially on Zoom last week. In addition he requested that the whole thing be recorded. It turns out that the piano was pretty much inaudible on Zoom while he played and in the recording. My wife and I weren't running Zoom but the person running Zoom felt terrible. She is also a volunteer.

As a result, we have been testing zoom on different setups, mics, computers. In all cases, I tested the voice and ukulele close to the mic so you might get different results if you are trying to capture a group of people around a condenser mic.

The mics I used for the tests were a Blue Yeto Nano USB condenser mic, a Shure SM58 plugged into a Mackie 402-VLZ3 mixer with RCA output to a Behringer UCA222 USB interface into the computer. I also used the webcams mics of a couple computers. I will post each setup in a different reply.

 

[Doug W]

Zoom Version 5.13.3, Blue Yeti Nano Condenser Mic Windows 11, Computer Dell Inspiron 5570, from 2017

 

[Doug W]

Zoom Version 5.13.11 Blue Yeti Nano Condenser Mic Windows 7, computer Dell Optiplex 7010, from 2012

 

[Neil_O]

Zoom Version 5.13.3, Blue Yeti Nano Condenser Mic Windows 11
View attachment 149518

See the Original Sound for Musicians setting? That's the only way I have ever recorded an instrument on Zoom. The Zoom optimized audio is for masking background sounds, which is what it thinks music is.

 

[Doug W]

Zoom Version 5.13.11 Logitech Web Cam 500 mic, Windows 7, computer Dell Optiplex 7010, from 2012

 

[Doug W]

Zoom Version 5.13.11 Blue Yeti Nano Condenser Mic Windows 10, computer HP 505BMT, from 2010

 

[Doug W]

Zoom Version 5.12.9, Shure SM58 plugged into a Mackie 402-VLZ3 mixer with RCA output to a Behringer UCA222 USB interface into the computer. Computer is Optiplex 745, from 2007, OS Linux Mint 21.1.

Also chose the same settings on this computer when using the Logitech USB webcam microphone.

 

[Doug W]

See the Original Sound for Musicians setting? That's the only way I have ever recorded an instrument on Zoom. The Zoom optimized audio is for masking background sounds, which is what it thinks music is.

In cases where original sound was not chosen, it was because that did not work at all for picking up the ukulele. For these different mics, OS versions and whatever different setups. The settings that I show worked for the voice plus the ukulele. In all these cases, I was close to the mic.

If I don't show "Original Sound for musicians", it didn't work for me under that setup. You can see above where that setting worked for us in Windows 10. We have done lots of Zoom sessions where we are asked to play, (well they really want my wife to sing, I am just extra), We have followed all the Zoom recommended settings found on the Web. We ask people how the music was and they always say it was very nice. After cornering them and giving them the 3rd degree we find out that they actually couldn't hear us. People are TOO NICE.

This is why I have been spending a lot of time lately trying to see what actually works on Zoom for music. I am not a Zoom expert but I know when my ukulele sounds like a harmonica full of peanut butter and when it sounds like a ukulele.

 

[TimWilson]

See the Original Sound for Musicians setting? That's the only way I have ever recorded an instrument on Zoom. The Zoom optimized audio is for masking background sounds, which is what it thinks music is.

This is so important, and people miss it! Zoom is TRYING to block the music! Completely on purpose, because they're optimizing to favor the spoken voice.

I feel like the Original Sound for Musicians was added for us during the pandemic. At least I'd never seen it before. Okay, and maybe for other musicians besides ukulele players, but I started playing ukulele during the shutdown, a global cultural phenomenon on a scale that decisively demonstrates my lack of creativity so I'm assuming that Zoom did this not just for all of us, but for me in particular.

Kidding aside, that's the first setting to look at. If it's not in the right position, none of the other changes will make much of a difference, because Zoom will try to make sure that nobody can hear it at all... unless you tell it that you're a musician. Even if you feel like that may be an exaggeration select it anyway!