Technical Tuesday – Improve your Audio

Tips to improve your sound quality.

We’ve all been there. You are on the web meeting, then one of your co-workers joins and suddenly it sounds like there is a vacuum cleaner running. Then for the rest of the meeting you can hear that whirring sound.

Or perhaps for the entire meeting, your co-workers are constantly asking you to speak up. Despite your efforts to project your voice, you still aren’t loud enough for everyone else in the meeting.

What do online gamers know that you don’t?

Today we are going to borrow a tip from online gamers. Online gamers have known for years that one of the keys to improving their audio quality is to use a headset. Online gamers need every advantage they can get. You don’t need to break your budget when purchasing a headset. With most items the more features you add, the more money you can expect to spend.

Headsets

Headsets come in various types, and forms. There are wired and wireless headsets. Over the ear, and in ear headsets, and headsets that include active noise cancellation. Typically, ANC is found in higher end headsets, and is often used by people on long flights. The noise cancellation reduces and, in some cases, eliminates the sound of the airplane. You may find that noise cancellation improves your meeting experience and your productivity.

Using a headset brings the audio closer to your ears, and the microphone closer to your mouth. Using the headset’s microphone and speakers helps to avoid background noise. Consider your cell phone. The sound quality is typically better when you are talking on your cell phone than when you are using your speaker phone.

The speaker phone sounds muddy, like you are in a tunnel. This same experience is present when using your computer’s microphone. While we aren’t aiming for high definition audio, or trying to record an award-winning song, we do want the audio quality to not be a distraction.

The use of a headset will improve the quality of your audio, and the quality of your online meetings. If you have a smart phone, you may be able to use the headphones you already have. Some headphones include a microphone such as those that come with iPhones.

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