Zoom meeting setup

[timerone]

Hi, anyone has a mini guide how to setup a zoom meeting?

 

I mean lighting setup (front 45...), camera setup (distance and degrees), background...microphone

Something usefull to look and listen your best 

[Thesauron]

Some suggestions:

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/04/11/zoom-meetings-go-better-these-6-tips-look-your-best/5125980002/

[Qapla]

It depends on your camera

 

Here are a few thoughts:

• If you are using a "web cam" mount it on your monitor in front of you
• If you are using a phone for a PC camera, use a tripod phone holder an place the camera so the lens is just above your monitor in landscape direction
• Have light coming from in front of you (LED lights work good) 
• Lights can be from each side if that helps you see but they need to be on both sides to avoid shadows at about 45°-60° degrees
• Position the lights high enough you are not looking directly into them when you look at the camera
• Look into the camera when you talk not at people on the screen
• If using the web cam mic, speak clearly and check if "auto volume" is the best setting for you
• IF using a headset, place mic near mouth and try not to keep touching it
• If using a stand mic, place it in front of you and make sure you speak into it
• Proper posture will help you stay in front of your setup - sit in a nice desk chair or kitchen chair
• Have adequate lighting for your notes and publications also to make reading easier

 

There are a number of YouTube videos that cover these things by many different people - some are quite good

Edited August 23, 2020 by Qapla

[Qapla]

I noticed today that our Congregation Zoom Meetings must have the new "filter" feature turned off since that option is not available when I connect to the meeting but it is when I host a meeting

[timerone]

Do you mean filter for helps to "smooth out the skin tone" or filter like "snapchat" hat, moustaches, mask?

[Qapla]

No, these are called "fun filters"

 

They are overlays that change or add to your image on the screen - here is a description and explanation of these filters

 

[friendlyone]

Quote

Look into the camera when you talk not at people on the screen

A very valid point, though I have to admit I find it very difficult when giving talks via Zoom to look just at one point.

 

All my life I've been taught good audience contact when on the platform, so I still find myself looking at different parts of my monitor. Silly I know, but one day I'll get used to focusing at the camera only. 😄

[Qapla]

Use some cardboard to make a "raised bezel" for the top of your monitor on each side of your camera. Put little pictures on it and look from one to the other interspersed with the camera to give the feel of "looking at the audience". 

 

You can also use a teleprompter program with the meeting participants on another screen. That way you look at your talk and not the people - but, from the audience perspective, you are looking right at them.

[timerone]

16 hours ago, friendlyone said:

A very valid point, though I have to admit I find it very difficult when giving talks via Zoom to look just at one point.

 

All my life I've been taught good audience contact when on the platform, so I still find myself looking at different parts of my monitor. Silly I know, but one day I'll get used to focusing at the camera only. 😄

If you set camera with tilt and right distance from you, is very hard to understand if you are seeing audience or camera 

[Lee49]

 I have gone to a lot of time but little expense moving around to various areas of my house trying different backgrounds, living room , dining room bedroom/office ( my grandsons bedroom when not in  pandemic ) I get bored with the same old background image so I built my own green screen ( total cost about $20 ) making a frame out of 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch wood with 2x4's for legs, it measure 5x8 feet attached to a window wall using gorilla tape ( don't use a real sticky tape on drywall or paper wall covering ) my first material that I used was a semi dark green cover off of an old sleeping bag we hadn't used in years stapled to the frame, it worked but had issues with light. I then went to Walmart and paid $6 ( 9 yds ) for what I thought would be a better material and it works pretty good. The main thing in using a green screen is keeping it tight ( no wrinkles ) and getting the light right. I have 2 can trouble lights with 1100 lumen daylight bulbs reflecting the light off a 30 x 40 sheet of white board,behind my desktop, that way the light isn't shining in my eyes thus getting more light on me and less light on the screen. It's been a real trial and error process for me and I gave up on the whole process several times, just in case I have any more issues I went ahead and ordered  green chroma material from Amazon $23 but may not need it. This is what you do when your retired and have a lot of extra time, trying to make it fun without going over board on the back ground pictures, I took pictures of different rooms in my house, living room, dining, upstairs, even outside area but try to keep it dignified for the meetings sometimes putting a picture of a custom book case or of a custom living room ( that isn't mine ) . The wife thinks I'm crazy! hahahaha!

[Zebra555]

Are lapel microphones any good?

What about dual lapel microphones for me & the wife?

Any one tried this setup?

 

[timerone]

@Zebra555 I seen on Amazon some mic for conference (less than 30 Euros) probabily usefull in family

[friendlyone]

There are some good ideas here, thanks for posting in reply to my observation.

 

At one time I used the inbuilt camera in my laptop, but the picture was rather grainy. I bought a camera from Amazon, only cost a little over £20. Now it's a much better picture, and it gives my eyes something more to focus on when giving talks.

[LRJW]

On 8/25/2020 at 11:17 AM, Zebra555 said:

Are lapel microphones any good?

What about dual lapel microphones for me & the wife?

Any one tried this setup?

 

Lapel mics (lavaliers) tend to take in noises from 360 degrees around the mic, so if you're in a kind of noisy environment, or if your PC is noisy, it will pick it all up.  

 

The directional mics are best.  Currently I'm using a Blue Snowball usb mic, and it works pretty well.  

[Qapla]

6 hours ago, LRJW said:

Currently I'm using a Blue Snowball usb mic

 

They sell those in our local Walmart

[LRJW]

On 8/26/2020 at 9:58 PM, Qapla said:

 

They sell those in our local Walmart

At least in my local Walmart, they only sell the Snowball ICE model. This is cheaper than the Snowball model, but also is of lesser quality.
 

The more expensive Snowball model includes the ability to switch between 3 different modes of directional input. 

[Qapla]

Our local Walmart had a whole section of shelf with a line of 

 

 

 

Since I was not looking for a new mic I did not spend much time looking at them. I was looking for a new headset ... most likely will get one online

[Lee49]

I put these cut out pictures on my home made tripod so that I look into the camera instead of the monitor, gives me someone to talk to! 🤓

[jayrtom]

On 8/25/2020 at 7:07 AM, timerone said:

If you set camera with tilt and right distance from you, is very hard to understand if you are seeing audience or camera 

Are you able to describe that scenario a little better (maybe with photos 🙏)?

 

On 8/25/2020 at 6:17 PM, Zebra555 said:

Are lapel microphones any good?

What about dual lapel microphones for me & the wife?

Any one tried this setup?

 

They're good enough if you don't want  to do vlogs and pretend to use them just for the meetings ;wink:

 

On 8/26/2020 at 10:55 AM, friendlyone said:

There are some good ideas here, thanks for posting in reply to my observation.

 

At one time I used the inbuilt camera in my laptop, but the picture was rather grainy. I bought a camera from Amazon, only cost a little over £20. Now it's a much better picture, and it gives my eyes something more to focus on when giving talks.

Have you tried using your phone as a camera? There's no standalone camera that can compare the image quality because phone's cameras are usually very good nowadays (not the selfie camera, the other(s) )

Try this if you have android, it's free: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jacksoftw.webcam&hl=pt

 

On 8/27/2020 at 4:58 AM, Qapla said:

 

They sell those in our local Walmart

Blue microphones, including the snowball, which is the cheapest, are along the best microphones in the market but... it's like you buying a Ferrari to drive on the countryside

If someone has money to spend go ahead. You can make interviews with it, make studio quality recordings, sing for your friends, etc... but for Zoom meetings they're overkill

 

 

[LRJW]

Also, I learned the hard way, make sure you have a good USB cord if you’re using a USB mic. Preferably one with ferrite beads to shield RF signals. 
 

I had to get another cable after a couple of meetings in which my voice came out only as loud static because of having other cables too close to the mic cable. 

[Qapla]

I am looking into getting a new headset and the Logitech G Pro X is at the top of my list. It uses Blue Voice technology now that Logitech own Blue Microphones

 

I tried several headsets while I was in Best Buy and the Logitech was comfortable on me - the Blue Voice is a plus  

[friendlyone]

19 hours ago, jayrtom said:

 

 

Have you tried using your phone as a camera? There's no standalone camera that can compare the image quality because phone's cameras are usually very good nowadays (not the selfie camera, the other(s) )

Try this if you have android, it's free: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jacksoftw.webcam&hl=pt

 

 

 

 

I hadn't thought of using my phone camera. But, the camera I bought which is affixed to the top of my monitor does a good enough job, certainly much better than the inbuilt one in my laptop.

[JE3687]

Some in my congregation bought cheap chinese brand lavalier mic + splitter for $1-2 and honestly, they sound way better than build-in or earphone mic.

[AH173]

21 hours ago, Qapla said:

I am looking into getting a new headset and the Logitech G Pro X is at the top of my list. It uses Blue Voice technology now that Logitech own Blue Microphones

 

I tried several headsets while I was in Best Buy and the Logitech was comfortable on me - the Blue Voice is a plus  

I use the Logitech g432 gaming headset, got it from best buy. 

[Qapla]

@AH173 do you use the 7.1 surround? Do you find the headset comfortable for extended wearing - 2 hours or more at a time