Do you suck at virtual meetings?

It's been three long years since the pandemic hit, yet we are still struggling with potato-quality meetings. But let's be real; it's not Zoom fatigue; it's 'shitty audio fatigue'. You're tired at the end of the day because communicating with other people is unnecessarily more difficult than it should be. The better audio you put out, the more people are willing to hang out with you, and that's a fact. And let's remember the visuals. We've all been in meetings where we can hardly see the person on the other end, or their background is so distracting that it's hard to focus.

You should be able to present yourself with a good remote setup, like putting your best foot forward. It shows that you take yourself and the meeting seriously, giving you an air of professionalism and competence. So, if you're tired of being the person with potato-quality meetings, it's time to invest in your remote setup.

In order of priority:

Wired Ethernet Connection:

  • Good: Any wired ethernet connection

  • Best: A wired ethernet connection with a faster speed

Microphone:

  • Good: Pyle Double Over-Ear Professional Hands-Free Omnidirectional Wired Audio Boom Condenser Microphone Headset

  • Better: Shure MV7

  • Best: Shure SM7B and MixPre3 using Noise Assist Plugin

Lighting:

  • Good: Ikea Regolit Pendant Lamp Shade and Hemma Cord

  • Better: Philips Hue Lights

  • Best: Elgato Key Lights with a few Aputure lights in the background

Camera:

  • Good: Logitech C920

  • Better: iPhone 14 Pro with Center Stage and Portrait mode enabled

  • Best: Canon R6 with 16-35mm lens, polarizer filters.

Headphones:

  • Good: Apple AirPods

  • Better: Any in-ear monitors

  • Best: Ear Hero surveillance monitors

An easy way to improve your audio quality on Zoom is to enable the High Fidelity Audio mode option in Advanced Audio settings. This option optimizes music or high-quality voice audio and reduces background noise. It's a simple change that can make a big difference in the clarity of your audio. To enable High Fidelity Audio mode in Zoom, go to your Settings, select the 'Audio' tab, then toggle on the option for 'High Fidelity Music Mode'’ It's that simple; you'll be amazed at how much better your audio sounds in your next meeting.

It's important to remember that you can have a better setup in any room to be taken seriously. However, you can have a better setup. People take you seriously when you take your setup seriously. You'll be amazed at how much better your meetings sound and how much more productive they become with a little effort.

Randy McEntee