How to Tune Your Zoom Call Acoustics
If there’s one thing that 2020 has set out to teach, it’s that agility is key. Due to the rapid onset of COVID-19, one of the biggest lessons that many have learned in this arena is the importance of adapting to a work-from-home environment.
With up to half of American workers currently working from home, it’s become more critical than ever to establish successful remote communication channels.
Enter Zoom.
Zoom and other video conferencing platforms have been pivotal to the success of enterprises as they develop new systems of communication to keep things “business as usual” as much as possible.
But even with Zoom, new struggles have arrived. From kids shouting in the background to dogs barking at the mailman, working from home poses its own set of challenges to those trying to present a proposal to new clients or listen to company updates via Zoom calls.
If you’re part of this new class of remote workers, you’ve likely experienced your own fair share of acoustical issues on Zoom calls. The good news? Sonic-Shield has the acoustical tools to help us navigate these unfamiliar waters and make our communication clearer than ever on video calls.
3 Ways to Improve Your Zoom Call Acoustics
Are you looking to improve your video call acoustics to reduce miscommunication and keep business processes running smoothly while working from home? Check out these three tips to improve your Zoom call acoustics.
1. Optimize your home office
The setup of your home office plays a big role in the audio quality of your video meetings. Optimizing your residential acoustics with a few simple changes can make a big difference.
Hard surfaces will reflect sound waves, leading to reverberation and muddled sounds.This can make it difficult for listeners on the call to clearly understand you. Reduce the reverberation by adding soft furnishings to your office space such as pillows, blankets, and rugs.
Outside noises like barking dogs, household cleaning, or kids playing can be heard through interior walls, disrupting serious business conversations happening in your office. Luckily, there’s a simple DIY that can fix this. Soundproofing door seals or kits are easy to find and install on your own and can be custom fit to your existing office door. Once installed, you’ll be able to focus on the work in front of you without being distracted by external noises. The doors may need to be replaced if they have windows or are hollow core.
2. Utilize a headset
Computer microphones can easily pick up vibrations from the desk or extraneous residential noise. Small things like rustling papers or tapping a pen can interfere with your overall sound quality. The microphone transforms your voice (and all sounds) coming from your end, turning what might sound like nothing to you into a distraction for all the other members of the Zoom call. To avoid this almost entirely, switch to using a headset with microphone in place of your computer mic and speakers.
3. Acoustical panels
Adding acoustic panels and other sound-absorbing materials is the best way to reduce background noise, optimize your audio quality, and improve acoustics all in one.
A typical interior wall in a residential home has an STC of 33. Adding a noise barrier to sound absorbing materials like an acoustical panel can increase the STC to over 50, boosting your sound quality to that of conference rooms, patient exam rooms, and classrooms.
Depending on the severity of your noise control problem and how much work you’re willing to put in to fix it, additional products like adjustable acoustical door seals and sound dampening carpet underlay can also greatly improve your video call acoustics.
Even the small things make a difference. Soundproofing accessories such as sealant, tape, and putty pads in place of regular versions of these can slowly but surely reduce reverb, dampen outside noises, and allow for crystal clear delivery over Zoom.
Navigating the New Normal With Improved Acoustics
Sonic-Shield is your source for top-of-the-line sound dampening equipment and accessories to improve the quality of your workday video calls. For a calmer, quieter workspace with better acoustics, you can trust the engineers and consultants at Sonic-Shield to guide you in choosing the right acoustical products and installers.
Get started by taking measurements and photos of your home office, then get in touch with the Sonic-Shield audio experts and share your pictures and dimensions. We’ll provide our best recommendations for soundproofing products and ensure you get the results you’re looking for.
Reach out today.
