Thoughts about accessing the Zoom sessions following yesterday’s Vintage Club.
Using the Zoom App is always going to be better.
It is free so download, check for Updates and you should see an improvement on using a web browser to access.
If your connection is not strong (using wifi instead of an ethernet cable) turn your webcam off as it takes up a lot of bandwidth.
Thoughts about volume.
There have been comments about the volume of backing tracks I used being low and comments about Lieven’s voice level being low.
Firstly, please check your audio settings within Zoom. These can be modified and you may notice a difference.
RE: the volume of my backing tracks, I create them in Guitar Pro. I do not do any fancy mixing but the master is set at 0 dB. Any more and the track would push into the clipping zone. I play them from either my phone, or yesterday I used an iPod (remember those?). This is connected to a Yamaha AG06 AI / Mixer and I had the level on the iPod and the input both at maximum yesterday. I could not have increased the input signal / volume any more at my end.
My questions to those attending on 29 January …
Did anyone use actual speakers or headphones? Was your volume on my backing tracks okay?
Was anyone using the in-built speaker of a smartphone or tablet device? Was your volume too low or okay?
Was anybody using ear buds? Was your volume okay?
I did, volume adjusted to a level, that I could hear your speaking at a decent level. The BT was so quiet then, that I hardly could hear it via iPad speakers. Might have been worth switching to headphones, but didn’t have them close…
FYI My Video was fine on Windows 11 laptop sound was quite but useable using zoom app and chrome also did not check zoom for sound will do that next time thanks again.
A
@Richard_close2u are you creating the BTs in GuitarPro as normal ? The volume may need bumping there, so the output audio is a little louder. If you send me a link to the file I can run it through Youlean Loudness Meter and see how it stacks up against expected YouTube levels. Zoom might then drop it a couple of DBs like it seems to do for our OMs.
Your vox levels were fine, it was just the BT that was quiet. LDV was generally quiet and need a volume boost in Zoom - maybe his Zoom mic level was down a little ?
Are you using OBS btw or running the BT through your AI and direct to Zoom that way ?
Are you using OBS
[/quote]
No.
I used OBS in VC #1 and it was a tech disaster, I was booted out of the Zoom meet multiple times and my sound was terrible so I immediately scrapped the idea of using OBS. Shame because I spent many hours setting it all up including backgrounds and more. But hey ho.
The volume was fine on both devices I used. Need to explain, Zoom is new to me as only used Teams at work, so I was trying to find how to see both your screen share and you at the same time, I think I have sorted that out.
In terms of volume of the BT, on Windows 10 laptop I had ear buds plugged in, on my iPad ear buds connected by Bluetooth both were ok.
Zoom App on PC using speakers, Richards talking volume was fine backing track was low. Lieven was quiet. If you are not switching between voice and guitar, you can turn it up. If switching you risk the voice shouting at you.
Richard did you try recording yourself speaking and playing the backing track through zoom?
One suggestion as classes are not going to have a facilitator in future maybe someone from the community can be designated to signal to you, if there is a problem in a session, maybe using the reactions. Lots of hands were raised but you weren’t to know that was due to the low volume.
I did a soundcheck with Fanny before the show went live. I, and other teachers, have done that for each session so far.
Without a moderator in future, having a buddy in the background is a good idea, thanks.
I use a pair of Presonus monitors, connected to a Focusrite Scarlet, connected to a PC running Zoom in a Chrome browser. Never had any problem at my end on any of the dozen or so Clubs I have attended (bar one of Lieven’s when I had a power cut … ! )
That being said, I did find the volume of your backing track a little on the muted side last night @Richard_close2u . It was audible but more at a background level than where I expect you would have intended it to have been set at. Your speaking voice level was spot-on.
Although on the quiet side it didn’t really impact on the lesson itself - which BTW I found really useful last night - thanks.
@Richard_close2u
I watched/listened to last nights vintage club on my iPad using the built in speakers. Your speech volume was good, your guitar volume was good but as others have said, the backing tracks were barely audible. Turning up the volume helped but then of course when you started speaking it was far too loud.
I found the volume wasn’t an issue though. I was following your diagrams and strumming my guitar so I wasn’t really listening to the backing tracks.
I had no video issues last night. No buffering, no loss of video when you changed back and forth from your chord diagrams. I kept my iPad camera off throughout the lesson.
your voice and guitar were higher volume than the backing track by enough that setting volume to voice was tough to hear the track, and setting the track comfortably to play with made voice a little too loud.
no video problems, not even any sync issues like Justin has with audio and video.
)