Best Audio Setup for Hybrid Meetings (In-Person & Zoom)

[kentestaccount]

Is your feature request related to a problem?

Hiya! I've been exploring ways to enhance the videoconference experience for participants. Recently, I tried using Zoom’s 'Original Sound' setting, but it causes delayed playback for Zoom participants when they speak, which is confusing. Previously, we used 'Share Computer Audio', but it displays a banner on mobile devices.

I came across this issue (#3590), which inspired my question. Given these challenges, could you recommend the best audio settings for a seamless experience in hybrid meetings?

Note: I understand this may not be directly related to M3, but I believe this community would have valuable insights.

Thank you!

Describe the solution you'd like

Describe alternatives you've considered

Additional context

No response

Confirmations

• I confirm that I have read the documentation website.
• I confirm that I have searched through the existing issues to make sure my feature request is not a duplicate.
• I confirm that I have searched through the existing discussions to make sure my feature request is not a duplicate.

[mtdvlpr]

Hi, you might find the following discussions to be of help:

• OBS Audio Configuration #358
• M3 music audio quality #1599

[mtdvlpr]

We have not noticed any delayed playback while using Original Sound and we've been using it since the very beginning of hybrid Zoom meetings.

[ux-git]

@kentestaccount I can share my experience. Our computer in the Kingdom Hall used to obviously lag in terms of audio when we used High quality/fidelity audio setting (one of the three checkboxes under the 'Original Audio' setting). We've spent some time playing with those three checkboxes and discovering what exactly each of them does, and after disabling this HQ audio option our computer started working better, while still allowing us to seamlessly share computer audio.

[e-Feitosa]

Posso compartilhar minha experiência. Nosso computador no Salão do Reino costumava obviamente ficar lento em termos de áudio quando usávamos a configuração de áudio de alta qualidade/fidelidade (uma das três caixas de seleção na configuração 'Áudio Original'). Passamos algum tempo brincando com essas três caixas de seleção e descobrindo o que exatamente cada uma delas faz, e depois de desabilitar essa opção de áudio HQ, nosso computador começou a funcionar melhor, enquanto ainda nos permitia compartilhar perfeitamente o áudio do computador.

It’s interesting that here in the congregation, we use a laptop and do not need to share the audio on the zoom, just connect the cables and everything works perfectly, and in the neighboring congregation, has a Desktop and also does not need to share the audio and nor use the audio option that the brother mentioned. However, here on the circuit, in other congregations everyone needs to use this option to share audio. We have tried several alternatives and do not work and this information (stripe) that appears in the zoom that the audio of the PC is being shared even bothered, it is not a problem, however, some operators end up forgetting to share. We know that the M3 has nothing related to this issue, but as the operator does not need to access the zoom meeting to buy the screen, he ends up ""thinking" that the problem is in the "M3". Keep looking alteranativa for this question, any "find" I can share.

[e-Feitosa]

Update: After the latest updates to Zoom Meeting, a certain desktop stopped playing the sound from Zoom Meeting and would only play it if audio was shared. After testing various options, the one below worked perfectly. Live performance audio (beta).

[ux-git]

@e-Feitosa does it still require sound sharing or turning "ON" every time like for the original audio? Or does it work fully in the background without any input from A/V operator?

[e-Feitosa]

ainda requer compartilhamento de som ou "ON" todas as vezes, como para o áudio original? Ou funciona totalmente em segundo plano sem qualquer entrada do operador A/V?

@ux-git, ao ativar essa opção, não foi necessário realizar nenhuma ação adicional para que o som funcionasse perfeitamente no Zoom. Não foi necessário compartilhar o áudio nem ativar a opção de áudio que aparece no topo da janela do Zoom, apenas mantive essa opção ativada. Entre todos os testes realizados no PC, a opção mencionada acima foi a que melhor funcionou sem a necessidade de compartilhamento de áudio.

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with this option activated, no additional actions were required for the sound to work perfectly on Zoom. It was not necessary to share the audio or activate the audio option that appears at the top of the Zoom window; I just kept this option activated. Among all the tests conducted on the PC, the above-mentioned option was the one that worked best without the need for audio sharing.

[ux-git]

with this option activated, no additional actions were required for the sound to work perfectly on Zoom. It was not necessary to share the audio or activate the audio option that appears at the top of the Zoom window; I just kept this option activated.

Hmm, today I was trying to test it out in Zoom on a Windows computer, but it didn't really work for me. @kentestaccount have you already tried it? @dagandrew perhaps you could test it and give your feedback?

[e-Feitosa]

Hmm, hoje eu estava tentando testá-lo no Zoom em um computador Windows, mas realmente não funcionou para mim. Você já experimentou? Talvez você possa testá-lo e dar seu feedback?

Testei ontem (07/01/25), e está funcionando, hoje será usado na reunião.
Um detalhe, aqui é um desktop, tem entrada / saída de áudio.
Na congregação vizinha, usa um laptop com uma placa de áudio externa
Em ambos os cenários estão funcionando sem compartilhamento de áudio.

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No PC do salão, simulei uma reunião, e fui testando todas essas opções do zoom relacionado ao áudio, essa opção mencionada, foi a que melhor funcionou sem o compartilhamento do áudio.

[dagandrew]

@dagandrew perhaps you could test it and give your feedback?

For me both Original sound and Live perfomance audio worked okay on my Windows 11. I don't know if it's the same but you could consider trying turning a window's audio output into a mic input through programs like VB-Audio

[mrtavor]

Hello @e-Feitosa, I am currently trying to replicate the scenario you described to transmit sound through Zoom using only the "Live Audio Streaming (Beta)" feature without needing to enable screen sharing with the additional "Share Sound" option. However, it only works for my microphone, which is connected via an external sound card. Could you please describe which programs (possibly Virtual Cable), Zoom settings besides "(Live Audio Streaming (Beta))", and audio inputs/outputs you are using?

[e-Feitosa]

@mrtavor, Final test results: I tested various methods, and the most accurate one was using OBS + Virtual Cable Plugin + M3 + Zoom Meeting, and the result is that the sound in Zoom does not need to share anything. I will try to explain with photos, but in practice, it's quite simple to do. By using OBS Studio and installing the virtual cable plugin, you receive the sound that enters the computer through OBS Studio, and it works excellently for transmitting on Zoom. In other words, the sound for the Zoom meeting goes through the virtual cable. And the detail is that there is no problem using an audio interface; nothing changes in the physical installations, you just need to configure OBS Studio to receive the audio and send it to Zoom, and the rest of the configurations remain the same.

Zoom audio configuration:

1. Audio input (CABLE Output (2-VB...))
2. Audio output (USB PnP Speaker)

OBS Studio audio configuration:

1. Desktop audio (another channel can also be used), use the audio coming from the interface to enter this option.
2. On this same screen, in advanced settings, use the option to transmit using the virtual cable.

In this OBS Studio option, you must enable in the advanced audio properties, the option to Monitor and send audio 1 from the second image.

[mrtavor]

Thank you a lot @e-Feitosa for showing me how it works

[ux-git]

For me both Original sound and Live perfomance audio worked okay on my Windows 11

@dagandrew does Live rPerformance work on its own, or should it be used in pair with Original Audio?

[ux-git]

After the latest updates to Zoom Meeting, a certain desktop stopped playing the sound from Zoom Meeting and would only play it if audio was shared.

Weird. The Original Sound doesn't work on my end, the same for @mrtavor. @mtdvlpr @sircharlo does it still work for you guys? No audio sharing, pure Original Sound.

[ux-git]

While exploring different options and testing them, using a virtual audio cable/router/driver software turned out to be an efficient and simple solution. It works by combining audio from the Kingdom Hall audio mixer with the computer audio before sending it to Zoom. Essentially, it functions in a similar way as OBS, it offers a virtual camera, and these tools provide a similar virtual microphone for audio.

Great free solutions that we've tried so far are BlackHole for macOS and Mixline from Logitech for Windows. Mixline, in particular, has a very user-friendly interface, making it a great option for Kingdom Hall use.

In short, by using OBS and Mixline, we managed to get rid of the manual audio sharing in Zoom (no sharing, no original audio toggling, no Zoom updates should theoretically break this). The system audio is shared automatically as soon as the microphone is turned on in Zoom.

[ux-git]

@e-Feitosa OBS is for video, Midline is only for audio. But it works quite well so far, it runs fully in the background even if the app is closed ensuring better workflow with less chances for error.

[e-Feitosa]

Test using everything through OBS Studio, and it's working with the following settings, using VB-CABLE as a virtual audio device working as a virtual audio cable (you can download it from the official VB-AUDIO website at this link: https://download.vb-audio.com/Download_CABLE/VBCABLE_Driver_Pack45.zip)

Step 1 - Configure OBS Studio
Step 2 - Configure Zoom meeting

Print 1

Print 2

[alanfermtz]

Sounds hard... is there a chance that your mixer or amplifier have RCA input and output like this...

If that so you can buy an audio interface like this one Behringer UCA222. Plug and play input and output for hybrid meetings

[e-Feitosa]

Taking advantage of your comment. I looked deeper into the subject of sharing computer audio in Zoom meetings, and I noticed that sound mixers (consoles) with the GAIN option (the "buttons" are usually red, depending on the model of the mixer), when properly adjusted, "boost" or improve the sound frequencies that the mixer sends to Zoom, and Zoom "interprets" the media (audio from songs and videos) as a type of microphone input, which helps avoid using the "Share Computer Sound" option in Zoom. Many halls that have this option well-regulated on their mixers generally don’t need to use the "Share Computer Sound" feature in Zoom.

[alanfermtz]

Interesting since we use m3 we dont even use share computer sound, because the interface I mentionated works as a speaker and microphone, and m3 only manages the scene to show the video.

[e-Feitosa]

@mrtavor, In the scenario I mentioned above, I am not using anything additional, I am only using this option: Live performance audio. The connections from the PC to the mixing desk, I use the 'Line IN' and 'Line OUT' audio features that the mixing desk has.
The Desktop PC has audio outputs (standard onboard sound card), but I have tested with an external sound card and it worked in some cases. Remember that not all PCs or laptops will work using this feature. The cause/reason I do not know.

[e-Feitosa]

@ux-git , Excellent, I will test this option. We know many who will be happy if they don't have to share the audio on Zoom.

[dagandrew]

@dagandrew does Live rPerformance work on its own, or should it be used in pair with Original Audio?

@ux-git Yeah, it works on it's own. You can't pick both

[ux-git]

Yeah, it works on it's own.

Very interesting... how come I can’t get it to work on neither Mac nor Windows 11? No sound at all unless I share the computer audio manually.

[sircharlo]

• What's your hardware audio setup? How is the KH audio transmitted to the computer?
• What audio device is configured in Zoom as the microphone?
• What audio device is configured in Zoom as the speakers?

[ux-git]

The setup with audio mixer with built-in USB interface, and it hasn't changed since last time we've been using M3 with Original Sound. But the Original Sound stopped working 'on its own' on my personal macOS computer, as well as on another Windows 11 computer. And that's really weird.

@sircharlo can you confirm that Original Sound works for you as well as the Live Performance Audio?