Microphone Settings for Zoom
macOS Zoom Settings for Microphone
How I sound shouldn’t be a distraction if I’m talking with my colleagues on Zoom. I use a variety of microphones during the day. Built-in MacBook Pro, AirPods, and my trusty Shure SM7B dynamic microphone. Each microphone has its own sound and purpose. Sometimes it’s for high quality recordings or interviews, while other times for ease. Microphones are not the only variable, since location changes too. My team can tell you I call from coffee shops a number of times, which can be noisy depending on who ordered an espresso. My home office/bedroom doesn’t have much on the walls or floor, making it perfect for echoes. So while one microphone maybe good for one space, another one might be dreadful.
One day, in a coffee shop call, Alexandre Vallières-Lagacé stopped the meeting to point out that I was a bit hard to hear. Using settings he tried and uses, I made some changes which everyone liked. With a bit of testing at home and various microphones, it turns out these settings work for pretty much everything I need. No two different settings for microphones. So a big shout out to Alex!
Settings
Tested on macOS Ventura (macOS 13)
Zoom Audio Settings
Go into your Zoom Audio settings (“zoom.us menu” > “Settings”). Select “Original sound for musicians”, which unchecks “Zoom optimized audio”. This is great for a lot of settings, however macOS does a great job now handling this feature work. Do not check off any of the boxes labeled “High-fidelity music mode”, “Echo cancellation”, or “Stereo audio”. These will make you every sound apparent, make you sound distant, or make it simply sound louder. If louder is what you need, try playing with “Stereo audio” with a colleague for testing.
Control Center
Setup “Mic Mode” in the macOS Control Center. This option might not show up until you are in Zoom Audio settings (“zoom.us menu” > “Settings”) or on a call. Select “Voice Isolation”.
