Opting for Original Sound on Zoom: Tips for Professionals and Beginners

Zoom is a popular video conferencing tool used by professionals, educators, and individuals around the world. While the app's built-in audio processing often enhances sound clarity in less-than-ideal environments, there are instances where enabling 'original sound' can provide better audio quality. This guide explores when and how to use the original sound setting on Zoom, whether you are a professional with audio expertise or a beginner looking to improve your communication experience.

What is 'Original Sound'?

Original sound on Zoom refers to the raw, unprocessed audio that is captured by your microphone and transmitted without any modifications made by the app. This setting bypasses Zoom's audio processing tools, which are designed to reduce background noise, echo, and other audio distortions. Enabling original sound is ideal for users with professional audio setups or those who require the highest possible audio quality.

When to Use Original Sound

There are specific scenarios where using the original sound setting is most beneficial:

Professional Audio Speaker: If you are a public speaker, voiceover artist, or work in a profession that requires high-quality audio, original sound is the best choice. This ensures that your voice is captured exactly as it sounds, without any modifications that might alter your natural tone or pronunciation. Audio Professionals: For producers, engineers, and anyone working with audio in a studio or live environment, original sound is crucial. It allows them to have precise control over the audio quality, ensuring that no processing is applied that could affect the recording quality. Microphone with Audio Interface: If you are using a high-quality microphone along with an audio interface (such as a mixer or an audio recording device), enabling original sound means that the audio interface can process the signal as you desire, without any interference from Zoom's built-in processing.

When to let Zoom Handle Audio Processing

While original sound is ideal for professionals and those with specific audio setups, Zoom's built-in audio processing is necessary for most users. This is particularly true in certain situations:

Noisy Environment: In big echoing rooms or environments with air conditioning or other sources of background noise, letting Zoom handle the audio processing can significantly improve the clarity and quality of your communication. The app's noise reduction features can help reduce the impact of surrounding noise and ensure that your voice is heard clearly. Inexperienced Speakers: If you are not a professional or do not have the necessary audio equipment and expertise, enabling Zoom's audio processing is recommended. This ensures that your voice is captured and transmitted in the best possible quality, without the risk of unwanted audio artifacts. General Use: For casual users or those in everyday settings, letting Zoom handle the audio processing is the most convenient option. It ensures that your calls are clear and professional, without requiring additional setup or expertise.

How to Enable Original Sound on Zoom

Enabling original sound on Zoom is a straightforward process. Follow these steps to make the change:

Open the Zoom application on your computer or mobile device. Navigate to the Settings or Preferences menu. Locate the Audio or Advanced settings within the menu. Find the option to enable Original Sound or Direct Audio Input and turn it on. Save your changes and restart Zoom.

Conclusion

Deciding whether to use original sound or let Zoom handle audio processing is largely dependent on your specific needs and circumstances. For professionals and those with high-quality audio equipment, original sound is the best choice. For most users, enabling Zoom's built-in audio processing is the most convenient and effective option. Understanding the differences and when to use each setting can greatly enhance your video conferencing experience.