How to Make Your Conference Calls Sound Better

Just as they’ve caused us to take stock of our home office backgrounds, conference calls have us all adjusting our audio settings from time to time. Whether it’s an echo, feedback, or just that hollow sound, audio issues can be a real challenge for remote and in-office employees alike.

Thankfully, you don’t need a background in audio engineering to sound crystal clear on recordings or live conferencing sessions. With these best practices to level up the quality, your audio will be as clear as a bell.

General audio tips for conference calls

Whether you’re a teacher, a podcaster, a videographer, or someone who needs your coworkers to understand what you’re saying in a video presentation, a lot of us could benefit from having a few go-to audio recording tips and tools up our sleeve. 

One of the quickest changes you can make is your microphone. Sure, the microphone that comes equipped with your laptop or personal computer is probably fine. However, these internal microphones don’t have as much fidelity as an external one. You can put an external microphone in the best place to clearly pick up the sound of your voice instead of any outside noises.

You can also try a headset to better isolate outside audio and reduce ambient noise overall. If you decide to go with an external microphone, position yourself about six inches away. For an internal microphone, sit within two feet of it. 

Next, test your audio. You can do this within your conferencing app to calibrate your microphone. The settings will have a feature to test and play back your audio, select the correct microphone, and adjust the volume as needed. This step is great for preventing audio mishaps right before a call. 

Dealing with a lot of ambient noise? You can’t control when the dog will bark, your toddler will discover the magic of slamming doors, or the construction crew will start working again. You can reduce background noise with Krisp . This AI-powered app curtails ambient noise and echoing for crisper sound.

How to prevent audio feedback loops

Feedback is one of the most irritating audio problems. That high-pitched noise is enough to distract even the most focused of participants. It occurs when sound from speakers creates a feedback loop that circulates between speakers and your microphone. Here are simple ways to prevent feedback from derailing your next meeting:

• Always make sure you’ve disconnected your computer microphone if you dial into a meeting.
• If two computers join a conference call from the same room, have one participant mute their microphone and speaker.
• Ask speakers to lower their volume or use headphones if high volume appears to be causing the feedback.
• Unplug and replug your microphone to reset.
• Keep electronic devices, including smartphones, away from your microphone.
• Mute your microphone when you aren’t speaking.

How to avoid echoes during conference calls

“Is there an echo in here?” In some video conference calls, it may feel like you’re talking in a tin can. Empty spaces with hard surfaces are prone to creating echoing. If possible, work in a space with carpet or rugs.

Furniture can help to dampen the echo. Any kind of soft surface is beneficial to improving your audio quality. For recordings, you may find it helpful to hang blankets or tapestry on the wall to reduce the level of echo. Additionally, office dividers and acoustic foam panels are good for cushioning your audio.
 
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