Are you getting frustrated with your zoom meetings, where your audio sounds really tinny or your image looks really gray, dark, or someone's poured mud over the lens?

I'm going to give you some quick tips on kit, gear that you can get right now that's not going to break your bank that will give you better audio, better visuals by using a good lighting setup, a great webcam, and a fantastic mic.

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So today we're using conference calls all the time. It's become so popular and it's not going to go away. And how we communicate with people really builds a relationship with them. So the better we can do that, the more we're going to connect with people. 

I'm going to give you some quick tips here on how to get better audio, better visuals as well by using lighting, better camera and a better mic, and how to position it all. I’ll also include some links to all the equipment. We do get a commission if you purchase through our link which helps support our Youtube channel.

First of all, let's look at the microphone. Here's quite a simple USB plug-and-play microphone. This one is by Fifine. 

Mic: FIFINE Podcast Microphone.
Four Pickup Patterns USB Mic with Mute Button, Gain Knob& Monitoring Headphone Jack Computer Mic for Recording Instruments, YouTube, Gaming, Voice-Over, Vocal, Live Stream, Zoom Conferencing.

It's very similar to the Blue Yeti, but it's a lot cheaper. It's very good for zoom calls, live streaming podcasts and it's good for conference calls as well. The thing I particularly like about this one is it has a gain control. So that means you can adjust the volume that is picking up. So if it's further away from you, you can just dial it up slightly and it'll pick up more audio when you bring it closer to your mouth you can just dial it back down. Also, it has another control for plugging in headphones if you're worried about feedback, then you can adjust the volume of the headphones.

So next let’s look at the webcam. Now, the webcam I'm using is a Logitech 920 and this one I'm showing you here is actually the 922.

Webcam: Logitech C922 Pro
Stream Webcam, HD 1080p/30fps or HD 720p/60fps Hyperfast Streaming, Stereo Audio, HD light correction, Autofocus, For YouTube, Twitch, XSplit, PC/Mac/Laptop/Macbook/Tablet - Black

It's an updated version, very similar. It is a very high-quality 1080p webcam with a lovely glass lens. They're quite wide. If there's more than one of you or you're in a conference room with other people, it'll capture that beautifully. The microphones aren't that bad on them, but they're not quite as good as a USB mic.

I wanted to mention where I've positioned the webcam. You can see in the video I've got it on an interesting arm I've created on top o the computer.

The reason for that is actually because I wanted to bring it lower down rather than sitting up on the screen. And the reason is I can put a Zoom window just below the camera and it looks like I'm looking at people in the eye. I'm going to be creating that direct contact with them, that connection with them. So there's just a little tip there where you position the person you're looking at, so that you're talking to them and where you position your camera. Also, I generally have the camera height pointing at about the middle of my head. If it's very low, it's looking up your face. If it's too high, you're just looking at your forehead. So try and keep it quite central.

Next, if we look at some lighting. I use a nice softbox. As you can see here, I've got a large round softbox, it's studio equipment I've got. So I'm just utilizing that. I do like to have quite a large soft lighting.

Video Conference Lighting Kit: EatronChoi video light kit
For Remote Working, Lighting for Video Conferencing, Photography, Zoom Calls, Broadcast, Live Streaming，Adjustable Video Light with 2021 an upgraded sturdy detachable clip.

As you can see from this example, this clips on top of your computer and gives a nice soft light, the larger the surface that the lights coming through, the better it will give you a softer light.

Another option is to have a light on an arm so you can position it where you like. And the key is, as you can see from this one is to have it at say two o'clock or 10 o'clock so that you're casting a nice highlight in the eye at the two o'clock or 10 o'clock point and a nice soft shadow. So you're mimicking sunlight and it gives you a three-dimensional look on the face.

Neewer 2-Pack Conference Lighting Kit

Remote Control for Zoom Call Meeting/Remote Working/Self Broadcast/Live Streaming: 3200K-5600K Dimmable LED Video Light with Scissor Arm Stand/Color Filters

You can just have straight-on flat lighting. And that's fine if you like that kind of look. You'll notice here as well. I've got a second monitor and I can brighten that screen. The lighting on my face is changed, flattened out. Or if I drop the light right down, it's gone a lot darker. So be aware of what a second monitor will do and you can use it to your advantage. So I've got mine about at the halfway point. And that gives me a nice, gentle split lighting effect. 

Another key point with lighting, you'll notice is I've got a white tabletop that will give me a nice bounce light, that helps give some fill, and cleans out the image nicely. So it won't look very grainy and pixelated. 

So essentially these are the top tips. Positioning the mic, positioning the camera, where you position the light are all very important. And also the kit and the gear you're actually using. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money. There are links below where you can go and check out some prices and you'll see these aren't expensive. You can pay a lot more and you will get better, but these make a considerable difference and are excellent and do the job well. 

So I hope you found that useful. In my next video, I will be showing you how to use broadcasting software within your Zoom meetings so you can present to customers to get further engagement.