Can only hear voice, but not guitar, in Zoom guitar meetings | Community
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Explorer
Kevin OBrien
Explorer
March 30, 2026
Solved

Can only hear voice, but not guitar, in Zoom guitar meetings

  • March 30, 2026
  • 2 replies
  • 170 views

I recently got a new laptop (Acer with Windows 11 Home) and when I am in Zoom for guitar lessons, I can hear voice clearly, but the guitar playing is muted/cannot be heard.  Some other participants can hear the guitar, others like me cannot.  I have tried all the recommended settings including setting the audio for musicians, but no success.  My old laptop, also an Acer with Wondows 11 Home, has no trouble hearing both voice & guitar in the same meetings.

    Best answer by jrmagno

    Hi Kevin, 

    This is a classic case of overly aggressive noise suppression on your new laptop — the system is "helpfully" filtering out guitar frequencies because it thinks they're background noise. The fact that your old laptop works fine confirms it's not Zoom itself, but something specific to the new machine's audio stack. Here's how to fix it:

     

    Disable Acer/Realtek AI Noise Cancellation (Most Likely Culprit)

    New Acer laptops ship with aggressive AI audio processing that specifically targets non-voice sounds:

    • Open Realtek Audio Console (search for it in Start)
    • Look for "AI Noise Cancellation", "Voice Call Noise Removal", or "Smart Noise Suppression"
    • Turn all of these OFF
    • Also check for an Acer-specific audio app (like DTS Audio or Waves MaxxAudio) and disable any voice/call enhancement modes there too

    Disable Windows 11 Audio Enhancements

    Windows 11 adds its own layer of voice-focused filtering on top of the hardware:

    • Go to Settings → System → Sound
    • Under Input, click your microphone → Properties
    • Find "Audio enhancements" or "Voice Focus" → set to Off
    • Do the same under Output for your speakers/headphones

    Do this while Zoom is open, then switch Zoom's audio input off and back on to force it to pick up the change.

    Fix Zoom's Windows Audio Signal Processing

    • Open Zoom → Settings → Audio → Advanced
    • Find "Signal processing by Windows audio device drivers"
    • Change from Auto → try "Off (Windows – Raw)" first
    • If that doesn't work, try "On (Windows – Default)"
    • This bypasses the processing layer that strips instrument frequencies

    Confirm "Original Sound for Musicians" is Active During the Meeting

    You mentioned you've set this up, but it's a two-step process that's easy to miss:

    • Zoom → Settings → Audio → Enable "Show in-meeting option to Enable Original Sound" and set profile to "Music and Professional Audio"
    • Then, during the meeting, look for the "Original Sound: Off" button at the top-left of the Zoom window and click it so it says "Original Sound: On"

     The setting in preferences just enables the button — you still have to activate it each meeting.

    Also Turn Off Zoom's Own Noise Suppression

    • Zoom → Settings → Audio
    • Set "Suppress background noise" to "Disable" (not Low, Medium, or Auto — fully off)
    • Uncheck "Automatically adjust microphone volume"

    2 replies

    jrmagno
    Employee
    jrmagnoAnswer
    Employee
    April 8, 2026

    Hi Kevin, 

    This is a classic case of overly aggressive noise suppression on your new laptop — the system is "helpfully" filtering out guitar frequencies because it thinks they're background noise. The fact that your old laptop works fine confirms it's not Zoom itself, but something specific to the new machine's audio stack. Here's how to fix it:

     

    Disable Acer/Realtek AI Noise Cancellation (Most Likely Culprit)

    New Acer laptops ship with aggressive AI audio processing that specifically targets non-voice sounds:

    • Open Realtek Audio Console (search for it in Start)
    • Look for "AI Noise Cancellation", "Voice Call Noise Removal", or "Smart Noise Suppression"
    • Turn all of these OFF
    • Also check for an Acer-specific audio app (like DTS Audio or Waves MaxxAudio) and disable any voice/call enhancement modes there too

    Disable Windows 11 Audio Enhancements

    Windows 11 adds its own layer of voice-focused filtering on top of the hardware:

    • Go to Settings → System → Sound
    • Under Input, click your microphone → Properties
    • Find "Audio enhancements" or "Voice Focus" → set to Off
    • Do the same under Output for your speakers/headphones

    Do this while Zoom is open, then switch Zoom's audio input off and back on to force it to pick up the change.

    Fix Zoom's Windows Audio Signal Processing

    • Open Zoom → Settings → Audio → Advanced
    • Find "Signal processing by Windows audio device drivers"
    • Change from Auto → try "Off (Windows – Raw)" first
    • If that doesn't work, try "On (Windows – Default)"
    • This bypasses the processing layer that strips instrument frequencies

    Confirm "Original Sound for Musicians" is Active During the Meeting

    You mentioned you've set this up, but it's a two-step process that's easy to miss:

    • Zoom → Settings → Audio → Enable "Show in-meeting option to Enable Original Sound" and set profile to "Music and Professional Audio"
    • Then, during the meeting, look for the "Original Sound: Off" button at the top-left of the Zoom window and click it so it says "Original Sound: On"

     The setting in preferences just enables the button — you still have to activate it each meeting.

    Also Turn Off Zoom's Own Noise Suppression

    • Zoom → Settings → Audio
    • Set "Suppress background noise" to "Disable" (not Low, Medium, or Auto — fully off)
    • Uncheck "Automatically adjust microphone volume"
      K
      Explorer
      Kevin OBrienAuthor
      Explorer
      April 27, 2026

      Thanks for the detailed explanation … my version of the Acer op sys gives a bit different menus, bu tI think I have made the right changes … now just have to wait a week for the next guitar lesson to see if I was successful … thanks again, much appreciated.

      MGSR
      Community Manager
      MGSR
      Community Manager
      May 14, 2026

      Hi ​@Kevin OBrien! Since it’s been a while since we’ve heard back from you, we’ve gone ahead and marked the response as the best answer, as it appears to address your question.

      If you still need any assistance or have additional questions, feel free to reach out anytime; we’re here to help!

       

      MGSR
      Community Manager
      MGSR
      Community Manager
      April 13, 2026

      Hello ​@Kevin OBrien,

      Have you seen the recent response to your concern? If it answers what you were looking for, please consider marking it as the best answer so others can benefit from it as well.

      If you still have questions or need further clarification, feel free to let us know; we’re happy to help!

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