Audio always cuts out with high pitches

[ShelbyOBrien]

Hi, 

I use Zoom to teach voice lessons, and whenever I am singing or playing higher pitches, the audio will cut out and my students can't hear anything at all. I'm wondering if anyone else has found a solution to this audio issue. Thank you! 

[Freddi_G]

Hi Shelby, you might want to disable Zoom's audio processing to allow for your original sound to come through unaltered by software.

Pls see below:

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115003279466-Using-and-preserving-original-sound-in-a-meet...

[JonahM]

I'm having a similar issue with my flute lessons. I have Original Sound turned on and I make sure it is turned on while in the lesson. Everything is fine until I play high pitch tones on a flute. After the high pitch tones I can no longer hear the other person but they can hear me. If I mute myself I can hear the other person again but then I'm muted so they can't hear me. If we close the meeting and start a new one the issue goes away. 

I've had this issue sense the beginning of last year. At that time I was on an older Windows laptop so I thought it was an issue with the old computer. However, I just bought a new Macbook Pro and the issue continues. I updated the OS and Zoom, cleared the cache and have uninstalled and reinstalled the Zoom App. Please help resolve this issue.

[jenEV]

Shelby, did this work for you? I have just one client with this issue and she has 'original sound for musicians' turned on (and everything else unselected). But no luck. In fact we experience a similar issue with all other online video meeting platforms. So I assume it's a computer setting her end but wondered if you had any other insight? It's interesting it's just high pitches.... Jen

[HBGB]

I've been having the same issue.  I recently switched to a new computer, a samsung laptop, and that's when I started to have problems hearing high tones from another user who I regularly contact.  Lower tones come through fine, but when they get high, no dice.  If I join the same zoom call with my phone, I hear those notes perfectly well.

[KG5]

Having the same problem tried multiple devices installed uninstalled, using original sound option on iPad, tried different internet connections, reset router, reset mesh system. Upgraded app, this problem has been happening since an update back in early Jan 23 end of December 22. Zoom Support Please help us solve this problem as it was not there before 

[Blerkaderk]

Hi all, my friend had an issue with this and we were able to solve it. The first step is to check "original sound for musicians" in the audio settings window.  BUT! After that, once you're in a meeting, there's a button that appears in the top left of the meeting window that says "Original Sound For Musicians: Off." You have to click on that to actually turn on original sound, which cancels the audio processing.

If you just turn it on in the audio settings window, it doesn't actually turn it on, it just gives you the option to turn it on. Seems dumb to me, but I'm not a programmer.

[vancanopera]

I teach Cantonese Opera singing lessons on zoom.  I had the same problem when singing high pitches. Tonight finally I solved the problem.  I used a webcam and a desktop computer for zoom.  My music came through the computer speakers and the webcam received the music again with my singing.  As a result, my high pitches were distorted and could not be heard.  Tonight I used my earphone.  As a result, my webcam did not receive the music as the music did not go through the speakers.   All my students could hear me singing clearly.  The problem was solved.

[NVUS]

I'm disappointed that I see all of these issues since the last major update.  I'm considering moving off this platform to another since they broke it.

What's my issue, I'm a paid subscriber.  My student can hear me and hear me play.  I can hear her but not her play.  I think it doesn't matter the instrument.  My question to you -- all of you.  Are you both or just the teacher paid subscribers?

[LauraDK]

I am also a paid subscriber and this is a real pain point for voiceover, singing and running Dungeons and Dragons sessions. Really frustrating.

[NVUS]

2 things I discovered -- 1) Original Sound can no longer be set to default and it drops out occasionally to be reset back to 'on'. and 2) doesn't like Windows 11 -- check your device settings in the Windows Settings for Sound.  Make sure the device at the driver level is allowing raw audio to pass through it.

[jenEV]

Hi NVUS, I just use Skype now with that client, works perfectly.

[NVUS]

Thanks for the insight.  Hadn't had time yet to check if going back to Skype works for me... also concerned that Microsoft will deprecate (get rid of and stop supporting) Skype in favor of Teams.

[professorvn]

It sounds like you may be experiencing issues with audio compression in Zoom. When you sing or play higher pitches, the audio file size increases, and Zoom may compress the audio to reduce file size, resulting in audio cutouts or distortions.

Here are some solutions you can try to improve the audio quality:

1. Use an external microphone: Consider using an external microphone instead of your computer's built-in microphone. A high-quality microphone can help capture your voice or instrument more clearly and reduce audio compression.

2. Adjust audio settings: In Zoom's audio settings, you can adjust the audio input and output volume and quality. You can also try turning off audio enhancements or noise suppression to see if that improves the audio quality.

3. Use a wired internet connection: A stable wired internet connection can help prevent audio cutouts or distortions that can occur with a Wi-Fi connection.

4. Close other programs and apps: If you have other programs or apps running on your computer, they may be competing for resources and affecting audio quality in Zoom. Close any unnecessary programs or apps before starting your lesson.

5. Test with different devices: If possible, test your audio with different devices, such as a phone or tablet, to see if the issue persists across different devices.

I hope these solutions help improve your audio quality in Zoom. Let me know if you have any other questions! professorvn.net

[NVUS]

professorvn, we tried many troubleshooting techniques.  We did find out and Zoom confirms that there is an issue with some audio drivers and Windows 11.  We had to disable them at the windows level to allow Zoom to behave properly.  We also found a 3rd party interface that disabled the high frequency suppression that the audio driver used and that worked too.

[professorvn]

It's good to hear that you have tried various troubleshooting techniques for the audio issue you're experiencing with Zoom. It's also interesting to know that Zoom has confirmed that there is an issue with some audio drivers and Windows 11.

It's great that you were able to find a solution by disabling the audio drivers at the Windows level, which allowed Zoom to function properly. Additionally, using a third-party interface to disable the high-frequency suppression that the audio driver used also seemed to work.

It's important to keep in mind that different software and hardware configurations can cause issues with audio quality and performance, and it's always a good idea to try different solutions until you find one that works for you.

Hopefully, your solution will be helpful to others who may be experiencing similar audio issues on Zoom.

[NVUS]

I actually fault this with Zoom who should have done full product testing against Windows 11 and started working developing fixes before there are hundreds, if not thousands of complaints, for that reason.  I'm sure Zoom could have gotten the developer's pack that used to and still should be available to test their product against all of the latest baseline OS and HW drivers.  We shouldn't have to troubleshoot the problems for them or discover what should be transparent.

[kalyansury]

If youre not a big fan of the background noise removal, the web version works for me. It just lets unfiltered sound including high pitch & a pitch app based sound perfectly fine

[NVUS]

Unfortunately it also allows other low level irritating noises like laptop fans through that method.