Audio cutting out for musical instruments

[kunbiosinoiki]

I run a music school in Lagos, Nigeria and we teach clients across the world on zoom. Since the most recent zoom upgrade, we have been experiencing a serious degredation of audio with regards to instruments that is threatening the viability of our online lessons. 

We can hear the speech of our students very clearly but the minute they start to play on their instrument,  there is no sound at all. It's like the sound settings are optimised for speech and not for instruments. We have tried adjusting the settings on both our end and the students end so we are not compressing background noise and original sound for musicians is on, to no avail.  In fact, switching on original sound appears to make things worse.

Weirdly, this issue only seems to afflict laptops but not mobile devices. 

In my most recent class last night,  In my most recent class last night, BOTH my student and I had to connect our mobile phones to the call AS WELL as our laptops and use the mobile for audio.  Without that, she could not hear my piano, and I could no hear hers. 

Anyone else experiencing this issue and how are you dealing with it?

[Brian10]

I have just bought a new HP computer with Windows 11, and I take piano lessons using Zoom.   My piano teacher can hear my voice clearly, but cannot hear my piano.  I've done several Zoom Tests toggling several different features, and nothing works.   I've already lost 2 lessons because of this.  I see from the community that this is a very common experience, and Zoom has NOT provided any solutions that work.   My piano teacher lives 700 km from my home.  This means I will need to stop lessons if a solution can't be found.  Can anyone shed light on the solution to this problem?  

[kunbiosinoiki]

Hi there,

A violin teacher suggested this solution on a similar thread . I  haven't been able to test it yet, and I think we need to get our students to change their settings also. Fingers crossed!

Komodo Technologies: Screencasting with ease Watch Video

[Brian10]

Greetings Kunbio,

Thanks for your suggestion.  I've done what you have suggested and have not had any success.  When doing the sound test on the microphones, my speaking voice comes through, but when I play the piano, still nothing at all comes through.  At this point, I have no other remedy or solution other than to try Skype or WhatsApp.  Too bad, as Zoom has been good so far.   I can't understand why the Zoom development team has not provided a solution that works, as dozens, if not hundreds of Zoom musicians are experiencing this problem.  If someone at Zoom head office is reading this, please respond.

[Palikaji]

I suggest you use Facetime or Google Video. Zoom is impossible.

[bdp]

Thanks for this info and video.  Will try these settings.

[BenjaminPiano]

what we have noticed is problem is iphones and ipads.

win 11 laptops with external cams work best

you can't blame windows, even when session is transferred from windows 11 to iPhone 11 that is using different internet provider connection with original audio and sound enabled same problem, certain notes filtered.

If Your problem is with iPhones like ours you could try this

Phone noise cancellation is available and on by default on iPhone 12 and earlier. Apple Support says iPhone 13 models don’t support Noise Cancellation feature available in previous iPhones.

You can disable it all together here via support apple.com.

<https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/mono-audio-balance-phone-noise-cancellation-iph3e2e2cdc/ios

why am I troubleshooting this?!?! Zoom support should be all over this! 

[revh]

I have had this happen, even with noise suppression off, there is NO MUSIC. I can hear the taps against the instrument, but zero sound of the actual music! WHY is this off? 

[bdp]

This worked for me and students on laptops during piano lessons:  On a computer /PC screen, At top left section of your Zoom screen, next to the green security shield, you should see "Original Sound for Musicians: Off." Click on the box with those words. You should then get a Pop-Up window that says: "Original sound for musicians is On. Noise suppression is disabled." Notice that the box at top left will now read, "Original Sound for Musicians: On." Every time you launch a Zoom meeting, you will need to click that box to turn on Original Sound. (At least, I have not found a way to keep it on as a default.)

[mstbops]

" Original Sound ON" does not solve my problem. It's something to do with the latest version of Zoom.

[Palikaji]

This option helps suppress background noise, but it does nothing to enable musicians to play together simultaneously on a zoom call. While you can hear each others voices, often the instrument cuts out. We have found that using Facetime works. Android phone users can join a Facetime call inititated by an iphone user but cannot initiate one themselves. Alternatively you could try Google Meet Up.

[VPianoStudio]

Based on their most recent update (see latest article related to original sound), it looks like users will need a paid account to access the original sound feature. It's not extremely clear and there are thousands of music teachers/students who are frantically searching for other options/alternatives to Zoom this month.

If this is not the case, then Zoom Support needs to clarify the update.

[BenjaminPiano]

what a disaster 

we have same issue as well

what we have noticed is problem is iphones and ipads.

win 11 laptops with external cams work best

you can't blame windows, even when session is transferred from windows 11 to iPhone 11 that is using different internet provider connection with original audio and sound enabled same problem, certain notes filtered.

[u0093253]

Benjamin,

and with all of this you have to be on the $200.00/month business plan in order to get any technical phone support.  Zoom technical support is next to non-existant.  What a joke!

[mstbops]

I have a brand new laptop with the latest Zoom version and Windows 11. I can hear others' voices clearly but cannot hear once they play music. Zoom, please fix this. It's frustrating.

I'm an advanced computer user, so dont' tell me to set Original Sound to On.  It already is. It's something to do with Zoom background noise cancellation. Zoom really messed up here.

[Martin09 · Accepted solution]

This very same issue frustrated me for weeks, and I have been

searching the internet far and wide for the cure - finally, on a Facebook group "Zoom for Musicians" we had some people saying that the problem is not so much with Zoom, as it is with the internal audio settings for the computer, as accessed in Windows Control Panel (sorry, I don't have info for Mac's);  See the attached screenshot;  In the Sound settings, Microphone Properties there is a setting for "Signal Enhancements" that you can enable or disable;  Mine was enabled, so I unchecked the box so that no internal processing of the incoming mic sound was being applied before going into the Zoom application;  And Voila!  It worked!  I believe this is the key to fixing this and why it is so frustrating, because we are all looking at the Zoom audio settings and not the computer audio settings;  I hope this helps

[kunbiosinoiki]

This is so helpful! I tired this with my headset microphone and it seemed to work. However the "Enable Audio Enhancements" option isn't coming up for my laptop's internal microphone. There is no "Signal Enhancements" section at all.... Is this true for anyone else on Windows PC?

[Martin09]

I am glad it was helpful;  I also know what you mean that in some instances the Signal Enhancements check off does not appear as in the screen shot I posted;  However, try this other method of disabling sound enhancements:  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/disable-audio-enhancements-0ec686c4-8d79-4588-b7e7-9287dd2...

[mstbops]

This did not work for me. You would need each member of your Zoom call to do the same adjustment.

I also tried changing my audio sampling rate. I tried changing my sound card settings to prevent Enhancement. Nothing helped. If voices were too sing-songy, they dropped out of every call too.

Personally, I found it easier to return the new computer (Asus 5 has a known issue with Zoom).

Zoom could help by being less aggressive about cancelling background noise.

[Martin09]

I will be giving this a live test on Sunday evening, and also on Monday morning, with about a dozen others in attendance at the zoom events;  Will do a follow-up post afterward on how it went;  No doubt there are better ways to do these things, but zoom floated to the top for the general public in terms of use and service, and yes I hope they eventually make it work without all the hoops and drama

[Martin09]

It's a week later than I wanted to report back (due to meetings being canceled last week), but I just completed two Zoom meetings, last night and this morning, with about a dozen attending, and ran several tests prior to that, and I am getting feedback from the groups that my flute playing is coming through clearly now;  I made sure the audio enhancements were disabled in Windows Control Panel, Sound settings;  I even toggled this setting on and off to demonstrate to the group how the flute cuts out when I go back to Enabled Enhancements;  I don't have an answer for MacBooks, iPhones, iPads, Androids - but do feel I can play with more confidence that the Zoom attendees can hear me;  I will continue to research into the non-Windows devices, because I need those on occasion too.

[Palikaji]

Just do Facetime or switch to Google Meet.

[Martin09]

Not an option in my case, I don't run the meeting so it's up to the host what she wants to use;  Zoom has been working fine for months now once I found the fix;  I do understand how my situation is different where it is just me playing a musical instrument, versus the other scenarios here where everyone is playing an instrument at the same time;  In that case then yes, try another platform as you suggest, or if sticking to Zoom then everyone has to know how to adjust their settings

[Palikaji]

No matter what audio settings we've tried on Zoom or on our personal computers, while using Zoom and trying to play musical instruments together, the instruments always cut out. We solved this issue by using Facetime - which was fabulous for us. Android users can respond to a Facetime call but can't initiate one. You might also try Google Meet and see what happens when you play instruments together.

[Sat3]

Thank you so much this is the only thing worked 

[Martin09]

I'm glad it worked, thank you for the reply

[bdp]

Thanks for sharing this approach with a Windows device. Screenshot is helpful, too! I can try this on my end, as the teacher, as I use a Windows PC with a connected Plantronics headset as my mic. Only a few of my students use a Windows laptop with mic, though. Most are using iPhone , iPad , Android cellphone, or fire tablet as their mic +camera. May suggest that iPhone folks try an earlier suggestion above @BenjaminPiano that references iPhone settings. The best workaround I’ve found for consistent quality piano sound on Zoom is using Internet MIDI software (Time Warp Technologies), although both student and teacher must have a digital keyboard with MIDI and a PC or Mac for it to work.

[TontoC]

This is ridiculous. I'm testing an entirely different platform this weekend. It's so frustrating and I do not want to lose students over poor sound quality. It's disappointing to see that Zoom hasn't responded yet to the issues we're having. 

[Palikaji]

We use Facetime now for this - and voila no problem. Zoom is impossible and has not done anything to address this.

[kjo]

I am writing about flute lessons in late September and the problem still persists, at least on a Mac Air.

[Blindbeekeeper]

Its down to the internet connection bandwidth,  obviously the mobile signal has a better connection. 

[Chava2uk]

It is December now, and this is still an issue. All enhancements are off. still nothing. Isn't it about time this issue was fixed? Is anyone even taking it seriously? I wonder what I am paying for.

[timsmithville]

I agree, I have paid alot of $ for zoom but think it is time to stop. Sound was better before they became so in demand and thought they would improve the quality. I teach music for a living, now zoom is a liability I am paying for.