Participants can't hear my background speaker

[Harteyc]

Hi there,

Please help!

I am on the latest version of zoom.

I am on Windows 11.

I have been teaching online fitness classes since the start of covid.

I share Spotify music via zoom which works perfectly.

I wear a bluetooth mic which works perfectly.

I use the app Seconds as my timer and it plays via my Bose speaker beside me.

I updated my laptop a few months back (windows 10), and since that day, my attendees can hear me perfectly, can hear my music perfectly but they can't hear my timer via my speaker that is located in the room beside me while I teach.

I tried turning on my old laptop to compare settings, but it won't work, hence new laptop!

Nobody told me they couldn't hear the countdown timer until very recently when a few of my regulars asked me why I have stopped using a timer. I told them I hadn't, I can hear it perfectly, obviously because it is right beside me! They said it's really annoying that they can't hear the countdown of the exercises.

Can anyone help please?  I am teaching a class tomorrow at 7:15am, yikes!

Thanks,

Colette

I assume it is a setting on my new laptop that is different to my old laptop, OR is it a change that Zoom has made, I am unsure!

[Harteyc · Accepted solution]

Hiya,

I figure it out.  Hopefully this works for you. In my case, I was almost sure it was a Windows 11 problem, as it worked fine on my old laptop which was Windows 10.

• Go to start
• Do a search for Realtek Audio Console
• Click on the Recording Device that you use
• Under Microphone Effects, toggle off AI Noise Reduction

[BounceHouse]

I have a similar issue.
I teach online singing and my students can't hear my piano in background or even my sounds when I sing instead of talking.

Did you find a solution?

[Harteyc]

No afraid not 😞

[Harteyc]

Do you use an external mic or inbuilt laptop mic?  I read that Windows 11 have really strong bacjkground noise suppression, but I can't find how or where to turn it off

[Harteyc · Accepted solution]

Hiya,

I figure it out.  Hopefully this works for you. In my case, I was almost sure it was a Windows 11 problem, as it worked fine on my old laptop which was Windows 10.

• Go to start
• Do a search for Realtek Audio Console
• Click on the Recording Device that you use
• Under Microphone Effects, toggle off AI Noise Reduction

[BounceHouse · Accepted solution]

You are a genius!!

It is working perfectly now!

I found in windows settings>audio>microphone>"my usb audio device" and there is an option like "Audio optimisation".

I set "disable" this option and ZOOM audio is perfect again 🙂

Reading "audio optimisation" I didn't realize it could have meant also "background noise cancellation" 😐

Thank you so much for your help!!

You saved my job!

[Harteyc]

Ah I'm delighted. I'm relieved myself except I announced it was fixed before my class started this morning and I was jumping around all happy in my nappy until I got told at the end that they couldn't hear the timer in background. I shut my laptop down last night so I'm not sure if it just defaults back to the setting being on or whether a windows update happened to reset it. Be mindful of that. No harm checking the setting before you start. I am going to anyhow!