Audio

Symptoms: You cannot hear the web conference audio conversations and/or all the guests in the web conference room cannot hear you.

Overview:

In this tutorial the words speaker and microphone will also imply headset. Most, if not all, computers today will have a built-in sound card with a Microphone and Speaker jack inputs. Often a Line-In jack input is also included. To help you connect the speaker and microphone to the correct inputs many manufactures color code the inputs and the jacks so, for example, all that is needed is to plug the green plug into the green input and so on.

You may however install an additional sound card. If this is the case you will have to correctly match the speaker and microphone jacks to the correct inputs on the correct sound card. And when configuring your computers sound system, you will need to ensure your are working with the right sound card - this is discussed later in this tutorial. You may also use a USB audio device. You won't have to worry about making the wrong connection because there would only be one plug but you would have to make sure you are working with the correct sound card when you are configuring the sound system. And finally you may notice other tools, such as Recording Software creating victual sound cards, making it more important to choose the right sound card when configuring the sound system.

Initial Checks:

1. Ensure the speaker and microphone are connected to the correct jacks. Do not assume every laptop has a built-in microphone.
2. Ensure any external switches are turned on and manual level controls are turned up.
3. Ensure the computer audio levels are turned up.
4. Position the microphone correctly close to your mouth.
5. Use an audio recording program such as Sound Recorder with Windows or GarageBand With MAC to record a small recording and play back the recording. Audacity is an Open Source audio recording and audio editing program. If you are only concerned with the speaker you can play a MP3, or other suitable audio, file on your computer.

If the above test is NOT successful you MUST identify and correct the issue(s) before proceeding.

If the above test is successful you will have validated the audio systems on your computer are operational however, the speaker and/or microphone still may not work with the web conference room technology.

Advanced Settings:

Windows

The web conference room technology uses the default audio configuration on your computer. If you can hear audio and record audio with other programs but cannot do the same when using the web conference room technology, you have not correctly defined the default audio devices or your speaker and/or microphone is plugged into a sound card that is not be specified as the default sound card. To resolve this issue you will is the Windows Control Panel Audio application. As an aside, other audio applications may allow you to choose a specific audio playback or recording device which may explain way the initial test was successful.

With Windows 7

1. Click the Windows Start button.
2. Click Control Panel
3. Click Hardware and Sound Note: if you use the small and large icon view, choose Sound and bypass the next step.
4. Choose Manage audio devices
5. Ensure the device selected as the default device for both playback and recording match the physical connection for your speaker and microphone. If this is not the case you MUST plug your speaker and microphone into the correct jacks or reassign the playback and recording device.
6. While in this area you can click on the device, then select Levels to adjust the output level of the device.

With Windows XP

1. Click Start
2. Click Control Panel
3. Choose Sound, Speech and Audio Devices - if you use the Control Panel Classic view choose Sounds and Audio Devices and bypass the next step.
4. Click Change the sound scheme.
5. The Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog will display
6. Click the Audio tab.
7. The Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog will display
8. Use the selection for both the Sound Playback and the Sound Recording and ensure the correct sound card is selected.
9. Select the Use only default devices - located at the bottom/left corner.
10. Click Volume for the Sound Playback and the Sound Recording and ensure the speaker and microphone is not muted and the volume levels sliders are pushed towards the top.
11. Click Apply if it is highlighted.
12. .
13. Click OK.

Note: After making changes to the audio settings you may need to exit the room and re-enter the room to effect the changes you made.

Conference Room Audio Controls

When you are in the web conference room you can use the File menu and choose Microphone Settings>/B> or Speaker Settings to adjust the audio levels.

This Tutorial has focused on Windows. Information pertaining to MAC will follow later.