Hi, I'm Ned Boyle, one of the audio producers here at CTL.

So you're on Zoom with an audio producer and ready to record your presentation. And you've got one of these nicer microphones that we've either loaned you, or you already had in your possession, plugged into your laptop. Thing is, the sound still seems to be coming from your laptop microphone and not this nicer mic. In order to switch to the better-sounding mic on Zoom connection, move your pointer to the bottom of the screen and you'll see some images appear. Come over to where the microphone is shown and click on the arrow next to it and you will see that I'm still recording from the laptop microphone. Let's hear what happens when I switch to the Yeti microphone. Hopefully, this will make your presentation sound even better.

Some presenters might use a PC instead of a Mac, and those electronic audio connections might require one other step. This can be done by first locating your system sound preferences. On PCs, they are located inside your operating system's control panel under the name, "sound." It's there that you can see what inputs, such as your microphone and outputs, such as your speakers, are currently in use. Again, there will be a pull-down menu that will allow you to view your current options. There are some other functions on your microphone that may also need some adjustment, such as the gain and the pattern characteristics. The gain refers to the microphone's input level and it's preferable to begin with the gain all the way down and then brought up, as needed. The pattern is best set on the 3rd position to the right, to what looks like an upside down heart. This is the optimal setting when the microphone is sitting straight up in front of you. Your audio producer will be happy to assist with these selections prior to beginning to ensure a quality recoding.

I hope this helps you make a not-so-obvious connection to ensure your presentation the best it can be. We'll see you on Zoom.