Via Prayer Group Facilitator Diane Langworthy:
I purchased an MXL AC-404 omni-microphone from Amazon. It was about $65.00 plus tax, totaling $70.16 (shipping was free because we have Amazon Prime).
It says, “It is designed to capture crystal clear speech intelligibility. A wide pick-up pattern and 25-foot range makes it ideal for capturing any conversation.”There were some less expensive, but they only pick up sound 10 feet away. This one works so well for our group. It plugs into the side of any laptop.
The setting must be changed only once to tell Zoom to use the omni-mic rather than the laptop mic. Once changed, it is good for each subsequent time.
Here are our recommendations after fine tuning this 3 separate times:
We put the laptop on the altar, with the CP app on a phone next to the laptop. I use the CP app to keep time. We found that the app right next to the new omni-microphone is extremely jarring for the folks on Zoom. So I moved it back to the laptop.
We placed the omni-mic on a table about 6 feet in front of the center of the laptop. Then we arranged our chairs in a semi-circle around the omni-mic. The Zoom folks said they could hear all of us quite well. We asked folks with softer voices (one person has Parkinson’s and cannot project his voice) to sit closest to the omni-mic. We did not wear masks as all are vaccinated and we had all church doors and windows open and fans on. We taped extension cords down so that no one would trip on them.
If someone in the semi-circle is seated behind the mic, they cannot be heard on Zoom. If someone physically stands between the laptop and the mic, they cannot be heard. People must be in front of the mic and it is ok to be on the outer part of the semi-circle. Once someone is seated on the far end of the semi-circle, they can still be heard on zoom. But as soon as they are anywhere behind the microphone , they cannot be heard. Thus, a semi-circle works well, but a full circle would not work well for sound.
We started our group 15 minutes ahead of prayer time to allow for tech challenges. Once we established contact with someone on Zoom, we turned off the video and muted ourselves so that our visiting conversation in the chapel did not disturb the visiting conversations on Zoom. I also turned down the volume on the laptop so that we in the church would also not hear the Zoom conversations. When ready to begin the prayer, I asked everyone in the church to quiet down.
Then I put our video on Gallery View and turned up the volume on the laptop so we could again hear the Zoom folks.
We found it best to tell the Zoom folks who was physically present in the church. We used View Gallery so that the folks in the chapel could see who was on Zoom. I reminded all of them that side conversations on Zoom or in the chapel really interfere with the ability to hear. It works best if only one person speaks at a time.
We began by a person in the chapel leading us in chant. This gave us a very sacred way to quiet down. Then we had an opening psalm read by someone in the chapel. Then I set the app for 20 minutes with the 3 gongs.
I also muted us in the chapel and turned off our video. I had to keep an eye on my watch to unmute the laptop so that the 3 gongs on the app could be heard. Then we read the reading a second time.
Starting with spiritual formation part of the group, I switched the lap top to Speaker View so that we could really see one person at a time talking on Zoom. As we are reading a book, I nodded to people in the chapel when it was their turn to read, or they non-verbally told me they did not want to read. All of group members are really very good about only one person speaking at a time, so then I just invited the people on Zoom to continue with the reading if they would like to participate. This was a huge improvement from our first two CP hybrid meetings where we were just limping along in real time. But it is all worth it.
We will continue the hybrid as long as we do not have to wear masks in the chapel, as masks muffle the sound. We might as well be only on Zoom if we must wear masks the whole time.
But with open windows, doors, and fans and all are vaccinated, we were OK. We know the guidelines might change back again, but at least we know how to do a hybrid where everyone can hear.
We are also keeping written attendance each week of who gathers in person, in case contact tracing is needed. The pastor asked us to do this.
Feel free to call if I can help answer any questions. 619 403-6822
Blessings and Happy Hybriding!
Diane Langworthy
We put the laptop on the altar, with the CP app on a phone next to the laptop. I use the CP app to keep time. We found that the app right next to the new omni-microphone is extremely jarring for the folks on Zoom. So I moved it back to the laptop.
We placed the omni-mic on a table about 6 feet in front of the center of the laptop. Then we arranged our chairs in a semi-circle around the omni-mic. The Zoom folks said they could hear all of us quite well. We asked folks with softer voices (one person has Parkinson’s and cannot project his voice) to sit closest to the omni-mic. We did not wear masks as all are vaccinated and we had all church doors and windows open and fans on. We taped extension cords down so that no one would trip on them.
If someone in the semi-circle is seated behind the mic, they cannot be heard on Zoom. If someone physically stands between the laptop and the mic, they cannot be heard. People must be in front of the mic and it is ok to be on the outer part of the semi-circle. Once someone is seated on the far end of the semi-circle, they can still be heard on zoom. But as soon as they are anywhere behind the microphone , they cannot be heard. Thus, a semi-circle works well, but a full circle would not work well for sound.
We started our group 15 minutes ahead of prayer time to allow for tech challenges. Once we established contact with someone on Zoom, we turned off the video and muted ourselves so that our visiting conversation in the chapel did not disturb the visiting conversations on Zoom. I also turned down the volume on the laptop so that we in the church would also not hear the Zoom conversations. When ready to begin the prayer, I asked everyone in the church to quiet down.
Then I put our video on Gallery View and turned up the volume on the laptop so we could again hear the Zoom folks.
We found it best to tell the Zoom folks who was physically present in the church. We used View Gallery so that the folks in the chapel could see who was on Zoom. I reminded all of them that side conversations on Zoom or in the chapel really interfere with the ability to hear. It works best if only one person speaks at a time.
We began by a person in the chapel leading us in chant. This gave us a very sacred way to quiet down. Then we had an opening psalm read by someone in the chapel. Then I set the app for 20 minutes with the 3 gongs.
I also muted us in the chapel and turned off our video. I had to keep an eye on my watch to unmute the laptop so that the 3 gongs on the app could be heard. Then we read the reading a second time.
Starting with spiritual formation part of the group, I switched the lap top to Speaker View so that we could really see one person at a time talking on Zoom. As we are reading a book, I nodded to people in the chapel when it was their turn to read, or they non-verbally told me they did not want to read. All of group members are really very good about only one person speaking at a time, so then I just invited the people on Zoom to continue with the reading if they would like to participate. This was a huge improvement from our first two CP hybrid meetings where we were just limping along in real time. But it is all worth it.
We will continue the hybrid as long as we do not have to wear masks in the chapel, as masks muffle the sound. We might as well be only on Zoom if we must wear masks the whole time.
But with open windows, doors, and fans and all are vaccinated, we were OK. We know the guidelines might change back again, but at least we know how to do a hybrid where everyone can hear.
We are also keeping written attendance each week of who gathers in person, in case contact tracing is needed. The pastor asked us to do this.
Feel free to call if I can help answer any questions. 619 403-6822
Blessings and Happy Hybriding!
Diane Langworthy
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