Sam Francis Co. Creations
A collection of multimedia works

Zoom instructions

ZOOM APP DOWNLOAD aND AUDIO SETTINGS INSTRUCTIONS

DOWNLOADING THE APP

FOR MAC:

CLICK HERE for step-by-step instructions on how to install the Zoom app on a Mac device.

Don’t know if you have a Silicon or an Intel Chip processor? Follow these instructions…

  • Click on the Apple Icon in the top-left corner of your screen.

  • Select About This Mac.

  • Look for the Chip or Processor information - if it says “Chip” followed by Apple M1, M2, M3 or M4, you have Apple Silicon. If it says “Processor” followed by Intel Core i5/i7/i9, you have an Intel chip.

FOR PC:

Method 1 -

  • Click the Launcher (the circle icon in t he bottom-left corner of your screen).

  • Open the Google Play Store.

  • Search for “Zoom for Chrome PWA” using the search bar at the top.

  • Click Install to downlaod the app.

Method 2 -

Open your Google Chrome browser.

  • Navigate to pwa.zoom.us

  • Look at the far right of the side of the address bar (where you type web addresses). Click the Install Icon (it looks like a small computer monitor with a downward-pointing arrow).

  • Click Install when the prompt appears.

Don’t know if you have a Silicon or an Intel Chip processor? Follow these instructions…

  • Right-click the Windows icon on the taskbar and select System.

  • Under “Processor”, look for the brand name. If it says Intel, you have an Intel chip.

ADJUSTING THE SETTINGS

  • Once you’ve created a Zoom account (you can do this for free), open and log into the app, and in the bottom left-hand corner, click on Settings (the gear icon).

  • Click on Audio (the headphones icon).

  • Scroll down to Microphone modes. You’ll notice that it’s probably set to “Noise removal (default)”. We want to change our settings by clicking/selecting:

    • Original sound for musicians

    • High-fidelity music mode

  • If streaming becomes choppy, that might mean that the internet connection is not strong enough for the “High-fidelity music mode”, but it is always worth trying out during our Tech Check to see if we can conduct our lessons using the highest quality audio possible.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

There are natural sound delays that happen through any streaming service, making real-time accompaniment impossible for virtual lessons, so streaming services had to get creative.

In everyday meetings, the Zoom app has developed ways to mitigate the distraction of these sound delays and background noises (dogs barking, neighbors mowing the lawn, sounds coming through your computer speakers and reverberating throughout the room, etc.) by developing a “Noise Removal” setting to eliminate backround noise, and “Echo Cancellation” for non-headset users. These advancements made it much easier for regular Zoom users to focus on the meeting, and not have their attention pulled by unwanted sounds. When it comes to music lessons, though, we need to hear the instrument being played. The accompaniment track must be heard along with a student’s voice as they belt out a song, which is one of the many reasons why Zoom has created a “Sound for Musicians” option.

I will always first recommend in-person lessons when refining your musical craft - there’s an added layer of knowledge that you gain by physically being in the room to feel the resonance of the sound of the instrument during the lesson… both for the student learning the craft and the instructor honing the instrument. But it can be a luxury to have access to in-person lessons. Sometimes, time and location constraints simply don’t allow for that, so the adjusted audio settings is the next best thing, and the advancements in technology really do make it a better option every passing year.