Zoom Hybrid Meetings
There are two primary setups that may be used for meeting with combined in-person and remote participants:
Option 1: All in-person meeting participants are gathered in the same place and remote participants are joining individually via Zoom.
These recommendations are intended to support ad-hoc meetings with a relatively small group of people in a meeting room or shared office. If you have questions about a specific meeting space or a larger event, please submit a help request well in advance of the day of your meeting.
Sound
In-person gathering (such as a conference room or an office): One computer in the room should connect to the Zoom meeting using a conferencing microphone (Jabra external speaker or something similar). Conferencing microphones are designed to pick up multiple speakers in one room. This works well for small-to-medium size meetings in which you have up to 8 or 10 participants in the same room. Any other computers logged in to the meeting in the same room should have speakers turned off and mics muted to avoid feedback loops.
Jabra external speakers with built-in microphone are available for departments to purchase. Have your department lead contact cstore@smith.edu to request one.
Remote participants joining individually: Use your computer's sound and microphone as you normally would.
Camera Video (two possible methods)
Position a single webcam to capture all in-room participants. Connect the webcam to a laptop via USB and call into the Zoom meeting from the laptop. Make sure the video source in the Zoom meeting is coming from the webcam.
OR
In-room individuals can join the Zoom meeting from laptops, tablets, or phones with cameras on and speakers/microphones muted. Sound should come from the designated microphone setup as described above.
Display Video (two possible methods)
If the room has a large display setup (TV monitor or projection screen), the laptop connected to the Zoom meeting can output video to the display for all in-person participants.
If no central display is available, in-room individuals can use laptops to view Zoom meeting content. Make sure individual microphones are muted to avoid echoes and feedback loops. If the individuals meeting together in the same room do not have sufficient laptops, consider having individuals attend the meeting from their office so they can use their office computer.
Option 2: All meeting participants are joining virtually from their own location.
If all participants will be joining the Zoom meeting from their own location, then each participant will need to make sure that their space is set up to participate in the smoothest manner possible. This is especially important for those without a private space for conferencing.
Sound:
Most microphones will pick up ambient noise from your surrounding environment, so keep your microphone muted when you are not speaking. Participants without a private space should use a headset (headphones and mic - see below for recommended equipment) when participating in Zoom meetings.
Where possible, provide separation between meeting participants and others in a shared space.
Camera Video
Virtual backgrounds can help reduce visual distractions in private or shared spaces. Learn how to set up a virtual background.
Recommended Equipment
ITS has tested multiple remote participation equipment brands and models over the past several months, and our recommendations are below. Individuals and departments may purchase these items from the Smith College Computer Store. Please call 413-585-3027 or email cstore@smith.edu to check stock availability and place an order for pickup.
These are not required, and you are more than welcome to continue using your own equipment to participate in Zoom meetings.
Webcam: Logitech Brio
For large spaces, multiple cameras or a Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) camera may be needed. Please consult with ITS through ithelp@smith.edu for meetings in spaces over 1600 square feet.
Microphone: Jabra Speak 510 or 750
We recommend this because it picks up all participants in the surrounding space, assuming the space is not too large. The Logitech Brio webcam has an excellent microphone, but it is unidirectional, which means it is designed to pick up sound from the the closest person to it, so we usually recommend a Jabra in addition to the webcam.
Headset: Logitech H800 for wireless; H340 for USB wired headset
The microphone on a headset is specifically designed to pick up audio only a few inches away and will reduce the pickup of ambient noise.
Tripods: Manfrotto Compact Light Aluminum Tripod (Black) - MKCOMPACTLT-BK
The webcam should be mounted on a tripod for the most stable and versatile use.