Getting Quality Audio

What's the best practice? In my opinion, get yourself on a land line. I know, I know, I love technology too. I work for a technology company and when other girls were sleeping with stuffed animals I was sleeping with my Atari but the analog telephone line it is still the most affordable, best quality audio for presenting over the Internet. It is widely and easily available in every remote part of this country and most countries of the world. If you don't have Alexander Graham Bell's brain child sitting at your conference location, go to a place where you can use one.

Then get yourself a good quality headset. In fact, round up a couple and test them to see which has the clearest sound. Borrow one from a friend who sounds really good when they call you. If you can't find a wireless headset with good quality, there is no shame in using one with a wire. It's not sexy and you don't get to walk around but that's actually a good thing. Wait, let me rephrase that, it's good to be sexy but it's not good to walk around while you are presenting.

Walking around encourages head movement which causes static on the line. Sometimes it's slight, most times it's noticeable. Waking also increases the chance that you will pick up odd and various room noises. As you walk closer to an air conditioner, ceiling fan, desk lamp, overhead projector, you pick up room noise and it may be slight but as it goes in and out with your walking action, it can be distracting. Find a comfortable chair that doesn't squeak in a quiet location and sit down to present.

Ever lost your headset in mid-sentence? You know, you are walking around, wildly gesturing with your hands, really into telling a great story and all of the sudden your headset goes flying off? For me, it’s the twisting in my chair. I use a wired headset because I prefer the consistent sound quality and sometimes when I turn my chair, the arm rest catches the cord and rips the device right off my head. See, when I tell you about things that can go wrong, I speak with a lot of experience.