The Audio Adjustment Wizard is used to verify that your audio equipment is set up properly to work with the VIA3 software. To achieve best results, it is highly recommended that you run the Wizard before every VIA3 meeting. For further audio or video adjustments see Audio Properties , Video Properties or Advanced Audio Properties
To use the Audio Adjustment Wizard:
Make sure your audio equipment is properly connected to the computer and turned on.
Select the Actions>Audio Adjustment Wizard menu option. The Welcome screen of the Audio Adjustment Wizard appears. Click Next to continue.
Select the microphone you wish to use from the drop-down list, or click the "Detect Microphone" button. Click Next to continue.
Adjust your microphone sensitivity by speaking aloud into your microphone. You will notice the colored sensitivity indicator move as you speak - the desired level is "mid-yellow".
Adjust your speaker volume by clicking the "Test Sound" button and adjusting the volume to your liking. Click Next to continue. Click Finish.
For Desktop Speaker
and Conference Room environments the volume should be set between 75-80%; other
adjustments can be made on the speakers themselves to allow Echo Cancellation to
work properly.
Warning:
If you see warnings appear during this audio adjustment process, read them carefully
and follow their recommendations. Effective meetings require good audio from each
participant. Running the Audio Adjustment Wizard before every meeting will ensure
a good configuration.
If you have a head-set fitted with a mike, simply plug the jacks into the proper receptacles. Most head-set jack’s have icons imprinted in the plastic that match up to icons on your computer. If you have a web camera, simply plug the USB connector into an open port and run the installation software if needed.
The microphone should be positioned close, but not touching, the corner of the mouth. It should be far enough so that the letters “P” and “T” do not create popping noises or sound clipped. Improper positioning of the microphone can also cause others to hear your breathing, which can be distracting in a meeting environment. If you are experiencing any of these issues, adjust your microphone further away from your mouth and back toward your ear.
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Camera position is critical to the image portrayed to others in the meeting and the sense that eye contact is being made. Positioning the camera slightly below eye level pointing up toward you can convey a sense of authority; while positioning the camera on top of your monitor, pointing down at you can make you seem less authoritative.
When people are sincere or serious or when they are involved in comprehending something important, they often make eye contact. To make eye contact in an meeting, the camera must be positioned to approximate the sensation of looking directly into the other participants’ eyes. There are two options to accomplish this:
One technique to simulate eye contact is to have the person speaking look directly at the camera. For the viewer receiving the image, the eyes of speaker seem to be looking directly at him/her – even though the speaker is not looking at the image of the viewer. Eye contact seems to be made. People who use the camera regularly to communicate, like some professional television announcers and college lecturers, practice and use this technique. Use of this technique can make a meeting more face-to-face like.
A second method is to achieve an approximation of eye contact. This is done by positioning the camera at the level of the image of the listener. For most purposes this is satisfactory; most people get the impression that person is fully attending to what’s being said. However, it means that you may need to adjust the position of your camera if you resize the position and placement of the VIA3 Meeting window on your desktop.