Guests using Zoom on the radio

[Gunk]

Has anyone else noticed that since the pandemic there seems to be a national obsession with the new Zoom fashion. The trendy BBC now seem to interview all their guests on the radio via Zoom. The audio quality is virtually inaudible, so why do they do it? it’s not benefitting the listener.

Sarah Jarvis was on Radio 2 the other morning, all the callers were crystal clear on their mobile and home phone, Sarah sounded like she was calling from outer space using 1960’s Soviet comms.

 

[cougie uk]

No. I've not noticed.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Don't get that sort of thing on Radio 4.

 

[Sea of vapours]

Don't get that sort of thing on Radio 4.

You most certainly do; a lot; and it's often extremely annoying.

 

[Specialeyes]

I always presume it's because they're using the computer's built-in microphone, so you get much more room sound - and yes, it's annoying!

 

[Gunk]

Don't get that sort of thing on Radio 4.

It’s the same on 5 live and Radio 4

 

[Arrowfoot]

It not an obsession but something to overcome the issues of the pandemic. Zoom is free, easy to download and intuitive to operate. Unfortunately not everyone has a good PC mic or know how to position themselves or unable to find a quiet room.

We all have to make to do to overcome the current situation. It took a while for my colleagues and me to get the settings right. In the early stages, we could hear wind, cooking, traffic and even inaudible comments.

 

[Drago]

I like watching these on tv. Some folk are in nice studies or offices, quite a few in barren spare rooms, and some in spare rooms that or clearly used as little more than giant storage cupboards. One GP the Beeb regularly has on appesrs to be in her kitchen, and I always admire her 1980s style built in microwave.

 

[fossyant]

People are wary of travelling, and if you are expected to be in a studio, it can work out massively cheaper to not have to pay guest travel fees, especially if they aren't too happy about sitting on a train and tube !!

 

[Ajax Bay]

We have seen (and heard with varying levels of sound quality) 'important people' who seem to think that if Zoom is OK for family and friends, then it's OK for general wfh. It's not. In one-to-one, small groups and conference calls it makes a significant difference to the impact of each speaker if they have a good microphone, let alone the impact of a poor/in-built(egPC) mike on reproduction sound quality for broadcast.
(I bet BBC et al's sound engineers lost foliage tearing their hear out early on before realising they were in a battle they'd not win.)
And the same goes for visual communications: if a speaker's camera and image is not well set up, this affects other people's perceptions of them and their contribution and detracts from message/impact.
As soon as I had a business need to spend time on video calls I got a Zabra 410 which (and I've checked this with third party assessment) seem to do the business well (it's a speaker and an omni-mike).

 

[Gunk]

People are wary of travelling, and if you are expected to be in a studio, it can work out massively cheaper to not have to pay guest travel fees, especially if they aren't too happy about sitting on a train and tube !!

As it’s the radio, why don’t they just use the phone? At least the audio quality would be better.

 

[fossyant]

As it’s the radio, why don’t they just use the phone? At least the audio quality would be better.

Soo last century darhlink.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

It not an obsession but something to overcome the issues of the pandemic. Zoom is free, easy to download and intuitive to operate. Unfortunately not everyone has a good PC mic or know how to position themselves or unable to find a quiet room.

We all have to make to do to overcome the current situation. It took a while for my colleagues and me to get the settings right. In the early stages, we could hear wind, cooking, traffic and even inaudible comments.

It’s the radio the person being interviewed would be better doing it over the phone.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

even inaudible comments.

Wow - that's clever

 

[GeekDadZoid]

Zoom audio can be fab, it's as other have said down to the setup at the remote end. I remember Rory Cellan-Jones show his home setup and it was quite basic but sounded good. From memory he still used an ISDN line (possibly for backup).

My video conference setup at home is fairly excessive, but I am fairly confident I have never been on a call where I have not had the best audio, my video is pretty good too but nothing fancy.