Camera and Microphone Setup - College of Law

Owned by Joel Whitney
Last updated: Aug 10, 2020
2 min read

Depending on the room in which you are teaching, the default settings for camera and microphone may be sufficient for your purposes.  A guide to enabling and customizing the systems is below.

Initial Setup

  • Turn on teaching station
  • Log in to PC
  • Open browser, navigate to Blackboard site for course, click Zoom meeting link, and confirm launch of Zoom

Zoom

  • Activate (unmute) microphone using mic icon in lower left of screen
  • Activate camera using camera icon in lower left of screen
  • If necessary, select desired microphone and speakers
    • Click menu carat next to mic icon
    • Choose desired microphone
    • Choose desired speakers
    • (note that these settings will depend on your room and computer configuration – you will need to determine which settings work in your space)
  • If necessary, select the desired camera
    • Click menu carat next to camera icon
    • Choose desired camera
    • Notes
      • Not all cameras in room may be available to the Zoom app
      • In some spaces, the cameras will all have the same label – experimentation may be necessary to choose desired camera

Microphone activation

(Note that seminar spaces have ceiling-mounted microphones, rather than personal microphones for instructors and students.  The mic setup instructions below pertain only to lecture halls.)

  • Obtain microphone from teaching station drawer
  • Place personal foam cover on mic, if desired
  • Turn on
    • Pinch the small buttons on either side of the front door on transmitter pack
    • Press and hold power button until mic display window lights up
  • Check battery level
    • A three-segment indicator in lower right of mic's display window illustrates battery level
    • Two or three active bars will be sufficient for most classes
    • One active bar may indicate sufficient battery for class, though care should be taken to note if microphone turns off, in which case batteries will need to be replaced
    • Zero active bars indicates batteries will need to be replaced
    • Note - a red light on the front, labeled "low batt," will blink if battery level is too low.  A steady light indicates only that power is on.  The three-segment battery level indicator described above will provide a more accurate assessment of battery status
  • Change batteries (if necessary)
    • Swap in two batteries from supply in teaching station drawer
    • Pay careful attention to battery orientation
    • If original batteries were removed while unit was still turned on, the unit will typically power up immediately on replacement of batteries, without needing to press the power button
    • PLEASE DO NOT RETURN DEPLETED BATTERIES TO MICROPHONE DRAWER
      • Depleted batteries may be returned to the IT offices (suite 215) for recycling
  • Ensure microphone is not muted
    • Mute switch on top of microphone pack
    • When muted, a MUTE indicator will be visible in the mic's display window
  • Test mic input to Zoom
    • A green level indicator will be visible within the mic icon
  • Test mic amplification in room
    • Mic level can be adjusted using the Microphone Volume controls on teaching station control panel
  • At end of class, please turn off lapel microphone, remove microphone cover if used, and return mic to teaching station drawer

Camera adjustment

  • Touch Camera button on control panel
  • Use presets, if desired
  • If finer control is desired, press Camera Setup button
    • Adjust camera position using joystick-style control buttons
  • Note - in seminar spaces, you may need to select the "secondary camera" button in order to control your desired camera