Classroom Audio

Typical Configurations

  1. Basic Rooms

    These rooms often either do not have any built-in audio equipment available or utilize smaller computer speakers that need to be manually raised or lowered from their dedicated controls.

  2. Standard Rooms

    These rooms range from very basic audio configurations to more integrated solutions with controls that mirror those found in HyFlex spaces for audio only. You will often be provided a wall mounted panel, or one mounted to the Instructor Station with a dial that has a speakerphone icon on it which allows you to set the volume for the speakers which can either be mounted on the projector-screen wall or ceiling.

  3. Active Learning and HyFlex

    These rooms will all have touch panels built into the Instructor Station that give you a single place to control all of the functions of a room. All of these rooms will have volume controls in a section on the right side of the screen, and some will have a button that brings up a context menu for microphone volume.

getting more involved

Section Context

To provide context, audio controls in Basic and Standard rooms is pretty straight-forward, these will often only allow you to set volume and not much else.

More advanced rooms on the other hand, like Active Learning and HyFlex, will utilize the audio devices in the room for voice projection and Zoom classes, which will require you to be more familiar with how they function and how they need to be configured on the app.

This section covers the expected settings you will come across, how they should look, and will primarily focus on setting up audio devices for Zoom classes.

If you ever need any extra help, please feel free to contact Classroom Support at (909)869-4040 for immediate assistance. Maker sure to mention your room number and classroom type to help us better diagnose what the problem may be.

where device configuration applies

Hosting Expectations

Standard Classes

If you are not planning on hosting a Zoom class in an Advanced room, you will only need to concern yourself with the functions available to you on the touch panel at the Instructor Station.

Any microphones available to you in the room, like the Catchbox or lapel microphone, are set to work through the speakers in the room as soon as you take them off of their charging bases and begin talking.

You'll also want to make sure that the devices are charged, so remember to put the microphones back onto their chargers before you leave the classroom so the next person who needs to use them can without issue.

Zoom Classes

If you are planning on hosting a Zoom class, you will need to log into the computer at the Instructor Station in order to take advantage of the audio system within the room.

You can still use your own personal laptop to present content from, but you will need to join the meeting that is being hosted from the main PC in the room.

Noise canceling is considered as part of the rooms design so you will not have to worry about any unwanted noise or your voice echoing from within the room as long as you are only using the audio from the room to speak to your remote participants so make sure your audio is muted from your personal laptop before the meeting starts. 

 

what your devices should be in zoom

Audio Settings

When you first open Zoom, you will likely be asked to select your audio devices.

For speakers, make sure the device set reads as "Echo Canceling Speakerphone (DMP Plus USB #1)". In some cases this can also be labeled as "Classroom Speakers".

Microphones will vary a bit more depending on the room, and what microphones are available to you.

  • Catchbox
    • Catchbox (USB)
      • This will work for both the foam cube and small lapel.
    • Echo Canceling Speakerphone (DMP Plus USB #1)
      • Mostly in larger rooms where absolutely everything is integrated into a single controller.
  • Desktop or Ceiling Mounted Microphones
    • Echo Canceling Speakerphone (DMP Plus USB #1)
    • Classroom Microphones

Troubleshooting


  • Make sure the correct output device is selected on the Instructor Station computer settings.
    • Often this is Echo Canceling Speakerphone, Extron HDMI Audio, or Classroom Speakers for Standard and HyFlex rooms.
    • Basic Rooms will either use USB Audio or HDMI Audio
  • Check the Volume using the room controller
    • This can be either a dial with a speaker icon next to it at the Instructor Station or a wall mounted panel to the side of the projector screen with the same icon.
    • On the touch panel, this is visually indicated on the right side.
    • Make sure that the MUTE button is not activated
      • It will blink red if it is.
      • Some wall panels will indicate this with a white light on the button itself instead.

  • Make sure that the volume on the speakers is not at its max using the rooms controller.
  • Make sure any unused microphones are muted/placed back on their chargers.
    • Some rooms with touch panel controllers will allow you to set the microphone volume from a context menu. If you have this available, make sure that the microphone volumes aren't at their max.

  • Some room microphones will have a physical mute button at their base, make sure it is not illuminated in red. Press it if it is.
  • Most other microphone mute settings are controlled from the touch panel from the MIC Control context menu.

  • All rooms have differing audio setups, so selecting the correct device will come down to a few factors:
    • Rooms with built-in ceiling or instructor station microphones:
      • Select Echo Canceling Speakerphone or Classroom Microphone from Zooms audio settings
    • Rooms with Catchbox microphones:
      • If the microphone is connected directly to the computer you will see Catchbox as a microphone device in Zooms settings.
      • If the microphone is connected to the room system you will see Echo Canceling Speakerphone or Classroom Microphone in Zooms settings

  • This mostly happens when multiple mics are enabled and are picking up audio from the room causing feedback.
    • If your room has a Catchbox, make sure it is plugged in/placed correctly on the charging stand.
      • You will see a light bar on the stand glow green when it the microphone is placed correctly.
    • If your room has ceiling or Instructor Station microphones, go into the microphone settings on the touch panel (labeled MIC Control) and mute any microphones you are not using.

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