How to Maximize Your Video Calls

Simplicity over Complexity

TLDR: Buy the Shure MV7 USB Microphone, Neewer  LED lights, and the Logitech Brio 4K Webcam, and your video call quality will significantly improve, and you will have a simple yet reliable setup.

Most people spend too much on the wrong part of their video setup. You do not need a complicated rig to look and sound better on calls. You need a good mic, decent lighting, and a webcam that just works.

This setup is simple because everything is USB and easy to live with. The order of importance is audio, lighting, then camera. People will tolerate average video. They will not tolerate bad sound. If your microphone is rough, the whole call feels worse.

Lighting is next. Even a nice camera looks bad in a dark room. Good front lighting helps the camera do its job and makes you look more awake and clear on screen.

For the camera, keep it simple. A USB webcam is easy to set up, dependable, and good enough for Zoom or Google Meet. You do not need a complicated DSLR setup for everyday calls.

Microphone

Many people don’t know their microphone sound is bad during online meetings because they can’t hear it themselves. This can cause problems they don’t even know exist. An excellent way to test this is to record and listen to a practice meeting. You may discover that your voice isn’t as clear as you think or there’s too much noise in the background. This can help you understand the problem and improve your sound, which can improve your communication in online meetings.

Often people think that the Blue Yeti is a good choice for a microphone. It’s advertised as high quality and sold at places like Best Buy. But you can get a lot more bang for your buck with other options. There is even a site dedicated to letting people know the Yeti might not be as amazing as it seems.

So, what microphone should you choose? I think Shure MV7 USB Microphone is your best option for its quality and simplicity since it supports USB. It’s literally plug-and-play and has fantastic sound quality. There is an app that allows you to adjust some settings if needed.

Lighting

Good lighting does more for your video than most camera upgrades. If the room is dark, the camera has to work harder and the image usually looks soft or noisy. The best option for the price I have found is the Neewer 90W Desk Mount LED Video Light. Two lights give you more even light and make a big difference.

Camera

Zoom and Google Meet top out at 1080p anyway, so buying an expensive camera usually does not move the needle. Unless you need something better for recording, I recommend the Logitech Brio 4K Webcam. With decent lighting, it looks good and keeps the setup simple.

If you only buy three things, buy a better mic, better lights, and a decent webcam. That combo will improve your calls more than a complicated camera setup ever will.