[Trainer-Talk] Hybrid Meetings Article

Thu Apr 13 15:58:47 UTC 2023

Hello Jan, thank you for this. Adding to this, here is what I do for our 
Houston chapter, and what I have done for our state affiliate convention.

1. Use an audio mixer with an appropriate loud speaker and microphone 
setup. This will make the in-person meeting happen with good audio. This 
can easily work for a conference room that holds 20 people or 200 
people. I specifically use a Mackie ProFX mixer and Phenix Pro wireless 
microphones for all hybrid meetings. If the meeting is smaller, I use an 
Alto loud speaker. If the meeting is larger, I use loud speakers from 
ElectroVoice.

Links to equipment that I use are:

Mackie Mixer, https://mackie.com/en/products/mixers/profxv3-series

Phenix Pro Wireless Microphones, 
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=phenyx+pro+ptu-7000a

Alto speakers, https://www.sweetwater.com/c134--PA_Speakers?highlight=TX310

ElectroVoice speakers, 
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Electro-Voice/ZLX-12BT-12-Powered-Speaker-with-Bluetooth-Black-1500000251167.gc

2. Connect Zoom like normal, and have the Zoom input and output go 
through the USB channel of the mixer. I specifically use Mackie ProFX 
because of its USB interface. This means that I can connect people on 
Zoom so they can be heard through the loud speaker just like the people 
in person who are speaking into the microphone.

3. Have either a mic runner, or side microphones available for audience 
questions. In case someone from the in-person participants needs to 
speak or has a question, they will need to use one of the microphones so 
not only can they be heard better, but so that people attending via Zoom 
can also hear them. To facilitate this, it is necessary to either have a 
person designated as a microphone runner to bring it to them, or to have 
a microphone or two available in a designated area so that anyone 
wishing to address the chapter can speak using it.

There is obviously a lot more to this, and this is a quick and dirty 
method of how I do this, but I am willing to discuss this with anyone in 
further detail if necessary. As for budget, if one goes with a solution 
similar to what Curtis Chong discussed in his article, the cost should 
be less than $200 to buy the conference phones. For smaller meetings, 
and for small group tech training sessions, I use the Anker PowerConf 
USB device, which makes Zoom sound absolutely wonderful. However, this 
has the limitation that if your group is more than 8 or 9 people in 
person, the conference phone solution will not be enough. If you go with 
a mixer and loud speaker solution, the cost is much higher because you 
have to purchase the mixer itself, usually at least $200, a loud 
speaker, smaller ones are around $100 but larger ones are around $500, 
enough microphones and accessories like cables, stands, ETC, and the 
associated bags or containers to fit everything.

I hope this helps.

Raul Gallegos
Assistive Technology Trainer and Consultant
RGA Tech Solutions
Team Contact: 832-639-4477  |  training at rgats.com
Direct Email: Raul.Gallegos at rgats.com

“Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.” -- Christian Lous Lange

On 4/13/2023 10:11 AM, Jan Brandt via Trainer-Talk wrote:
> Trainers,
>
>   
>
> I'm not sure that my response to Raul's email went through, so am sending it
> a second time.  Here is the article Raul cited about running Hybrid Zoom
> meetings:
>
>   
>
> https://nfb.org//images/nfb/publications/bm/bm22/bm2209/bm220906.htm
> <https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm22/bm2209/bm220906.htm>
>
>   
>
> Jan Brandt
>
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