Blankets & Webinars? Oh, My!

Yes, blankets!

I moderated a great webinar with @SlideRabbit Bethany Auck for #PresentationXpert. We always log on early to check sound, connections, and speaker readiness. That is where we identified a problem with Bethany’s audio. She sounded as if she was in a tunnel.

In her office, she didn’t have any wall coverings or window coverings, and there wasn’t a carpeted floor. And it was completely white. This meant that the sound was hollow and not broadcast quality. So we needed to figure out a low-tech answer for this problem and in a short period of time – twenty minutes to air. We tried the obvious but the sound didn’t get any better switching between computer audio and the phone. Changing headsets didn’t work either.

So, the idea is to minimize the number of “reflective” surfaces and to maximize the number of surfaces that will absorb sound waves. This might help reduce the amount of sound that escapes a room.

We came up with the idea of using towels and/or blankets to act as a sound barrier. Bethany was up for trying. She got blankets and covered the floor and behind the computer on her desk. The result – it worked and the sound quality improved 100%.

Not only that but she delivered a great presentation, Slide Diets: Before & Afters of Design Tricks to Slim Down your Content, which was interactive, informative, and full of visual before and after slides that told a great story. Our audience loved it and so did I. If you want to view the webinar and learn some great tips and tricks, see below.

And feel free to browse PresentationXpert. I was a part of the team for over five years – both as Editor-in-chief and Webinar Producer. I have always been proud of the quality content we have provides for the presentation industry and the 150K+ subscribers.

So remember, often the answer to a problem with your webinar may be low-tech and easy to implement so think about solving an audio problem like we faced in this webinar with a blanket, a towel or anything you can find to muffle that hollow sound and improve your audio as a result.

Bethany Auck
Bethany Auck Founder and Creative Director, Slide Rabbit
From basic slide creation to complex animations and interactive infographics, SlideRabbit’s presentation design and production services bring high-level creative value to every industry at low-cost levels. SlideRabbit makes information memorable and persuasive. SlideRabbit provides creative presentation graphics for litigation services and marketing material using PowerPoint slide designs,
For nearly a decade, Bethany has been helping clients communicate clearly and visually. Initially in the courtroom and later in boardrooms, training facilities and international conferences, Bethany works with her clients and their content to create narrative and visual interest where there were once only bullet points. For more information, visit SlideRabbit.com