Zoom and Snowball Microphones

This describes how to set up a Windows PC and an external Blue Snowball microphone to use with Zoom. Most of these steps you will only need to do once.

Prerequisites: Be logged in to the PC as yourself, then be logged in to Chrome as yourself.

1. Plug the USB cable into the microphone:

2. Plug the other end into a USB port on the PC:

3. After a few seconds, the PC should display a message in the lower right corner that it has properly detected the microphone:

4. Click where it says "Type here to search" and type in "Zoom" and you will see it in the list of apps. (If you don't find it, email helpdesk and we'll install it right away.)

5. After Zoom opens, click Sign In (below the Join a Meeting button):

6. Then, click Sign In With Google:

7. Your browser will open (hopefully, Chrome) and either prompt you to log in to your Crossroads Google account; or, if you're already logged in, it will ask you to confirm that you're logged in. If this is the first time you've logged in to Zoom using your Crossroads Google accounts, click the Create Account button.

8. You may get a prompt asking if you want Zoom meeting links to open automatically from your browser. Click the box to Always allow, then click Open Zoom Meetings:

9. You should now see the standard Zoom startup window. Click New Meeting:

10. Once the meeting starts, click the tiny arrow next to the Mute button in the lower left, and select the Blue Snowball microphone:

Conduct your meeting as you normally would -- click the little "i" in the upper right corner to reveal the meeting ID/link, adjust your camera, etc.

From now on, as long as the Snowball microphone is plugged in to the computer before you start Zoom, it should default to using the Snowball instead of the built-in microphone. Place the microphone away from the computer speakers to reduce the chance of feedback, or mute your audio altogether if you don't need to hear the audience.