Keep It Simple To Start
Posted by terrepruitt on November 4, 2020
I keep hearing new teachers ask about teachers’ setup. In this post I am specifically talking about Nia. Since Nia has started conducting training online we are just getting a wealth of opportunities to meet (via Zoom) and learn various things. I feel as if in every meeting there is one question about the Trainers’ set up. I am posting this because when I hear the question about set up posed to a TRAINER the answer usually is $$$$$$. I have been Zooming classes for seven months. I started using a borrowed microphone. It is an awesome mic, but it wasn’t GREAT for movement classes because it, the computer, or Zoom would decide what was “noise” and needed to be canceled, sometimes my voice and/or the music would get silenced. Students need to hear both. I just want to share about my set up because it might help someone get online. Once online and teaching one can upgrade from there.
Some Nia teachers work in studios so they have a lot of equipment available to them. Some Nia TRAINERS are the same. But some Nia teachers, especially ones just starting out might want to keep it simple (less expensive) at first. It is a HUGE investment to spend $400 on a microphone. That was the cost of what one trainer shared she was using — and that didn’t include all of the equipment needed to make it work.
We are all doing it differently and we all have different needs, so I am not here saying anything is better than the other, I am saying that if you are new and you want to jump on Zoom and start teaching and you don’t want to invest in an expensive microphone and all that equipment (mixing boards, cables . . . I don’t even know) it requires, there are other options.
I am borrowing a laptop and a monitor with a camera in it. I am using my ION Block Rocker. I bought a wireless mic. And my husband bought me a cable so the computer can be directly connected to the router (all the way across the house) and not use wireless.
First of all, connect directly to the internet . . . in other words avoid using wireless if you can. If you can’t then try to make sure your device is in “line of sight” of your router. I found doing that made a difference.
The wireless microphone I purchased came with a splitter. The splitter connects the wireless microphone transmitter to the computer AND it has a place for the AUX cord for my speaker. My speaker is wireless, but I want to eliminate any factors that can cause lag so I connect via an AUX cord. The speaker is also battery operated, but I plug it in. My music is playing from iTunes via Zoom directly to the students, the speaker is for ME to hear the music.
For Nia I used a big monitor with the camera. It is easier for me to see my students when I am moving around the studio (ie. living room with white curtains as back drop). For the yoga and stretch classes I teach I use laptop and its camera. Since I am more stationary in yoga and stretch I can see my students fine on the laptop.
Since I am not teaching a lot of classes right now the Kimafun Wireless Microphone I bought works great. As time goes on and needs change so may the equipment, that is usually the case, but for now, I am just sharing, in my opinion, to start out you don’t have to spend a lot of money. It is kind of like teaching, starting small . . . keep is simple with the option to expand as you go.
What are you using? Do you have any advice for new teachers? Do you have any advice for teachers new to online/Zoom teaching?
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I do hope it helps someone!
Terre Pruitt's Blog 
Alien Resort said
Does your speaker feedback into the mic?
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terrepruitt said
NO! (I say that with enthusiasm as I clap my hands with glee!) The mic is really good at pretty much picking up just the sounds right in front of it or sometimes when I am close to the fan – if the “wind” is strong enough – it picks up a little interference from that.
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Alien Resort said
Hypercardioid maybe. I dabbled a little bit in recording for radio production so I was able to appreciate the picture of your gear.
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terrepruitt said
I don’t know. I used a Yeti Mic that had settings before. This one doesn’t have any settings, but I wear it. It came with a lapel clip. I haven’t tried that yet as I move around a lot when I teach so I think having it attached to my head is better than my collar.
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terrepruitt said
Your “dabbling” seems to have you WAY more knowledgeable than me!
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Alien Resort said
I used old school equipment, some of it from thrift stores although I had several minidisc recorders. I made about 120 radio spots and won an award from the newspaper.
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terrepruitt said
Wow! Cool. That is definitely keeping it simple (thrift store equipment), right? And it still was award winning!
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Alien Resort said
The key is in the idea and the script. You can get the sound right if you do enough takes. I remember doing 50-60 takes sometimes.
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terrepruitt said
WHOA! That is a lot of takes. With a radio spot it is great you were able to do that. In my classes I am teaching live and people are paying for the class so I don’t have that opportunity. 🙂 Some people do record their classes, but mine are live.
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Jennifer Arimborgo said
I sure appreciate you sharing your experience to help others!
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terrepruitt said
I hope it does. I feel bad for these new teachers who are just starting out and they are told about all this expensive equipment. I have been teaching for years, but don’t make the kind of money to feel comfortable spending $400 on a mic . . . and then have to buy all the stuff to make it work!
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Jennifer Arimborgo said
Absolutely! It needs to be made accessible for them, and you are providing a wonderful service
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terrepruitt said
🙂 Thanks!
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Jennifer Arimborgo said
🙂
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da-AL said
what a great setup!
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terrepruitt said
🙂 Well, it works. Some people have really great set ups with mixing boards (is that what they are called) and cameras and big monitors and little monitors. There is some amazing stuff out there. But I’m trying to keep it simple and in expensive since there is already a bunch of other things we have to pay for. Thank you!
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closertohappiness said
Thanks for this post! I’ve been stubbornly not getting a mic because of the potential investment factor.
I do have to admit the sound is hard to balance consistently without the mic though. I’ve only been doing one class for Facebook Live, but I also recognize that I may be teaching online for a while yet and there are also other uses for a wireless mic. Do you still like your mic? I may pick your brain more sometime.
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terrepruitt said
Hello! – Yeah, have you seen some of the microphones? I am positive you get what you pay for, but I just can’t invest hundreds of dollars in a mic. Before I do that I need to be teaching A LOT MORE. With one Nia class a week spending a lot is not really something I want to do. But I may. A headset mic makes all the difference. The Yeti I was using is an AWESOME mic, but the fan really interfered with it. And Zoom’s updates made it cut out (I believe as their platform got better).
I plan on teaching online until I don’t have any students wanting it. And some of them had said they will want to continue. We will see for how long.
I DO still like my mic. I had a day where it was really static-y, but I believe that was my fault . . . I did not plug it in good enough. But for the price, it is GREAT. Things to keep in mind, though, the transmitter (for the one I have) clips on me and sometimes I forget and it is not comfortable when it is on a spot I roll on (side, back, etc.). And the headset part is large and so it isn’t always easy to lie down with.
Yes, pick my brain. I was like you and was resistant, but then after taking various classes, I realized that the ones that have better sound are more enjoyable. When the teacher is using a headset microphone and s/he turns away or put her/his head down and you can still hear them, it adds so much to the class.
Also, keep in mind I bought this one partially because it had free return. So I didn’t even take everything out of the box until I was sure I was going to keep it. So if you get one that has free returns you are not committed. You can use it and if you don’t like it send it back.
Nice to hear from you. Merry Christmas!
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