I'm using Dante Virtual Soundcard (DVS) with Zoom, but audio isn't coming through correctly or is distorted. What's going on?
This is usually caused by Zoom's audio processing settings interfering with the audio signal going into or out of DVS. Zoom applies noise suppression, auto-leveling, and Windows-level audio enhancements by default - all of which can distort, mute, or degrade audio that's meant to pass through cleanly (e.g., music, instruments, or a mixed signal from DVS).
Which Zoom microphone mode should I use?
Set the microphone mode to "Original sound for musicians". The default "Noise removal" setting is designed to filter out non-speech sounds, but it can also cut out legitimate audio, such as background music, that you actually want captured and sent through Zoom.
What if I have multiple instruments or voices going through DVS?
Consider enabling "Live performance audio" under audio settings. It's designed for multi-source audio and generally handles multiple simultaneous inputs better than the standard settings.
My audio captured by microphone sounds too quiet. Why?
Check whether "Automatically adjust microphone volume" is enabled. This option lets Zoom auto-level your input, which can unintentionally lower the volume of audio coming into DVS (which send the audio source at captured volume level). Turn it off, and set it to a higher level for more consistent, predictable volume.
I've adjusted the main settings, but audio is still inconsistent. What else can I check?
Look under the Advanced audio settings (via the "Advanced" button at the bottom of audio settings) for two additional options:
- Windows system audio enhancements - Turn this off. It's a Windows-level processing layer that can introduce artifacts or conflict with DVS's audio stream.
- Signal processing by Windows audio device drivers - Turn this off as well. Disabling it puts the audio drivers into raw mode, allowing Zoom to receive an uncompressed signal instead of one altered by driver-level processing.
Is there a quick checklist I can follow?
- Microphone mode → Original sound for musicians
- (If multiple sources) → Enable Live performance audio
- Disable Automatically adjust microphone volume
- Under Advanced: disable Windows system audio enhancements
- Under Advanced: disable Signal processing by Windows audio device drivers
Following these steps should resolve most audio dropout, distortion, or volume issues when routing audio between Zoom and Dante Virtual Soundcard.