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Set the Tone With Sound and Music
Audio is perhaps the most underrated and least understood aspect of multimedia presentation due, in part, to the fact that until recently presentation software, laptop computers, and projection systems gave little or no consideration to sound. But that has changed. It is now extremely easy to import, record, and edit sound elements. Many projection systems have built-in stereo amplifiers and speakers. Today, there is no excuse not to take advantage of the persuasion power of music, sound effects and pre-recorded narration.
Sound has the power to heighten attention levels, improve retention rates, enhance emotional responses, add emphasis to the message and provide, when necessary, some comic relief.
Follow these guidelines for effective presentation sound design:
- keep sound and music clips brief,
- keep volume levels consistent,
- suit the mood of the music to the mood of the message,
- invest in quality music clips,
- do not use copyrighted music without the proper license,
- use good quality speakers,
- figure on at least 10-30 watts of audio power per channel for a boardroom presentation,
- for large audiences a public address system with 100 watts or more may be necessary.
Note: Be certain your presentation speakers are magnetically shielded and approved for use with computer systems. Unshielded speakers placed near a monitor or hard drive can cause permanent damage.
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