You look awful… and it's my fault. (Sponsored)

[BellLMG]

A year ago we went over what it takes to make an awesome streaming/conference setup on the cheap, or even for ZERO dollars. Today we're revisiting this idea with a modest budget to see how much of a difference upgrading your setup can really make.

 

Thanks to OWN3D.PRO for sponsoring today's video. Check out OWN3D.PRO and get 50% a yearly subscription with code LINUS at: https://lmg.gg/OWN3D

[D13H4RD]

Just a word of advice.

 

Don't buy that tripod, please. I had one very similar to it and it broke on an a6000 and an 80D, both of which resulted in bits of the screw being stuck inside the tripod screw hole, requiring both to be serviced. Get a tripod with some sort of quick-release mechanism. It'll cost a bit more, but trust me when I say that it'll save you from a big headache later on, or a Manfrotto Pixi.

[ImAlsoRan]

4 minutes ago, D13H4RD said:

Just a word of advice.

 

Don't buy that tripod, please. I had one very similar to it and it broke on an a6000 and an 80D, both of which resulted in bits of the screw being stuck inside the tripod screw hole. Get a tripod with some sort of quick-release mechanism. It'll cost a bit more, but trust me when I say that it'll save you from a big headache later on.

Might be cheaper to buy a new tripod head with quick-release in some cases.

[D13H4RD]

3 minutes ago, ImAlsoRan said:

Might be cheaper to buy a new tripod head with quick-release in some cases.

Probably. That tripod left such a bad taste in my mouth that I went a bit overkill on its replacement...

 

 

[BuckGup]

IMO I wouldn't mess with halogen lighting at all. It's simply too expensive to use, they get too hot, bulb lifespan, and no easy color adjustment. The money is much better spent on LEDs that are cooler, last longer, use less power, and you can fine tune the temperature of the lightning. 

[Quackers101]

color adjustment can be really good, if background changes or changing theme.

But the more warm and natural colors can be pretty good, but if you dont mount them right or consider their heat output (or a desgin that doesnt do this) it can become a fire hazard, even though its safer than a open flame candle? Also what is up with the titles lately?

 

But now this LTT staff has a post! GG

[GDRRiley]

old camcorders are also a great option compared to A5000/5100 something like a canon VIXIA MFM40 has clean HDMI out and can be powered via a cheap DC in.

[akio123008]

Both the dynamic and the condenser setup sounded worse than some cheapo USB mics I've heard.

You're not making a very strong case for separate audio interfaces here, an AT2020 USB for instance would sound better and for less money.

 

There's better USB mics than Blue Snowball or Yeti.

 

 

 

 

[Lord Szechenyi]

I want to thank Linus (or whoever it was on the team) that made a reference to a decade old meme.

[zehealing]

At this point on the new video (6:33), the Canon T3 is featured as a bad idea for a streamer looking for a webcam setup. I thought it might be worth mentioning that I believe the Canon may be a better choice than the Sony a5100, since it is cheaper and gives you access to the camera without a need for a capture card using Canon's own EOS Webcam Utility. I was hoping that viewers could be made aware of this, since the T3 is a significantly better value proposition for the target of this video than the Sony A5100.

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

[The Flying Sloth]

Hey there, I'm a filthy regular from the audio subforum and here are my thoughts on the gear mentioned.

UMC22 - Legacy device, poor driver support likely to give you many gremlins. Best alternative would be the UMC202HD

AT2020 -  It's a cheaper condenser mic but it's only popular because of the price and IMHO it's overpriced. It's not a true condenser, it's an electret more similar to cheaper/smaller mics like the Behringer C2 than any true condenser mic and due to this it doesn't even need phantom power strictly speaking (though it does sound much better with it). There are far better value for money mics available like the Behringer C2 and far better mics for the same/similar money like the 3U Audio CM1

Cloudlifter - Better alternative is the Klark Teknik CT1, same thing but just a lot cheaper

 

SM48 - stock standard dynamic mic, there are cheaper options but I can't get angry, they all do very similar things. Thing to note, if you move the mic so that it is pointing at the side of your mouth and take out some of the extra bass it will sound so much clearer, in the video it sounded extremely muffled though some on twitch seem to find this desirable.

Aston Spirit - You use the price to show that the SM48 is great bang for buck, but you're comparing apples to oranges, a beautiful studio condenser mic that some claim rivals a Neumann U87, to a cheap dynamic stage mic. Outside a studio setting there are far cheaper condenser mics that would beat out the SM48 in terms of both sound quality and price, namely the Behringer C2, and if looking for something a little higher class go for the 3U Audio CM1, more expensive than the SM48 but a beautiful sounding mic in it's own rights.

Anyways, that's my thoughts, if anyone is looking for further info on studio gear the guide in my signature has some info you might find helpful

 

2 hours ago, akio123008 said:

Both the dynamic and the condenser setup sounded worse than some cheapo USB mics I've heard.

You're not making a very strong case for separate audio interfaces here, an AT2020 USB for instance would sound better and for less money.

There's better USB mics than Blue Snowball or Yeti.

With respect, I highly doubt you'd be able to find a USB mic that rivals the Aston spirit, it's a very popular studio microphone and it is great value for what it is and the mics it goes head to head with. An AT2020 with or without the inbuilt USB circuitry is a far worse microphone than the spirit simply by way of it not being a true condenser mic and being built to a very strict budget where the aston mics are boutique studio mics designed primarily for quality.

 

The other thing to consider with USB mics is failure rate, in electronics, the simpler the better and that's certainly true when it comes to microphones. It's not at all unlikely that the USB section of the mic fails leaving you entirely unable to use the mic and on the hook for a new one where someone with XLR mics and an interface either wouldn't have a mic break or would only be on the hook for the cost of a microphone. Of course there are exceptions to the rule like the Samson Q2U or AT2005 that are both USB an XLR and they are a great stepping stone into real high quality inputs.
 

[akio123008]

33 minutes ago, The Flying Sloth said:

With respect, I highly doubt you'd be able to find a USB mic that rivals the Aston spirit, it's a very popular studio microphone and it is great value for what it is and the mics it goes head to head with. An AT2020 with or without the inbuilt USB circuitry is a far worse microphone than the spirit simply by way of it not being a true condenser mic and being built to a very strict budget where the aston mics are boutique studio mics designed primarily for quality.

You don't seem to get my point.

 

I'm not saying the Aston Spirit is worse than an AT2020. Not at all.  What I'm saying is that, this setup, both with the condenser, and the dynamic microphone, as demonstrated in the video, sounds worse than an AT2020, or any other acceptable USB mic.

 

No matter how good the Aston Spirit (or anything else for that matter) might be, (which again, I'm not denying) you can't possibly be claiming that audio (as played in the video) sounded good.

 

My point isn't that a USB mic is better than an analog setup like this, (because I'm actually a fan of such setups), but rather that they made it sound so bad, not demonstrating the true potential of a more professional setup. I hope this post makes that a bit more clear.

[sub68]

1. Try not to get a DSLR, mostly because canon mirror lock up has a timer IIRC
2. I really don't like the interface I would get

   21 minutes ago, The Flying Sloth said:

   Best alternative would be the UMC202HD

   well the fly sloth said one but my choice would be a foucusrite unit or mixer interface for live EQ and other adjustmeants.

3. a Gopro or nock off gopro are surprising good webcams

   1. I use a Akaso EK7000pro with a single usb to make it into a webcam.

4. Mics

   1. AT2020 are IMO too much for the price try something like a MXL 770

   2. for dynamic SM48 are ok but for cheaper and almost same sound wise a berhinger XM8500 is ok

[Ariolander]

I actually own a Behringer UMC22 and really like it. Pre-pandemic you used to be able to find it for $35 regularly. Its a good entry level device but if you are going to spend +$100 like the others here are recommending the Yamaha AG03 might be more suitable for livestreaming. They are $150 now, but pre-pandemic I had picked mine up for ~$100.  

 

At lower budgets I think you can do better than the Blue Snowball.  I think the $50 CAD Audio U37 or one of those USB Marantz Mics might be better options, I know the Samson Q2U is a popular recommendation for to-be podcasters because it is a USB mic that also has an XLR upgrade path if you add a mixer and more mics for physical guests.

 

If you are looking for a good budget handheld dynamic mic I am very satisfied with my BA 85A. It was only $25 and I like it better than the SM48 and I have used both. Probably not good for handholding but for a desktop situation I definitely prefer the BA85A, Podcastage did a good review of the BA 85A.

 

Pre-pandemic you used to be able to do Behringer UM2 + BA 85A setups for $60 and that used to blow most USB setups out of the water. Sadly, that's not the case anymore with the inflated USB interfaces & mic prices, a MSRP USB mic might be a better option until you have $150~ or so in budget to get some of the nicer XLR options.

 

For those of you that care about looking pretty for the camera, something I think is overlooked for a "Live Streaming" setup the Rode PodMic is good quality and looks like what people expect an expensive broadcast mic to look like, except it only costs $100. Lot of options for mics but I like Rode products having used a lot of them in past and appreciate the Made in Australia quality.

 

If you are using a low output dynamic mic like a PodMic and need a bit of a boost I highly recommend the Klark Teknik CT-1 Mic Booster. At 1/4th the price of Cloudlifters and 1/3rd the price of a FetHeads it provides a lot of clean gain. I was able to adjust my Rode ProCaster from 3 o'clock gain to no digital gain at all on my mixer. Have a much lower noise floor and better sensitivity and it only cost me $30. Really happy with not needing to buy a Cloudlifter, even after a friend offered to sell me his at a discount.

 

Anyone have any experience with an LG V20 as a webcam?

I was thinking of getting one because it is one of the last phones with a user replicable battery, has the famous Quad-DAC so I can use it as a high quality DAP, and it is still officially supported by Lineage OS and getting 3rd party updates. If I can also use it as a webcam as well as a DAP, I think I might bite the bullet and buy a refurb.

[WeeemRCB]

Surprised a used GoPro wasn't a suggestion for camera.

I use an old Hero 4 which is powered by the PC's USB, has auto exposure, doesn't need a bright light and as it's so light you can stick it pretty much anywhere.

 

I'm also disappointed in the mic quality

At the very least I would have expected the recommendation of a shock mount for the mic so table knocks and bumps don't get transmitted directly into the mic.

 

Also something to limit plosives. The Dynamic mic audio was full of it until Linus was playing, so his head was turned away slightly.

Even a sock over the mic would have helped in a pinch until you get a proper foam mic cover.

Sure, it will soften the audio ever so slightly, but nothing that can't be fixed with the EQ.

You can't EQ away plosives.

 

[WeeemRCB]

3 hours ago, akio123008 said:

Both the dynamic and the condenser setup sounded worse than some cheapo USB mics I've heard.

You're not making a very strong case for separate audio interfaces here, an AT2020 USB for instance would sound better and for less money.

Agreed.

I've been using an AT2020USB for about 7years and it's still going strong. No other hardware required.

I've had a fair amount of positive comments about the sound quality, but I also sank a lot of time into experimenting and dialling it in for my environment.

 

My final solution was VoiceMeeter, Cantible Lite and VST plugins (e.g. Reaper ReaPlugs)

 

Cantibile patches into Voicemeeter mic channel, processes the audio then feeds it back to VoiceMeeter

Voicemeeter Mic IN > Cantibile > Voicemeeter Mic Out

 

The VST plugins need to be in a specific order: reaGATE > reaFIR > reaCOMP > reaEQ

 

[ahuckphin]

I own one of those affordable USB stick style capture card and it support 4k

[AndreiArgeanu]

I hate that they recommended a halogen light bulb they're inefficient and after all said and done you're going to end up losing more money when using a halogen, not only due to their shorter life but also because they're inefficient.

 

A decent quality 9-10W LED light bulb with 800 lumen brightness and 5700K color temperature costs like 5$ a piece. With 2 of these light bulbs and a home made diffuser you can get similar lighting quality to the Elgato, plus better overall adjustment since you have 2 light sources compared to 1.

[IgorWalkers]

I used code Linus to buy a one year sub to OWN3D.PRO but i found nothing usefull for myself and tried to asked for refund, but they said

Quote

Unfortunately, it's not possible to get a refund for the subscription. OWN3D Pro can also be tested for free.

They are not wrong, but in the same time "no refunds" policy left a bitter aftertaste.

[GodAtum]

Could you recommend me a headset for streaming? i don't want to use a full-size desk mic but most gaming headsets mic are rubbish.

[Ariolander]

2 hours ago, GodAtum said:

Could you recommend me a headset for streaming? i don't want to use a full-size desk mic but most gaming headsets mic are rubbish.

Combine a V-Moda Boom Pro with any quality headset with any high quality headphones with a standard 3.5mm removable cable.

 

Popular options include Philips SHP9500, Fidelio X2HR, V-MODA LP2, Monoprice Headphones. Others like Sennheisers or the popular Audio-Technica ATH-M40x/M50x work with an adapter or mods.

[ImAlsoRan]

On 5/25/2021 at 12:35 PM, BuckGup said:

IMO I wouldn't mess with halogen lighting at all. It's simply too expensive to use, they get too hot, bulb lifespan, and no easy color adjustment. The money is much better spent on LEDs that are cooler, last longer, use less power, and you can fine tune the temperature of the lightning. 

LED lights just don't look that good on camera though because of their narrow output.

[GodAtum]

7 hours ago, Ariolander said:

Combine a V-Moda Boom Pro with any quality headset with any high quality headphones with a standard 3.5mm removable cable.

 

Popular options include Philips SHP9500, Fidelio X2HR, V-MODA LP2, Monoprice Headphones. Others like Sennheisers or the popular Audio-Technica ATH-M40x/M50x work with an adapter or mods.

There's no pop filter on that mic?

[BuckGup]

12 hours ago, ImAlsoRan said:

LED lights just don't look that good on camera though because of their narrow output.

Some panels have options to mix LEDs to get a wider color output. My cheap Neewer lights have to sets of LEDs for warm and cold and you can mix them as you feel

[Ariolander]

13 hours ago, GodAtum said:

There's no pop filter on that mic?

You don't need one. The boom isn't long enough to put the mic in a position you have to deal with plosives.

 

Unless you literally breathe out of the side of your face its a non-issue. You can buy 3rd party ones but they are unnecessary.