My Streaming Setup.

I often get asked what gear I use to produce content, teleconference, record my podcast, etc. I like to say it's like a NASA flight controller desk, and it kind of is. So here we go around the room, so to speak, with an annotated, behind-the-scenes look at what I see when I'm talking to you remotely. 

1: A Lilliput production monitor. I use this to evaluate color and focus and see the multiview coming from my Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Extreme ISO switcher. So if you catch me glancing off to the right, I'm probably making sure I'm still in focus and properly exposed or getting ready to cut to another camera. 

2: My Blackmagic ATEM Mini Extreme ISO switcher with HyperDeck Shuttle HD. This is a sweet piece of video mixing kit. It's not only connected to my webcam camera but also to the cameras we have next to my booth in the LED volume stage. We can also control it remotely in the studio room or across the internet if we're doing a remote production. To the left is a handy Belkin 3-in-1 wireless charger for phone, watch, and headphones.

3: Rotolight NEO LED lighting. I have two of these bouncing into the ceiling and wall to help light me up while I'm in the frame without burning my eyes out. I have blue eyes that are super sensitive to light, so every little bit helps.

4: Ikan Teleprompter. This acts as an external monitor to my Mac Pro and enables me to look folks right in the eye during calls. My Blackmagic Pocket 6K Pro camera sits right behind this, and I can control it remotely from the ATEM, so I don't have to get up and go behind the prompter to adjust focus/exposure/etc.

5: MacBook Pro 16" 2021. This little beastie is my secondary computer, on which I do most of my article writing. It's connected to the ATEM's multiview output, so I can stream that into a call as a second caller if we're doing a production. On top of that are my handy Sony MDR-7506 wired headphones. Do yourself a favor and get rid of your Bluetooth headphones for calls- wired is so much more reliable! And, of course, a little wrist rest.

6: Time Machines NTP network display clock. It's connected to the same network time server as the computers, so the timing is accurate down to the second. This keeps me on schedule, and it looks cool too.

7: Elgato Stream Deck standard and XL models. I'm a fiend for macros with Keyboard Maestro and other automation software. This allows me to control music, run Keynote presentations, trigger specific apps, and control Zoom calls. I can even buzz the front door open via Homekit with these. Love it.

8: The ProDisplay XDR from my 2019 Intel Mac Pro. This is my main streaming control screen. I run Zoom calls from this, capture and route audio via Rogue Amoeba Audio Hijack, and VPN into the computers on the LED stage via Remotix. It's a total beast of a system, and it keeps the room nice and toasty.

9: My RØDE Rodecaster Pro II audio interface/mixer. This thing totally rocks. I've tried many different audio interfaces over the years, but this is the best I've ever used. It sounds great with my Electro-Voice RE20 mic, which I use for calls and to record my voiceovers for the Virtual Production Podcast. I also have it connected to the MacBook Pro to use it as another source. Finally, it plays out via ethernet to a Neutrik Group Dante audio interface so we can hear everything over loudspeakers on the stage. Or we can play it out via Sennheiser wireless headphones if we also need to record audio there.

10: Last but not least, a Keychron K6 mechanical keyboard for the Mac Pro. This thing is rather loud, so loud it comes in clearly on calls. And it's wired, so there are no dropouts or dead batteries in mid-sentence. But it's oh-so-satisfying to type on. 

So, that's my setup as of today. It's a constant work in progress, but it puts a big smile on my face every time I sit down to drive this NASA rig. I hope this peek on the other side of the camera is helpful. And please comment if you have any questions or tips/gear/experiences on your desk that people would benefit from!