STACK #184 Feb 2020

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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Maybe you’ve been streaming or content creating for a while and you’re ready for the next step. Perhaps you just want to invest in better gear to hit the ground running with quality sound and vision for your audience. Hey, they’ll thank you for it.Whatever the reason, there’s room to step up the quality of your recording essentials. BETTER BITS

quality. This is particularly important for streamers who can’t reshoot. The

Joby GorillaPod 3K tripod is a great fit for cameras like the A6000. It’s compact and sturdy with wrappable legs to record from almost any surface. If you want something a bit more traditional, the Joby RangePod 1600 Travel Tripod is mobile, a cinch to set up, and can be used as

a monopod via detachable leg. For lighting, the Elgato Key

Light is built to

and out-and-about content creators, this means familiarising yourself with the superior image quality of DSLR cameras. But you can start with a user-friendly DSLR-style mirrorless camera.

offer easy-to-use studio-like lighting. It’s LED powered to keep the electricity

bill and your room heat down and can even be desk mounted. For mobile lighting, consider the Manfrotto Lumimuse 6 LED Light. Capturing attention PC gamers streaming at this level can benefit from a more fully featured stream deck, like the aptly named Elgato Stream Deck. This does the job of the Elgato Stream Deck Mini overleaf, but this (slightly) heftier sibling offers 15 LCD keys. Customise these to launch your media, jump between scenes, social media blast your latest victory, or any number of 210 actions. For recording gameplay, nab an Elgato HD60 S+ Game Capture, which offers HDR10 recording and passthrough at up to 2160p resolution.

Radio star Whether you’re taking advantage of a high- resolution iPhone camera at home as a streamer or content creator, or looking to snag footage while out and about, consider starting with the Shure MV88+ Video Kit. This converts a compatible iPhone into a viable and versatile camcorder care of a stereo condenser mic for better audio capture. For the homely home studio, record your commentary or live quips with the Stadium Hollywood USB Microphone. On the functional front, there’s studio-quality audio recording, a handy mute button to block out noisy interrupting housemates, and volume controls for on-the-fly tweaks. As for form, streamers may be tempted to keep this mic in view because of the five switchable LED lighting effects. Step up the sound quality with a Stadium USBKIT Microphone Pack, which bundles mic with boom arm. Radio-star killer This budgetary pricepoint is where it’s worth considering an investment in broadcast-quality video gear (or close enough). For streamers

Mirror, mirror Compared to DSLRs, mirrorless generally means faster, lighter, and better video. Armed with the Sony Alpha A6000, content creators can splice high-quality video with great still photography, care of a 16–50mm lens, which offers the versatility of wide-angle to portrait framing. The portrait framing is great for streamers, but streamers and content creators will benefit from the 1080p video recording and the user-friendly ultra-high-speed auto-focus.

With a compatible external camera you already own, use the Elgato Cam Link to stream or content create in up to 4K resolution. Illuminating extras When you’re investing in a high-quality camera, you’ll also want a dependable tripod and some lighting. The tripod keeps things steady and the lighting ensures consistency in your image

46 FEBRUARY 2020

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