I’ve had a requests to share my home office and video studio setup. Part one covers the equipment I’m using or recommend. Part 2 will be the office setup. I focused on value and budget. If you have an unlimited budget, hire someone with video production to setup your dream studio. For everyone else, here are some very affordable options to get you started and appear far better than anyone but the professionals. I’ve used [Purchased] to indicate the items I purchased and use, although the other options are highly rated and great alternatives. Some come down to finding a great sale or personal preference. Most links are to Amazon Smile US, and I encourage you to make your shopping a benefit to your favorite non-profit.
- Recommended brands for affordable video/photo equipment
- Video camera – I’m running the Logitech C930 and C922x for streaming on a small tripod or monopod, and my Nikon DSLR for video recording.
- Stands and backdrops – I have a set of muslin backdrops in chromakey green, black, and white and separate stand. I recommend buying a backdrop kit instead. I first purchased the Neewer collapsible background, but found it was too small for most video work.
Setting up my background was a nightmare. I battled between having the background too close to light correctly or not being wide enough for my camera. I was in an unfinished basement office that I finally installed Ikea wardrobes as my standard background, and will use the standing desk with backdrops on a stand.- Backdrop kits
- MOUNTDOG Photo Backdrop Stand Kit 10×6.5ft Background Stand Support System with 3 Muslin Backdrop Kits(White/Black/Chromakey Green Screen Kit) and Carry Bag
- Emart Photo Video Studio Background Backdrop Stand Kit
- Neewer Photo Studio 8.5 X 10 feet/2.6 X 3 Meters Backdrop Stand Background Support System with 6 X 9 feet
- Backdrop stands
- Backdrops
- Neewer Chromakey Green Chromakey Blue Collapsible Backdrop Collapsible Reversible Background [Purchased]
- Neewer Chromakey Green/Blue and Black/White Backdrop with Backdrop Banner Stand, Collapsible Reversible Photography Background 59″x119″ Chroma-Key Panel
- Green Screen, SEDGEWIN Portable Chromakey Green Backdrop for Photo Backdrop Video Studio
- Octus Wide-Angle Green Screen – 82 Inches Wide – Wall-Mounted, Pull Down Backdrop, Chroma Key Panel
- Emart 75”x79” Retractable Green Screen, Pull Down Auto-Locking Chroma Key Panel
- Monopods for lights, cameras, and phones
- Backdrop kits
- Lighting – Originally I purchased two lighting kits with softboxes, but they were too bright for my office space, even with 300 lumen CRI 90 LED bulbs. I recommend buying the LED light panels instead. Add the silk diffuser (taped in place) if you want to soften the light further. Make sure you get one capable of 5,200K.
- Plan on having two lights for your face, each at a 45 degree angle for even lighting. I have two lights for my background so I can turn the overhead light off. When using a green or black screen, I used a light directly behind me to backlight me and separate me from the background. My body hides the light. This is also why I love the new LED panels and recommend them over softboxes in small spaces.
- Neewer 2 Packs Dimmable 5600K USB LED Video Light with Adjustable Tripod 2 pack [Purchased]
- Emart LED Video Light 11 Brightness/4 Color Filters Dimmable Photography Continuous Table Top Lighting, Adjustable Tripod Stand 2 pack [Purchased]
- VILTROX 2-Pack VL-200 3300K-5600K CRI95 Super Slim LED Video Light Panel Photography Lighting Kit with Light Stand
- LED flexible desk lamp covered with tissue – Walmart [Purchased]
- Neewer 2 Yard x 60 Inch/1.8M x 1.5M Nylon Silk White Seamless Diffusion Fabric for Photography Softbox,Light Tent and Lighting Light Modifier [Purchased]
- Microphones and Headsets – I run several different audio setups. My primary for normal work calls is my Game One headset. For webinars and video recording, I use the Blue Yeti microphone (with cover and screen) and a set of ear buds. I use the lapel mic to record video using my Nikon camera.
- Microphones
- The Blue microphones are some of the best home studio microphones around the $100 mark I’ve found. If space is a concern, the Nano is a good option. I went with the regular Blue Yeti which was slightly more on sale. The voice quality is noticeable.
- Blue Yeti Nano Professional Condenser USB Microphone
- Blue Yeti USB Mic [Purchased]
- Blue Yeti X Professional Condenser USB Microphone
- EJT Upgraded Microphone Pop Filter Mask Shield for Blue Yeti and Other Mic [Purchased]
- Mic Cover Foam Microphone Windscreen for Blue Yeti, Yeti Pro Condenser Microphone [Purchased]
- If you want a very similar mic but under $50, check out the Fifine line of microphones. Michael Bathurst discovered this brand and uses it for his daily broadcast. The quality is better than most headsets.
- The Blue microphones are some of the best home studio microphones around the $100 mark I’ve found. If space is a concern, the Nano is a good option. I went with the regular Blue Yeti which was slightly more on sale. The voice quality is noticeable.
- Lapel microphones
- Adapters
- Creative Labs Sound Blaster Play! 3 External USB Sound Adapter
- UGREEN USB 3.0 Hub 3 Ports USB Sound Card 2 in 1 External Stereo Audio Adapter
- Creative Sound BlasterX G1 7.1 Portable HD Gaming USB DAC and Sound Card
- Sabrent USB External Stereo Sound Adapter
- Creative Sound Blaster X3 Digital Audio Converter [Purchased]
- Headsets
- EPOS I Sennheiser GAME ONE Gaming Headset [Purchased]
- Cooler Master MH-752 MH752 Gaming Headset With Virtual 7.1 Surround Sound
- HyperX Cloud Stinger S – Gaming Headset
- Massdrop x Sennheiser PC37X Gaming Headset
- Mpow USB Headset (All-Platform Edition)
- Logitech USB Headset H390 with Noise Cancelling Mic
- Microphones
- Video adapters and monitors – I’ll have a separate article on my desk setup. I’m running two monitors off my laptop with separate keyboard and mouse. I have my video camera between the monitors on a selfie tripod. This keeps my eyes looking slightly up and close to the camera lens. This setup is duplicated for my standing desk and using HDMI splitters and switches to flip between sitting and standing. Make sure you buy a monitor with resolution that matches your laptop output. There wasn’t any reason to get a bigger or better monitor since my video card was the limiting factor.
- Monitor adapters
- USB to HDMI Adapter, 1080P HD Audio Video Cable Converter, USB 3.0/2.0 to HDMI for Multiple Monitors [Purchased]
- USB3.0 to HDMI VGA Adapter, avedio links 1 in 2 USB3.0 to 1080P HDMI VGA Converter [Purchased]
- Anker USB C Hub Adapter, PowerExpand+ 7-in-1 USB C Hub, with 4K USB C to HDMI [Purchased]
- HDMI Switch 4k HDMI Splitter-GANA Aluminum Bidirectional HDMI Switcher [Purchased]
- Monitors
- Monitor adapters
- Other useful items
- Acoustic foam – I covered my ceiling and open walls with acoustic foam to isolate other noises and reduce echoes. It has dramatically improved my audio quality.
- https://www.foambymail.com/acoustical-pyramid-foam.html [Purchased]
- I decided on the 1″ foam since my office is in the basement and already insulated in the ceiling and interior walls. If you have a high noise room, 2″ is better, but I see no reason to buy better foam unless you are doing professional audio recording.
- Wireless phone charger – I find it easier to keep my phone on a charging stand just below my monitors wo I can see texts and messages during a broadcast.
- Other adapters – These are other adapters that help my setup, but most are related to my desk setup.
- Anker 2-in-1 USB 3.0 SD Card Reader for SDXC, SDHC, SD, MMC, RS-MMC, Micro SDXC, Micro SD, Micro SDHC Card and UHS-I Cards – Used to retrieve videos from other cameras [Purchased]
- SD Card Reader, VOGEK 3-in-1 USB 3.0 / USB C / Micro USB Card Reader – SD, Micro SD, SDXC, SDHC, Micro SDHC, Micro SDXC Memory Card Reader – Used to retrieve videos from other cameras [Purchased]
- Anker USB C Hub, 5-in-1 USB C Adapter, with SD/TF Card Reader [Purchased]
- Logitech Professional Presenter R800, Wireless Presentation Clicker Remote with Green Laser Pointer and LCD Display [Purchased]
- Anker USB C Hub Adapter, PowerExpand+ 7-in-1 USB C Hub, with 4K USB C to HDMI [Purchased]
- Anker 4-Port USB 3.0 Ultra Slim Data Hub [Purchased]
- MMFB Arts & Crafts Extra Large Thicker Whiteboard Banner Vinyl Adhesive Paper Wall Decal Poster (7 FEET) [Purchased]
- Acoustic foam – I covered my ceiling and open walls with acoustic foam to isolate other noises and reduce echoes. It has dramatically improved my audio quality.
