Hello all, this is a discussion and collaboration post intended to organize an Audio/Video, recording/streaming system for use around the space by anyone. IE a fully documented, QR code bedazzled, user friendly small cabinet on wheels loaded with a camera or two, and enough microphones to be able to handle anything from podcasts to board meetings. With the requisite hardware in the middle to make it all play nice together, of course. Emphasis on user friendliness, so that anyone can follow the attached documentation to quickly setup/teardown for any event that someone wants to record or livestream.
Such a cabinet will live in an easily accessable place by the general membership, ie common room or similar.
This is by no means comprehensive or exhaustive, just a framework to start discussion.
Tentative requirements:
-mobile and compact (small wheeled cart with enough shelving to store all equiptment)
Video recording device with web streaming capability
3+ microphones
easy read instructions covering all setup/teardown actions, to be stored with the cart.
Aaaand go!
My suggestion: GoPro(has 4k resolution, livestream Facebook/twitch/YouTube capability, companion app), GoPro microphone add-on module (releasing Feb?), Audio mixer and 3+mics feeding into GoPro…plus a quickstart manual for it all.
If like to see us instead be using this for teleconferencing than general streaming. It would drive up engagement since there are often too many things in members’ lives for regular meeting times (especially week day meetings).
We already get Google Meet as part of our g suite, and that has a public live feed available for meetings as a checkbox without needing the subscriber count for a service like YouTube, or the heavier delays of twitch. Also gives us dial in numbers for phone so the other participants don’t even need to use an app or web browser.
Do we want people setting gain and EQ for themselves, or do we want them to just set out the mics and start streaming/join a meeting? A carefully configured DSP might be better than a mixer for the latter scenario. I don’t presume most members are comfortable on a mixing board (or virtual mixing board). Are we providing the PC, or are we going to use it like USB peripherals?
GoPros are (I believe) on order in Digital Media. I know there are mics in Digital Media.
My personal road warrior kit is an iPhone, Rode Reporter mic (works great in loud environments) a Rode iXLR, and a mic cord. I use the cord to avoid interference and the signal cutting out when I least want it to. A portable tabletop tripod was also useful. I livestreamed a large chunk of Startup Weekend on Facebook Live and Periscope a few years back with this setup.
The iRig Pre is a good portable XLR adapter for phones with headphone jacks if people want to get their own and don’t need multichannel recording. Guitar Center usually has them in stock. The Rode Reporter and iXLR are available online, but check that you’re buying officially licensed gear to keep your warranty up to date.
Shure makes a super cardiod mic that is also very good in noisy environments.
For meetings, I think we’ll need enough mics set up for every board member, and also one for the audience. We’ll need to be able to mix it properly, but this is something I’ll need to get with the pros on to learn more.
For something like a board meeting I like a gain sharing mixer with auto-gating. That is generally a pro DSP feature, but maybe there are some modern virtual desk mixers that could do the job. I’m a fan of the Soundcraft UI series if you want a virtual desk. I like QSC or BiAmp DSPs for a set it and forget it scenario. You can also make a touch panel GUI design in QSC, but that takes an additional license and one of their proprietary touch screens. The DSP option isn’t cheap, but they are extremely effective.
But would we have to stack people on top of each other in like a 3 height x 8 x 8 grid?
If so I call top. Not really a bottom. I can also provide aerial hooks
I think the large kit @ $2300 would be better spec’d for rooms of 20
Either way the idea of having them pre populate with the room reservations on calendar and being able to add mics or speakers daisy chain as needed seems like the way to go regardless of vendor.
