Office Audio & Visual
Look Good & Sound Good!
With a small investment, you can dramatically improve the audio and video quality of your home office. This can help you in video conferences, online interviews, and even online courses you create. Here’s some of the gear I recommend including webcams and USB microphones:
Webcams & Microphones
This is the webcam to get. It has autofocus, a sharp Zeiss lens, H264 processing, and shoots great HD video. It even has a built-in mic which is decent for video conferences. But to get the best audio you’ll want to get a dedicated USB mic. You can access all of its features on a PC. If you’re on a Mac, then get Webcam Settings (it’s only ten bucks) to access all its features.
This is the webcam to get. It has autofocus, a sharp Zeiss lens, H264 processing, and shoots great HD video. It even has a built-in mic which is decent for video conferences. But to get the best audio you’ll want to get a dedicated USB mic. You can access all of its features on a PC. If you’re on a Mac, then get Webcam Settings (it’s only ten bucks) to access all its features.
Like the ATR2500, this mic has both USB and XLR outputs, giving it more versatility. What I especially like about this over the ATR2500 though is how much “hotter” it is. It doesn’t require me to raise up the volume input levels like I do with the ATR2500. Overall, this is an unbelievable mic for the price.
It’s unbelievable how good this mic sounds. It’s nearly as good as mics that cost 4x more. Even better, it has both an USB and XLR output. So you can actually use this mic with a professional digital recorder. The only issue I’ve had with it is that – on some Windows computers – it doesn’t put out quite enough gain unless I crank everything up all the way.
If you’re looking for a great USB mic that costs less than half as much as the Blue Yeti and can literally be slipped into a small pants pocket, then consider the Samson GoMic. It has an ingenious clip that enables you to attach it the side of your laptop or set it on your desktop. You can also attach it to a tripod. Another highly recommended mic. I use this one when I travel.
Desktop Video Software
This is the program I use for all my videos. It’s especially geared for people creating information products. It’s able to do what’s called “screen capture”, meaning you can use it to record your PowerPoint presentation, Facebook Live and other videos. It’s pricey, but there’s really nothing else like it on the market for PCs. For those on Macs, check out Screenflow.
This is now my favorite transcription program. It’s a desktop app that can transcribe audio and video files with amazing accuracy. Even better you can literally edit your audio from the transcription! See an “umm” on the transcript? Delete it and it also disappears from the audio file. Amazing!
Download YouTube videos with this free tool. Simply paste the URL into the box and click download.