The Blog
The archive of my blog (since 2010).
My 2021 YouTube + Livestream Studio Setup
Here is a look at where I film my YouTube videos, podcasts, and online courses. I share all the gear I'm using and how I set it all up so I can walk in and start filming in less than a minute.
New Course — How to Record Better Audio for Your Videos
My brand new course about learning Audio Basics for Filming Videos is now live! Learn more in this post.
Best Vlogging Microphone? — Deity D4 Duo Review
This is the Deity D4 Duo, a small on camera microphone that is perfect for vlogging or recording interviews because it actually has two built-in mics. One pointing towards the front and one pointing towards the back.
How to Record Better Audio on Any Budget
In this episode I chat with Curtis Judd about how to record high quality audio, what gear he recommends, and common audio mistakes to avoid.
Ultimate GoPro Vlogging Setup
In this video I'm going to show you how to rig out your GoPro into a setup that will give you better audio, a preview of what you're recording, and make it easier to hold.
What’s the Best Microphone for YouTube (on a Tight Budget)?
In this episode I go into detail on four microphones that I would recommend to fellow YouTubers. Each have pros and cons and each is in a different price bracket.
How to Get Great Audio Far Away from a Camera #AskLeb
In this episode of #AskLeb I answer a question from Thomas Frank of College Info Geek about what the best options are for recording great audio when you're far away from the camera.
Audio Technica ATH M30X vs. Sony MDR-7506 Comparison
In this video we review the two best budget options for monitoring headphones, the Sony MDR-7506 and the Audio Technica ATH-M30X. Both of these headphones will serve you well. They are in the same price range and both include a leather pouch and adapter. Perhaps the biggest difference is the cord, straight vs coiled.
Sony MDR-7506 Monitor Headphones Review
In this video we review the Sony MDR-7506. Long considered the industry standard you can find these from sets to sound rooms. Offering a frequency response that covers the range of human hearing, the MDR-7506 will allow you to hear every blip and pop of the edit.
Audio Technica ATH-M30X Review
The ATH-M30X comes in at $70 and delivers excellent flat frequency response that won’t break the bank.
RODE VideoMicro Review
If you're recording video on a DSLR or mirrorless camera, you don't want to use the on-board mic for audio. You want to at least pick up a shotgun mic like this RODE VideoMicro, for around $60.
In this video above we review and walkthrough the RODE VideoMicro microphone.
RODE VideoMic Me Review
If you record videos or livestream on your smartphone and want better audio, there are a ton of options. In this video I unbox, comparison test, and review the RODE VideoMic Me, a shotgun style microphone that plugs directly into a headphone jack.
You can watch the video in this post or on YouTube.
RODELink Filmmaker Kit Review & Set-up
Sometimes when you're filming a video and the talent is moving a lot (like in a fitness video) or they are just really far away, running a wired microphone to them just isn't always an option.
When that's the case, a wireless set-up is the only way to get quality audio recorded without having someone follow them around with a boom and a shotgun mic.
In this video I review one of the most inexpensive wireless lavalier kits on the market, the RODELink Wireless Filmmaker Kit. I'll show you what comes in the box, how to properly set it up, and run a few tests on how it sounds.
9 Tips for Setting Up a Home Video Studio
Most of the clients we shoot videos for ask us questions about how they can set-up their own video studio in their homes or offices.
Studios are a great tool for being able to record videos quickly and consistently, so in this podcast episode we're going to share what we've learned building our video and audio garage studio as well as share our recommendations for how you should go about putting one together for yourself.
The nine tips cover determining what you want the studio to be used for, how to lay it out, determining what gear is must have, making it permanent, and tips for controlling sound and temperature.
dbx 286s Mic Pre-Amp Review + Set-up Walkthrough
When I podcast or record voiceovers I use a Shure SM7B microphone into a Focusrite 18i8, but recently I wanted to get more gain and processing on it before going into Adobe Audition.
After some research I landed on the dbx 286s microphone pre-amp and processor.
In this video review I'm going to walk through what cables you need to use it, what each of the dials on it do, what I set all of them to, and any pro's and con's of this unit.
How to Use an iPhone as Your Video Microphone
The last thing you want to do to capture audio in your videos is use the built-in microphone on your camera because it sounds really awful.
In this video I'm going to show you how to use your iPhone or other smart phone to capture better audio in your videos on the cheap.
Watch the video above, on YouTube, or through iTunes.
Which Microphone Should You Use for Videos? (DVG 011)
If there was ever an episode to listen to with headphones, this would be it.
Today's episode is gonna be a fun one and a bit different. I'll be chatting about what microphone you should use in your videos and instead of just mentioning a bunch of different ones I thought I'd actually record using a bunch of them so you could hear some of the differences firsthand.
You'll hear 10 different microphones, what they should like and why I use some for certain situations over others.
Which Studio Monitor Speakers Should You Buy?
As you build out your video (or audio) editing studio, one important piece is a solid pair of studio monitor speakers.
Up until this week I've just simply edited any video or audio I've produced while wearing over the ear headphones. But there are a few reasons why you wouldn't want to exclusively edit only wearing headphones.
- Not everyone that consumes what you make will be wearing headphones.
- To properly mix the audio you'll want to hear it on different devices/set-ups.
- You'll often have more than one other person at a time watch or listen to what you're working on.
In this post I'll walk through which speakers you should be looking at buying and if you can't afford them, what headphones to go with in the meantime.