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Ready. Set. Studio On The Go…

The great return to work has begun.

Slow for some.
A few days a week for others.
Raging back almost as quickly as the pandemic shut it down for others.

Choose your poison.

As travel tweaks back.
As the office calls.
As things return to the way that they were.
As things will never be the same.

Here’s the best studio for great video (and audio) on the go:

Criteria: Small, light, compact, and with the best quality.
Main Criteria: Always carry-on. Gear you don’t need to make (too much) more room for.

The Basics.
The laptop must be powerful.
Look for the best graphics card possible.
Max out on memory (hard drive space is different).
If possible, have the ability to plug directly into the Internet modem/router wherever you may be.
That’s the big one.
Wifi is fine.
Direct is best.

The software.
If you’re on a Mac, ECamm Live.
OBS for others.
Both can be learned fairly quickly through YouTube tutorials.

The camera.
You can get away with the built-in webcam, but they usually suck.
Logitech Brio will be your best option.

The microphone.
You can get away with the built-in microphone, but they usually suck.
Shure MV7 will be your best option.
It is USB and XLR.
Make sure it has all of the cables that you need.
Don’t forget to buy a light and portable mic stand as well.

The lighting.
Natural lighting is great.
Natural lighting is impossible to control.
I use one LituFoto N126 (but you might need two).
These do not include stands and cables.

That should get you across the finish line.

The extras.
In-ear monitors: MEE audio Sport-Fi M6 Noise Isolating in-Ear Headphones with Memory Wire (Clear).
These will block and stop the usual sound issues that come from using speakers, and are not visible while you’re on camera.
USB Hub. I prefer the self-powered ones like the CalDigit TS3 Plus, but you may have to sacrifice that kind of power and go for something with a smaller and lighter profile.
When it comes to USB Hubs, I prefer the ones that allow for Ethernet and ensure that it has enough ports for all of your accessories (something like this).
Elgato Stream Deck. I use this to switch scenes for my presentations and add some spice. If there’s room, I’ll be tossing this in the carry-on as well.

Anything else that I’m missing?

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Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.