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Studio Equipment & Setup

This page details the setup of our studio as of pretty much the week before school so the configuration should stay the same unless anyone changes it.

Main Components​

  • Camera
  • Production Rack
  • Microphone
  • Monitors
Rack PC Components list

Diagram​

Here's a diagram of the way the studio is wired. Studio Diagram

Blackmagic Capture Card​

Capture cards are a very important component when it comes to streaming and producing video. They allow the computer to read video streams coming through an HDMI or SDI cable.

Why do we have an SDI capture card if all of our cameras output HDMI? SDI is an industry-standard for transporting video, and for a good reason. It can be sent over 100s of meters of cable, as opposed to HDMI, which can only realistically carry a signal 50ft. SDI is easier to use for larger setups, even though our studio does not necessarily require it. SDI does require us to use converters but is more useful for future expandability to cameras with SDI outputs.

Important

The order of the ports on the Decklink Duo is not what you think it would be. From top to bottom, the inputs are numbered 1, 3, 2, 4, ref. Why is this the case? Absolutely no clue, but that's just the way it is. So just remember that if you plug something into a port other than the top one.

XLR Patchbay​

All of the audio inputs run through the ceiling and down into the patch bay. A patch bay is simply a rackmount piece of equipment that passes a signal directly from the back to the front. That's literally all it does. Here's a list of what the outputs are connected to:

  1. RØDE Shotgun Microphone
  2. Spare (Ends up next to the shotgun mic)
  3. Sound Booth Microphone 1 (Closest to door)
  4. Sound Booth Microphone 2 (Furthest from the door)

Stream Deck​

The Elgato Stream deck is a macropad for running shortcuts and application-specific functions. You can use it to easily run the morning show without clicking around on the screen. You can learn about the profile I've created for the morning show here

Blackmagic HDMI to SDI mini converter​

These devices serve a single purpose: to convert an HDMI cable into an SDI cable. This allows us to get the video signal into the computer. They also need to be powered by a tiny micro USB cable. One HDMI cable connects to the input side, and two SDI connectors are split to the output side. The two outputs send the same signal, allowing a source monitor and a switcher/capture card to be connected to the same camera.

Canon XA15 Camcorder​

This is the heart of the show, really. Halo owns two Canon camcorders that are the main workhorses for filming and streaming. Same as always, Google, or the manual will be able to answer most of your questions about the specific functions of the camera, but we will go over a few basics and quirks with this one in particular.

Steps to record a video​

The camera is turned on by switching it into, you guessed it, Camera mode with the 3-way switch on the left. You will also see a setting to put it into Media mode where you can view the clips that you've recorded. Most of the time you will want the camera to be in auto mode, which is the green option from the switch on the top left.

The camera has an onboard microphone, but most of the time we will be using an external Rode Shotgun microphone. A shotgun microphone is just a mic that captures sound directionally in front of itself to avoid external noise and other sounds that we don't want to be picked up. Connect a small XLR cable into INPUT 1 on the XA11's handle and make sure the volume knob is set somewhere in the middle between min and max. Make sure the microphone attachment's main switch is turned on, and the gain for INPUT 1 and INPUT 2 is set to Auto to avoid clipping.

Camera settings​

There's a myriad of settings that can be adjusted on the XA15. You can get to the settings menu by pressing FUNC in the top left corner and pressing MENU in the same spot. Here are some settings that you should double-check before recording or streaming video, although 99% of the time they will already be on these by default.

  1. Recording format ➞ MP4 - the XA11 records to AVCHD by default, and it's a pain in the ass to import into most editing software, so we keep it on MP4.
  2. Recording bitrate ➞ 30mbps (1080p) - This changes the bitrate, framerate, and resolution all in one setting.
  3. Make sure INPUT1 audio is recording to the card by going to the far right menu tab, scrolling down, and selecting INPUT1 as the audio source.

With an SD Card inserted into one of the two slots on the inside of the flip-out screen, you can use either of the two red buttons to start/stop recording. That's it! You've recorded a video on the XA11.

For streaming, it's also important to make sure the HDMI output settings are set to Auto under the same "wrench" tab as the audio settings.