Wes and Scott talk with Syntax Producer Randy Rektor. From mastering mic technique to lighting hacks and choosing the right camera, they discuss the best ways to upgrade your audio and video setup on any budget.

Show Notes

• 00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
• 03:01 Brought to you by Sentry.io

04:14 Understanding signal-to-noise ratio

06:48 Using de-noise

• iZotope Voice De-noise

09:12 The importance of mic technique

10:28 Dealing with electrical noise

11:15 The proximity effect

13:01 Sound treatment vs sound proofing

• Sound Wavelength Calculator

Syntax 516: Wes’ New Soundproof Office

Studiobricks

Randy’s Studiobricks video

GIK Acoustics

23:33 Do egg crates work for sound treatment?

25:22 USB mics vs XLR mics

• Shure MV6

Syntax 845: Are Companies Hiring? State of the Dev Job Market With Taylor Desseyn

27:06 Video composition

30:18 How to improve your lighting

35:37 Choosing the right camera

36:58 The importance of codecs and bitrates

38:14 What to look for in a webcam

38:50 Randy’s packages for $50, $150 and $500-$1000 budgets

40:02 The $50 package/selecting your mic

• Feelworld PM1

Fifine K688

heyday Stone White Desktop Mic

43:53 The $150 package

• Neewer lights

45:32 The $500-$1000 package

• Shure MV6

Insta360 Link 2

Insta360 Link 2c

Elgato Cam Link 4k

Sonay a6000

51:07 Mic stand recommendations

• VIVO

56:50 Sick picks & Shameless Plugs

Sick Picks

• Randy: etymologynerd on TikTok

Shameless Plugs

• Randy: Randy’s YouTube Channel

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