21/08/2024
My updated livestream setup is almost complete. I’ve been offering live-streaming since 2017, but have been working this year to completely revamp my equipment and how I approach things. Here’s what my setup looks like today:
It all starts with the ATEM Mini Extreme ISO which allows me to take 8 HDMI inputs. My personal kit utilizes 6 of those 8 inputs, four of which are cameras (Sony FX6, FX3 and dual A1 cameras). This allows me to have cameras stage left, stage center and stage right, plus a crowd cam. The fifth input is a feed from a presenter’s laptop and the sixth is an input from a HyperDeck Shuttle HD which allows me to preload videos or graphics and play them directly into the ATEM. For connecting the cameras and presenter laptops to my ATEM, I have both wired and wireless options. The wireless option is five Teradek Ace 750s (one for each camera, plus the laptop). The wired option is 165’ Pearstone 8K Hybrid Optical HDMI cables. I’ve used those for years and they are great.
To control the switching, I preordered an ATEM Micro Panel which has preview/program keys and a physical fader k**b, more similar to what I’m used to using when streaming at my church rather than switching directly on the ATEM. For me, the Micro Panel will make switching a bit easier, rather than doing it from the ATEM Mini Extreme ISO itself.
For recording the streams, I am using a USB-C SSD drive connected to the ATEM which allows me to record ISO tracks of every input (cameras, presenter’s laptop and HyperDeck Shuttle HD), plus a Resolve project file from the stream. This is great for streams that will be re-edited after they air which is something I do get asked to do from time to time when filming conferences with multiple speakers. In addition to recording from the ATEM directly, I also am recording a backup copy to a HyperDeck Studio HD Plus which is connected to one of the ATEM’s HDMI out ports. This not only gives me a backup recording of the stream itself, but also gives me the option to record the stream at a higher quality file than what the ATEM itself records. I am also setup to record 10-bit 4K internally on all of my cameras while simultaneously streaming in HD so that I can remaster everything in 4K if requested.
If we need IMAG for any reason, allowing the in-person audience to see the live show on large screens, I have the cabling needed to connect an output from the HyperDeck Studio HD Plus to projectors in the venue. This way I can offer IMAG to clients. I also have a second laptop available that can be connected to an overflow room’s projectors with the stream pulled up on it so that I can not only offer IMAG, but the ability to watch the stream in an overflow room. This extra laptop can also be used for presenters if they don’t have their own laptop, and I have a Logitech Spotlight Presentation Remote for that computer for this exact use case.
For internet, I’m using a Peplink MAX BR2 Pro Dual 5G Mobile Router with a SpeedFusion Connect Unlimited plan. My Peplink router is there specifically for internet bonding to help ensure a stable and reliable stream. Inside the Peplink router, I have an AT&T 5G unlimited SIM card and a T-Mobile 5G unlimited SIM card. I also have the Peplink connected to my iPhone’s Verizon 5G mobile hotspot, as well as a direct connection to the venue’s ethernet (when possible), plus the venue’s WiFi. This essentially gives me five internet sources (three 5G mobile sources, ethernet, and WiFi). Those five sources are then bonded together with SpeedFusion. This way if one or more internet sources were to ever crash, get bogged down or anything of the sort, I have others to fall back that will keep the stream going. The Peplink router is then hardwired into my laptop, ATEM, and HyperDecks to get them all onto the same network. This system also allows me to stream in places where internet isn’t, so long as I can get cell service for the AT&T, T-Mobile and/or Verizon connections.
For sound, I’m using an Allen & Heath CQ-18T eighteen track audio mixer, paired with an iPad Pro for wireless control of the mixer. The CQ-18T allows me to not only mix sound for the house, but also allows me to record ISO tracks of every audio input, just like how the ATEM does with ISO tracks of the HDMI inputs. This way I can re-edit the audio in post if needed using raw 24-bit .WAV files rather than having to edit a mixed track. The CQ-18T does also record a stereo mixed track as well in case you are happy with the mix and don’t feel the need to edit the sound. The CQ-18T also has an Auto Mic Mixer to help with auto mixing the mics which is very useful when working small corporate streams without a dedicated sound engineer.
To connect the Allen & Heath CQ-18T to the ATEM for livestream sound, I’m using a 6’ Mogami Gold 3.5mm TRS to Dual 1/4" TS cable. Because of the short length of the cable and the clean output of the CQ-18T, I get a great line input to the ATEM that sounds incredible. For venues where I might have to have the mixer far away from the ATEM, I run dual 6’ Mogami Gold 1/4” TRS to XLR cables and then connect those to 100’ XLR cables. Because of the long run in those situations, I connect the dual XLRs into a DI box, specifically a Radial Engineering J-ISO Stereo 4 dB to -10 dB Converter with Jensen Transformers. This allows me to take the two 100’ cables and plug them into a quality DI box where they will be converted from balanced to unbalanced, then hit them with a ground loop isolator which eliminates any potential hum or buzz that could be introduced over the long length of cables. From there, I use a 6’ Mogami Gold 3.5mm TRS Male to 3.5mm TRS Male stereo audio cable to connect the DI box to the ATEM. This system also works great if I need to take audio from a venue’s mixer if the venue is hell bent on using theirs, ensuring I’ll get a good audio feed no matter the situation.
For mics, I can provide up to 14 microphones to cover a variety of situations. My mics start with six wireless bodypack transmitters which I can use either with my own lapels or earset mics. From there, I have four wireless handheld mics (two can be converted to wired), two podium or gooseneck mics, and two room mics (for shows where you want to hear audience reactions). I can also use any mics that are already being used, or any mixer for that matter, so that if a client already has paid an AV company for those services, I can use what’s already there. But, being able to offer my own mics and mixer allows me to be more flexible for customers. I also can rent speakers as needed, or projectors and screens for that matter, so if customers want to use me for everything outside of stage lighting, I can be that resource for them.
For monitoring, I’m using four monitor sources. The first is an OSEE 22" Mega 22S production monitor. This 1500nit monitor is connected to my ATEM’s second HDMI out port and is setup with multi-view so that I can see all HDMI inputs at once (the 4 cameras, presenter’s laptop, and the HyperDeck Shuttle HD’s preloaded videos/graphics). I also have my multi-view setup to show a preview feed, a program feed, and a status screen. This production monitor also gives me access to false color, histograms, vectorscopes, and focus peaking so that I can monitor each of my cameras closely.
The second monitor is my laptop. I’m simply using its 16” built-in monitor to view the ATEM Software Control so that I can monitor and make changes inside the program as needed. Monitors three and four are made from Upperizon. This dual 15.6” monitor setup comes built together and can sit upright on its own, one on top of the other. They connect to my computer’s docking station via a single USB-C cable and I am using them to monitor the health of the stream. The top monitor gets a full screen view of the stream which is possible thanks to the ATEM’s ability to output an image to a computer via USB-C. The bottom monitor is setup as a split screen with one screen showing the Peplink’s live internet connections and the other showing the livestream page itself, wether that’s YouTube, Zoom, etc., so that I can monitor the stream health, how many viewers we have, and check any comments that come in.
To connect everything to my computer, I’m using a CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 18-in-1 hub. I’ve had one of these since launch that stays in my office and it’s great, so I added a second one to take with me on livestream projects. This hub allows me to power my laptop and connect it all devices with a single Thunderbolt 4 cable.
For comms to communicate with my shooters as well as to an event coordinator, I’m using six Hollyland Solidcom C1 Pros with the single ear cup. These are great for communication and allow one ear to be open so that I can plug an earbud in the other ear to monitor the sound that’s coming out of the ATEM’s headphone jack.
Overall, that’s about it! I have a few of these pieces still left to order, but this is the kit I’ve been building this year so that I can offer a higher level of service for conferences, speaking engagements, town hall meetings, PSAs and things of that nature. I also have many other pieces not mentioned here (lenses, video production lights, HDMI splitters, HDMI audio extractors, camera monitors, etc.), but overall this is a bird’s eye view of what I’ve been building toward.
Live-streaming is a lot of work and comes with many moving parts, but the overall product and how you get there is fascinating to me. I hope this post offers some ideas on one way to do things. Have a great day!
