[ ← blog / livestream ](/) Jun 16, 2020  ·  \#livestream  ·  3 min read 

# Getting into screencasts and streaming



Here and there I have recorded some screencast tutorials on my [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFntxnFeNN9DXNNrPi4s4Hg). Actually, it turns out the last time I even tried to was years ago. So, no "here and there", mostly "there." It is something that I have wanted to do more of, but never really dived into due to various excuses.

I first blamed it on my equipment, I wanted a better microphone so I could make better quality recordings. Then I couldn't justify purchasing an expensive microphone and accessories for a hobby when there were things around the house I needed to fix and buy things for. Then it was "well, I can justify the cost if I actually do it, so I should plan content and a schedule" I quickly hit planning paralysis.

But, I finally jumped in and bought some equipment. My friend Justin was my guiding light here. He recommended I go for an XLR microphone versus a USB microphone. He offered to give me his old audio interface (and excuse so he could buy a new one.) That right there made this a cost-effective purchase. So, after tons of hunting (inventory for microphones is almost non-existent), I finally found an Audio-Technica AT2020 in stock!

     ![new microphone](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2020-06/9lpvxu.jpg?itok=aHfZ-_c1) 

 

I grabbed an [Audio-Technica AT2020 Cardioid Condenser Studio XLR Microphone](https://amzn.to/3hvNGo9). From the feedback I have received, this is one of the best microphones for its quality and price. I was able to snag it off of Amazon for $80. Justin linked me to an [InnoGear combo pack](https://amzn.to/2CcTwuy) that included a suspension arm, shock mount, and pop filter. That cost $27. For roughly $110 I was able to get started with better quality equipment than what an equivalently priced USB microphone would have gotten me. The real money-saver was getting the audio interface, a [Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen)](https://amzn.to/3hA5ONx) for free. So, huge thanks to Justin 🥳.

     ![focusrite audio interface](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2020-06/IMG_20200616_125207.jpg?itok=DZ56qMb3) 

 

I also used this as motivation to finally rearrange and clean up my office. I had purchased an [Autonomous SmartDesk 2](https://bit.ly/2QdNePH) over the winter and set it up, with my old corner desk still hanging around. I took apart the old desk and moved my standing desk into an area with better lighting.

     ![standing desk setup](/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2020-06/IMG_20200615_111255.jpg?itok=PfD2NFPO) 

 

My first stream will be the live upgrade of my site from 8.9.x to 9.0.0. I did it locally, and I hit quite a few little quirks. I can grok out Composer dependency conflict output, but some folks may have issues. So I figured it is a great way to get started!

 

  ![](/themes/custom/mglaman/images/headshot.webp)Thanks for reading

I write about Drupal, PHP, and the quiet infrastructure behind large sites — caching, config, and testing. New posts land every week or two.

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Adjusting a node's published time when publishing through content moderation

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My first livestream, and upgrading to Drupal 9

 ](/blog/my-first-livestream-and-upgrading-drupal-9)