Chapter 12: An Expensive Setup Doesn't Always Mean Better + Budget Mic/Lighting/Webcam Guide

I've said before that you should by no means compare yourself to other streamers in the concept of quality in content creation and your growth being standstill to their snowballing.

That also goes not just for the content you create, but what equipment you use to create that content.

Let's say you've visited a popular streamer's chat and they had a phenomenal setup consisting of multiple monitors and cam feeds for their streams, all of which show off good lighting.

They also have a nice XLR mic with a audio mixer that makes their voice sound studio quality, PC parts that border on NASA level functioning, and multiple cool extra peripherals such as an Elgato Streamdeck.

Now obviously the above is an exaggeration in some aspects, but its facts that it's some of the worst window shopping one can do when you want to pursue your dream and yet feel like you have to invest loads more than what you have funds for.

I get it because I've been there guys, even at times recently because there are still a few things I want to improve on for my streaming setup, though I already do have something MASSIVELY above when I first started streaming in 2016.

I have no shame in sharing that I started my first stream in 2016 with just this.

An Asus laptop, Razer Kraken headset, C920 Logitech webcam, and Blue Yeti microphone.

And that's not even the most basic setup I've ever had, though we have to go all the way back to 2013 for that when I first started doing let's plays on YouTube.

I kid you not in saying that my setup was a old tube tv, a laptop, and my Xbox 360.

This tv I'm talking about was so ancient it didn't even have ports for the red/yellow/white cables that HDMI put out to pasture. I had to use an RF Adapter to get a video signal.

Like this thing was so old it kept Noah entertained for those 40 days and nights on his ark.

So how did I record my videos? A $70 digital camera that I pointed in front of my tv using its video recording function tocapture my gameplay (hey, at least the resulting black lines across the screen gave that retro appeal you youngsters theses days don't know about).

Then there's the factor of how that digital camera was also my only voice output. Yep, it was my mic as well as the audio output for my gameplay. My videos were saved to an SD card that I had to constantly take out of my camera after it was full so I could upload the videos to my PC and delete the footage from the card and keep recording.

To take this self degrading yet honest bit of humor/explanation further, I didn't even have a tripod for the camera. I literally had to stack books on top of a cinder block and put the camera on it. I also had to use the zoom function on the camera to crop out the area around the tv so that only the screen was recorded.

It was a Jerry built setup in spades, but I was determined to pursue content creation and worked with what I had.

And I kept at it and slowly over time improved my equipment, which of course meant my broadcasting quality got better as well. Sometimes this was with funds I slowly saved up from doing freelance photography shoots here in my town as well as dono's from viewers in my time livestreaming.

This is where I am now.

It's by no means the most powerful setup and I still need to upgrade my motherboard, but it's tanked just about every game I've tossed at it on and off stream while also being a juggernaut when it's come to my video editing (if you're interested in seeing it in more detail, you can check out my Kit list here).

Also, yes it is completely safe to put POP (or Nendoroid) figures in your computer as long as long as they aren't blocking fans, which could of course disrupt airflow.

The vast majority of my current setup was funded by supporters I've gained in my time on both Mixer and Twitch, and it took me years to get to that after originally broadcasting with next to nothing.

I posted my setups from before and now not to brag, but inspire.

At the end of the day your equipment helps you follow your pursuits, but without the drive to grind and be willing to deal with not being where you want as soon as you want to be there? Whatever equipment you have may as well be expensive paperweights.

Point to me saying that is that some aspiring streamers deal with discouragement because they think that they can't be as good as another channel because they don't have thousands of dollars worth of streaming equipment.

However, a purse purchased at a thrift store for $5 holds stuff the same way that a Chanel does.

That and with mine as an example, chances are whatever expensive setup a streamer has? It was quite possibly built over time as they could afford the parts.

You should never let someone with more make you feel like you ain't got what it takes, namely when you never know who may look at what may be considered a less than optimal setup, yet respect that you're still trying.

I know there are so many out there streaming who have so much potential that's overlooked and that at anytime someone with barely anything to work with may be reading these words.

When I've said before to cherish your viewers because they get you where you go? Its not just the viewer retention and followers but some of them may support what you do so much that they'll want to help you purchase better quality equipment for your streams.

However some people unfortunately take these sentiments for granted and expect to be paid to entertain, as they attempt to force mandatory action from their viewers on something that's supposed to be optional. No viewer is obligated to donate let alone sub to you.

Overall, be a streamer who remembers their roots and lets those deep roots keep them grounded, with aspirations that those around you see as worth making into a reality.

But of course your determination can only carry you so far when your equipment and wallet can only take you to a certain extent.

I said that showing resolve even if your setup isn't the best can gain support from those who see it, but just as you should definitely always work to improve the delivery of your content from day one? You should also at some point work at the quality of the package it's all delivered in (yes we've gone from unpacking boxes in your house to packing and delivering boxes).

That determination can be dwindled given that you have some streamers with expensive setups who actually belittle smaller channels who have less, compared to being an inspiration to push others to strive for the chance to improve what they have.

Yes, sadly some people gloat about trivial concepts like that and I've seen some fellow streamers get hit with this sort of materialistic dick swinging, including when it involved things given by a sponsor.

Multiple things to keep in mind in regards to such asinine diatribe.

One. Expensive things break like most of everything else, and also cost more to replace if it doesn't have a good warranty (one of the pluses to how pricey my Secretlab chair was is that they extend the time of their 3 year warranty to 5 if you simply post a picture of your chair on social media).

Two. Expensive doesn't always mean better.

Three. While you may get discouraged seeing so much oomph to a streamer's equipment? As I stated above, many streamers build their setup over a period of time and not all at once.

Four. Just like I stated about slowly building a community, building your setup slowly over time means being more experienced at knowing how things work and possibly even being able to fix something that glitches up.

Five. Not investing too much too quickly before you know if being a livestreamer will work out for you (it takes a lot of commitment) is a smart way to go about things.

Six. Less spent means more saved to put towards other equipment and getting commissions done for channel panels if you don't have the know how or software to make your own.

Seven. Yes, I know I keep bringing up getting panels made and I'm gonna stay on you about this as I promised I would. Again, unpack those boxes. Its too common that streamers with great content stay obscure due to a lack of info on their channel.

Eight. I'm going to show you how to piece together a few parts of your streaming setup on the cheap that will function just fine with the added perk of conserving space.

How cheap? One example is that you can spend less than $100 for both a green screen and lighting with a little DIY, compared to spending over $150 on a green screen and upwards well past $200 on lighting.

As long as it gets the job done and gives you a presentable stream that your viewers can see and hear clear enough to where they enjoy it? Its no one's place to judge your setup nor should you be critical of yourself for it not being ''good enough'' compared to a streamer with a several hundred dollar mic, pop up Elgato green screen, pricey DSLR/Mirrorless camera with an Elgato Camlink, and pro photographer style lighting kit.

So yes, do of course shoot for improving your quality when you can, but keep a general understanding that pacing your way towards better equipment while settling for cheaper until you can one day splurge on more isn't a bad thing.

So I'm going to be a bit hands on with what could be seen as a holy trinity of stream setups because without these three things? You can have a PC build that cost several thousand bucks, but it means nothing if your viewers can't see or hear you, let alone interact with you.

Mic>lighting>camera in that order are important above everything else because while you can of course do gaming streams with none of that? You won't get much done in the social aspect of streaming.

So worst case scenario, you're reading this guide with either a computer build minus the 'holy trinity' or no setup at all but you're on your way to building one (maybe even based off my setup shown in my Kit).

Either case, let's say you can only get one of the three for now. That would be your mic.

Technically, you can have two of the three in one piece of equipment since most webcams have a mic, but such built in mics usually aren't the most reliable for streaming.

So why get the mic first? Because it's the one out of the three that can work fine without the other two.

You can use a mic without lighting or a facecam and many streamers + YouTubers actually do this exclusively anyway such as my friend Deseptus (like I literally have no idea what he looks like even after being friends a couple of years so far), though it means extra work at handling dead air and talking consistently so your viewers have some semblance of identity from you.

Now with lighting? It takes priority over your camera because without decent lighting? The camera doesn't do its job anyway if you look like you're streaming from inside Noob Saibot's stomach during an eclipse. #badjoke

I use a Avermedia PW13 which cost me about $180 and while it does pick up my face ok without lighting? It's not substantial enough to look good on stream in comparison to if I was just video chatting with someone where it wouldn't matter as much. Point is even more pricey webcams tend to require lighting.

Now lets assume you have at least a decent headset and play online games with friends. If so? Then you of course have a mic there for now, even if it's not going to be the most efficient. What matters is that you can be heard.

When I spoke of facecam mics not being too viable? It's because a headset or desktop mic will be closer to your face which allows cleaner audio.

If however you don't have a headset mic, and for the sake of upgrading eventually, even if you do? A usb mic I would suggest is the Blue Yeti, because while I myself have been using a AT2020 XLR mic from Audio-Technica with a GoXLR MINI for a while now, for the sake of simplicity and price of a USB mic (due to just plugging it into your PC without the need to purchase a mixer) as a prior user of the Yeti before I upgraded I can vouch that its a good investment if you can afford it, with great sound quality and four different settings for different types of vocal input.

The Snowball (also by Blue) is a step below the Yeti, but still solid as a starter mic for cheaper.

But given the Yeti is still a tad pricey (though when compared to other much more expensive mics? Not so much, plus you can at times get a free game with it), you can grab this Fifine mic for around $36, which also means you can take the extra money you saved from not going for the Yeti right away and instead get two other important things along with the mic.

A mic stand and a pop filter.

This mic stand by Neewer is cheap but as someone who used this exact stand before going for the Samson stand I use currently? I can vouch like many others have on it being of decent enough quality for less than $20.

The importance of having a scissor mic stand like this is that it of course gets the mic more level to your face so you don't have to constantly bend down towards your desk to speak into it.

But less obvious yet very important is that it gets it off the desk away from any possible vibrations that can cause audio inconsistencies, examples being as simple as you typing on your keyboard and your PC's GPU speeding up at times.

And the purpose of a $10 pop filter like this is to not only make your voice sound a bit better, but also remove excess noise from words with heavy use of b, p, and s sounds.

Another use for the pop filter if you want to get more scientific, is that liquids and electronic components don't mix, so having a pop filter can also keep your saliva off the mic, preventing issues such as corrosion and shortages.

So with your option for a cheap but decent quality mic (including some Amazon reviews claiming the Fifine is better than the Yeti) out of the way? Lets move on to lighting and while we're on the subject? A green screen in the event that you want to dabble in chroma key, which is the effect of removing your background so that its just you in your facecam feed.

Now Elgato has two products of note based around lighting (Elgato Key Light) and chroma key (Elgato Green Screen).

The former offers a flexible and dimmable light that doesn't take up much space (though I currently have two of the less expensive Key Light Air as well as light by Logitech called the Litra Glow) while the latter is a pop up green screen that gives a smooth wrinkle free surface that can easily be rolled back up and put into storage until its needed again.

Both are very promising and as a proud owner of a Stream Deck that's made my streams loads easier to manage and an HD 60 Pro capture card that I use for my Switch and PS5 streams? I love Elgato's products.

But the problem with their light and green screen is that it's the same ones I mentioned earlier that would run you over $300 total for both.

And when you look at the fact that it's upwards to $200 for only one Keylight, which means you may have to purchase two to balance out your lighting more evenly? That's $400 on top of the price of the green screen ($160).

$560 + tax may not be much for a more established channel who could afford to get more professional level gear like this, especially if they're partnered with Elgato.

But as a new streamer? You may not have that kind of money to burn.

But that by no means keeps you from having quality lighting that doesn't take much space, as well as a smooth green screen that stays out of your way, especially when you can get both at a much lower price through some DIY like I once did.

Now to get the simplest part out of the way first, though this is assuming you hopefully have the wall space for it.

You can grab a green screen for about $14 on Amazon here, some push tacks for $1.50 if that, and a roll of green duct tape for about $4 (green so it at least somewhat blends in with the screen).

If you have your streaming setup positioned with your chair right in front of a wall then all you have to do is pin the green screen up and line the tape around each side to spread it out more.

This is a prior setup I had at a prior place of residence with a smaller desk, downgrades to most of my streaming gear, and no Secretlab chair yet. As you can see this is what I did with my own green screen I used at the time before I dropped using chroma key altogether.

Now while some might think that taping a green screen to a wall may seem (incoming pun) tacky? It gives you the benefits of both a smooth screen that you don't have to constantly adjust or take down while not being right in the middle of your room in cluttered fashion on a backdrop stand (which I used to use when I keyed out my background before ).

Believe me, you don't want to be this guy I know (who is totally not myself btw) that got up in the dead of night once to go to the bathroom, only to get tackled to the floor by a green ghost hanging out in the middle of his room.

In regards to lighting? I feel it's best to explain how I position my lights and what their functions are before going into which ones I purchased prior to my Key Light Air and Litra Glow setup. This is to give you an idea on layouts you could shoot for.

So my Key Light's are positioned facing down towards me at somewhere around a 45 degree angle at my left and right while the Litra Glow is attached to my monitor next to my facecam. This is to make sure there's not any shadows given each side of my face is lit.

I also use two RGB flood lamps, which puts focus on my collectibles while adding splashes of color to my walls in some ways that do kinda make me stand out also.

As far as what kind of lights I used to use in my previous DIY setup, here's the rundown on that.

So for starters I picked up this Bower desk clamp ring light from Walmart for $13 to use as my front facing light. The ring light itself is about 3 and ½ inches with the bendable arm being 24 inches. It's small so it doesn't take up much space yet still gives off plenty of light.

What I liked about it was that aside from being dimmable, it also had three color presets for light temperature (warm, cool, and the third which I would call either daytime or natural). Most ring lights I've seen went the route of attachable colored panels that covered the perimeter of the ring, so something that does the same thing with only the push of a button is a definite plus also.

It also had a second arm (which is 14 inches and some change) to mount a cell phone, though I removed it due to not having much need for it.

Here's how the ring light looked when functioning as a single light source behind my webcam at a slight angle (max brightness/natural setting)

It did a stellar job of illuminating me and could technically function just fine on its own. But I of course was able to do better with some lighting that could offset some of the shadows here.

My fill lights required more entry level DIY through only a trip to Walmart and an order or two things off of Amazon.

Remember how I spoke of Neewer's mic stand earlier? The clamp that comes with the stand can be ordered from Amazon sans stand in a pack of two for $14.50.

You would also need two utility lamps like this here for $10-$16 depending on where you shop, as well as a couple of ½ wooden dowel rods from the crafts aisle at Walmart (I paid 97 cents apiece for mine).

The building of the lamp shafts is obvious. The dowel rods and the clamps listed are the exact dimensions needed for you to insert the rods into the clamps just as you would with Neewer's mic stand.

The lamps themselves however, will be a tad trickier.

Originally I simply attached them to the rods using the grips that came with them, but as you could probably guess? It wasn't the most sturdy.

So I decided to remove the grips from each lamp and adhere them to the dowel rods directly by wrapping electrical tape around the metal piece that the lamp grips were originally screwed into.

You can also do like I did and add a bit of reinforcement with zip ties on each metal piece.

For the bulbs? Its up to you on what you try out, but for the sake of the best light and longevity of the bulbs (and to minimize your electric bill) since you'll have them on for hours per stream? You'll definitely want LED lighting.

I could sing the praises of LED bulbs all day given they last longer and for the sake of having to diffuse light (putting something in front of it such as a cloth to cut the harshness down in a way similar to a lampshade) it means you don't have to worry about setting something on fire due to LED bulbs generating little to no heat. They also use less energy meaning lower electric bills.

Previously during my DIY tinkering I purchased a pair of GE Reveal LED bulbs for $14 and they worked decently (though I had to get some parchment paper to tape over my lamps for the purpose of diffusing the light some).

My only real issue was that the color was too warm of a shade of white lighting.

But then while at Home Depot I picked up a pair of these Phillips Wiz bulbs for $13 apiece.

I read of a lot of people comparing them to Phillips Hue line of lighting, with the difference being both a cheaper price and no need for a hub. I gave them a shot and was highly impressed.

These bulbs only require a phone app and your wifi and are not only RGB, dimmable, and have plenty of presets for warm/cool/natural lighting, but they also work with Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri.

The only issue I could probably think of with these bulbs is that it could possibly bog down your wifi speed if a lot of them are connected to your router, and of course if you lack a smartphone, you can't use an app to change them (they still turn on out of the box from what I recall, but will only have a warm light to them that's the same as a dollar store $3 LED bulb)

To give a side by side example, lets look once more at the picture I shared above (left) and another taken with two Wiz bulbs on DIY stands + the ring light I showed you (right)

The right picture was taken with the ring light two button presses below the max brightness while both of my Wiz bulbs were set to about 25% brightness on their 'cool white' preset (these bulbs were also very bright, so unless you have plans to signal someone during a zombie apocalypse? You won't likely need to turn them up high).

As you can see, it lit up very well yet didn't drown out my background flood lights, nor did it wash out my face with too much light. It also gave enough light to illuminate my walls above the flood lights giving more detail to my collectables. Compared to the left image the right shows focus on everything around me including myself which overall simply gives a better facecam presentation.

Different people will have different requirements for brightness and light temperature based on things such as the color of the walls in their room or natural sunlight from outside, so adjustable settings pertaining to both are definitely a selling point for these bulbs by itself.

I myself found that cool temp bulbs were more suited for me based on my skin tone as well as the area around me, so I suggest getting the Wiz bulbs because they allow you to tinker with different brightness and temp settings through one bulb instead of having to shop for several until you find what you need, which of course will be more costly in the long run.

As long as you have a smart phone (and a router, which if you're going into streaming? That's a certainty anyway) they're a phenomenal lighting choice.

So the prices here can of course change based on what everything costs for you in contrast to what I paid at the time of me posting this guide, as well as defining factors such as having to shop for more expensive or if you're lucky? More inexpensive alternatives in the event that any of what I listed just becomes outright unavailable. An example being that there is a version of Wiz bulbs that are slightly cheaper at around $11 that have the same functions but with only white lighting.

That said, the combination of costs for me when looking at the parts for the lamps+ring light, green screen, bulbs, and tape minus tax was in the $84-$90 range.

It may not be insanely inexpensive, but its still much cheaper than $500+ for two lights and a pop up green screen while being just as if not more effective, more compact, and also including a third light. This is also keeping in mind that if you don't care about doing chroma key? You can exclude the green screen from the costs altogether.

And finally, your camera.

So for this I'm going to point you at an amazing starter cam. Logitech's C922.

Given this is the most expensive of the holy trinity? A key reason I tried to cut the costs of your mic and lighting is so you could put more towards the camera, given the C922 tends to cost $100.

To ease some confusion in the event that you've seen both the C922 and it's little brother which is the C920, I'll explain the main difference.

The C920 outputs to a max of 30fps while if you use a 720 resolution for the C922? You can boost it to 60fps.

The C922 also has built in background removal, but aside from the fact that I could never get it to work properly myself and it hogged resources? The lighting+green screen section above defeats the purpose of built in chroma key compared to just setting up a filter for it in OBS.

So you could get by fine if you went with the C920 for $20 less depending on where you purchase it, since the main edge of the C922 is the 60fps at 720. Otherwise it's up to personal preference.

In closing, if you add everything up that I just showed you, it hangs around the $190 range which gives you three lights, a green screen, a camera, and a mic with the inclusion of a mic stand and pop filter, aka, a full audio/video package all for around $10 less than just one of Elgato's standard Key Lights.

And if you were to subtract $190 spent on your full /mic/lighting/camera setup from the $560 for those two Elgato lights and green screen?

That's $370 you could put towards other streaming equipment, paid commissions for channel art, games, etc.

Again, someone may have a much more expensive setup.

But a cheaper setup that works just as well means more financial freedom to do other things you originally may not of been able to.