I thought it would be fun to share my specific setup at FGHQ.
This has and continues to be tweaked, changed and played with so you don’t have to. I think a setup is quite a personal thing but the principle are still the same and some foundations are critical to good conference calls
Camera
I do have a camera on my laptop but often use it closed up (clam shell mode) whilst plugged into my monitor (see below).
So a shop around and I found myself one of these: Logitech C920 Camera
- Tripod mountable
- Monitor mount is great and sturdy
- Build in camera & mic should you need it
- Generally love it
Mic
You can get away with poor video but poor sound is never a good thing in my books.
I wanted to up my Mic and sound game for many reasons and this was a cheeky black friday purchase. I’ve got it mounted on an arm and shock mount, mainly because of my standing desk but also becuase it looks “Pro”!
Headphones
Still hands down, my favourite, day in day out headphones for all situations.
Background
I work from home and in our “Creative Space” we have lots of craft stuff and general clutter going on. For me, I find it too distracting during calls.
So I have put up one of these: my background
Bonus of using a green screen, is that any “virtual background” works much much better…. I branded mine!
Desk
Always asked about, I love my standing desk from ikea.
Protip: leave your desk in standing position whenever you leave your desk to build a standing habit.
External Monitor
I love my laptop but I also appreciate good ergonomics on a day to day basis. So I use a lovely 27″ High Resolution (4K) monitor.
Quality of life
Push to talk
Immensly useful when on group calls. I have mine set so when I hold the Ctrl key – I can talk. Muted at all other times : Shush app
The only downside is that it hasn’t been updated in a while – all works ok for me but I may have to source a difference one eventually
Audio routing
Rogue Ameoba: SoundSource : As i have a number of setups (headphones & mics) as well as liking different apps to use the speaker vs my headphones. I use an App called SoundSource. If you need this, you’ll “get it”. Well worth a play!
“On Air Button”
Working from home and creating boundaries has been a challenge for my other half and I. How do you tell if you are disturb-able or not? The tea/coffee delivery is a highlight of my day!
I nearly bought an “on air button” but instead opted for a repurposed Christmas light. Gotta get inventive sometimes.
Have fun creating a “virtual” office that represents you