Equipment
From The Official TWiT Wiki
This article details equipment used in the TWiT Cottage.
Contents |
Studio
Audio
- Audio Console (mixer): Telos Axia Element control console and accompanying Powerstation processing unit. This equipment is on loan to Leo from Axia. Cost of the Axia Element console and PowerStation is about $22,000. The backup power supply and extra audio I/O ports add about $6,000. New Telos Xstream and two Omnia audio processors are worth about $13,000. Additional IP-Audio software including drivers, logging, and management software sell for about $3,000. Axia IP-audio consoles typically cost $12,000 up to about $24,000, according to Axia representative Kirk Harnack.
- On August 18 2009 (prior to the installation) Leo interviewed Kirk Harnack of Axia Audio, who provided a good description of the new digital audio system's features and advantages; the interview is available here (100 MB download).
- Kirk Harnack posted a collection of photos taken during installation to PicasaWeb.
- Kirk Harnack posted a video of installation highlights to YouTube. Shot and edited by Erik Lanigan of TWiT.
- Microphones:
- Microphone Stands: Heil Sound PL2T Boom Mount
- Headphones: AKG K240 Studio (discontinued, but AKG K240 mkII is available)
- Backup Recorder: Marantz PMD670 Portable Digital Recorder
- TWiT.am Audio Stream:
- Icecast (Streaming Server Software)
- Barix Instreamer 100 (For hardware streaming from the mixer)
- Nicecast (For software streaming from a computer)
Video
- Camera Tripods
- Hardware Video Mixer: Newtek TriCaster Broadcast.
- Analog/Firewire media converter: Canopus ADV. This takes the TriCaster output and encodes it to FireWire DV video; this is sent to the video stream encoders in Streamasaurus (described below)
Computers and monitors
(from left to right as viewed sitting behind the desk)
- Skypeasaurus: used for Skype calls beginning 3/7/2009. Four Acer V173b monitors attached to four separate Windows PCs running Synergy KM sharing software. The motherboards (Intel BOXD945GCLF2 945GC ATOM330) on these machines have S-video out built into their onboard video adapters; each goes to a separate video input on the Tricaster. In this way each person's Skype video is a separate video source to the Tricaster, so everything can be switched in one place; this would not be possible with four Skype instances in one machine, even with virtualization. Video output from the Tricaster is then fed back to the Skype callers via Hauppauge Impact VCB PCI cards in each Skypeasaurus machine. More info from Leo's blog (Monitor frame grid was made by Colleen)
- PC Desktop: used for Multitrack recording with Adobe Audition. Receives a multitrack signal from Axia mixer via a dedicated Ethernet LAN
- 24" iMac: used for general browsing and IRC Chat (using Xchat Aqua for Mac)
- 17" Macbook Pro Laptop: used for Skype calls and Stickam live feed controls
- HP laptop: used for Call Screening for The Tech Guy Radio Show (using "The Call Screener" software over a VPN to Premiere)
- Two monitors on a common pole mount, suspended above Axia Element audio console:
- Left (from Leo's POV): Tricaster control panel
- Right: Axia Element control panel
Not on the desk:
- Streamasauraus: An array of six Mac Minis with a common keyboard and monitor, each used to encode one of the streaming video streams: BitGravity low and high quality, Stickam, Ustream desktop and iPhone, and a spare. Described in Leo's Blog, 17 August 2009.
- 2009 Mac Pro: Formerly used for the BitGravity encoding/streaming software, now moved upstairs for a video editing workstation. 2 x 2.66 Ghz Intel Xeon 5500 - 6 GB DDR 3 1066 - 640 GB HD 7200 RPM SATA 2 - GeForce GT120 512 MB Graphics Card. For more information see the Mac Pro Unboxing @ ODTV.me
Internet Connections
- Cable: Comcast Business Class Cable Internet. Burstable to 30Mbit/s down used to stream live audio to TWiT.am and to login into Stickam and maintain the video stream. Also used for general web surfing.
- DSL: DSL Extreme Business Class DSL Internet 6000/768Kbps down/up. Used for general surfing and also the additonal Skype line when needed.
- ISDN Line: AT&T ISDN. Used to stream studio quality to and from the Premiere Radio Network studios for The Tech Guy show. Used to talk to guests that do not have Skype and only have a land line. Also used talk to the Buzz Out Loud podcast studio and Doug Kaye, since both have ISDN lines.
- EFM: Sonic.net Flexlink Ethernet in the First Mile (also known as IEEE 802.3ah) - This connection is 10Mbit/s symmetrical. Dedicated for most of the Skype calls during the netcasts and to stream out the BitGravity video. This is the latest addition to the TWiT Cottage bandwidth pipeline.
Miscellaneous
- Lights: Lite Panels (Lighting frame grid was made by Colleen)
- Tricaster Switcher: LiveControl control surface
- Mac Mini: Media Center running an Elgato EyeTV 250 System as a DVR and also used to monitor the live Twit Stream
- TV: Toshiba 37″ used for video games, media center, reading Stickam Chat, and other studio uses
- Ball: Gopher Sport UltraFit Anti-Burst Stability Ball. Leo sits on this 65-cm blue ball to build core muscles. It also prevents him from slouching, which keeps his voice exciting. Leo occasionally bounces up and down on it. For a short while, Leo tried using a Valeo Ball, but he popped it live on May 19, 2009. Video
- Clock: SkyScan Atomic Clock Model 88825 Displayed prominently behind Leo, this clock (showing Pacific time in 24 hr. format) is very useful for viewers to verify if they are watching the show live. The temperature displayed is the indoor temperature. Internet propagation delays cause some inaccuracy (usually a few seconds at most) in the displayed time as seen by viewers. Even in studio the clock is not always perfectly accurate, for reasons described in the Wikipedia entry on WWVB-synchronized radio clocks. This specific model is no longer current, but many similar are available from SkyScan, Lacrosse Technology, and Oregon Scientific.
- Phone: Plantronics Calisto Pro The telephone on Leo's desk is a capable of handling both Skype and regular land-line calls. A bluetooth headset is also included.
Video tours and more information
- On August 9 2009, Ron Schott posted a 360 degree panoramic from Leo's point of view of the studio.
- Also on August 9, 2009, Leo recorded a 23-minute video tour (50MB+) of the studio. The audio quality is not ideal as room mic was used but Leo does give a full description of equipment on the desk prior to the installation of the Axia digital console. Although the sound equipment is now very different the video "side" is very much the same.
- On August 18 2009 Leo interviewed Kirk Harnack of Axia Audio, who provided a good description of the new digital audio system's features and advantages; the interview is available here (100 MB download) Kirk also very generously did an informal, impromptu Q&A session (hosted by Colleen) with the #twitlive chat room at the end of the Friday, August 21, work day; it is available here (72 MB download).
Remote Contributors
Remote contributors to TWiT provide audio and sometimes video over the Skype VoIP system. The remote equipment varies from one person to the next but in the beginning of 2009 TWiT started sending more advanced equipment to some regular contributors. Steve Gibson seems to have started this trend by buying a Heil PR-40, boom, shock mount and M-Audio Fast Track Pro USB interface himself. TWiT has since sent a similar setup to Paul Thurrott and Dick DeBartolo. Leo sometimes sends Plantronics 400 DSP Headsets to hosts or guests who otherwise have poor microphones. Other contributors such as Amber MacArthur use sportscaster style headset mics.
Live Events
Audio
- Microphones: Shure SM58
