Talk To Me, Sam

And use the big words... The business of speaking on screen is becoming big - not, perhaps, bigger than Ben Hur, but you never can tell. One day a vlogger or podcaster is going to get hold of a chariot and then, Look Out. In the meantime, anyone who needs to look and sound good is going to have to pay a little attention to the architecture and mechanics of the thing. I can't go into the design of dedicated studios here as it is either a precise science or a black art - suffice it to say that a dedicated room that doesn't have ceramic tiles or a toilet is a safe bet, and if you can make it look like a normal office, den, or hobby room you should be fine. Man-caves work for a certain audience, as do cottage sitting rooms for another set of viewers. If you have any decorating sense, use it, and if you don't - hire it. People who will want to listen to you prefer to do it without having to cover their eyes with their hands. And on the other side of the coin, if you are satisfied with how you look, make sure you sound good too. Here is where the product light comes on. Røde microphones are in the video section of the CE shops. and in their different divisions you cannot go wrong. For the casual speaker, the smaller video Pro and Video Mic products are perfect - for the dedicated studio speaker something more is needed: the NT USB Mini studio mic. It is the ideal plug-in for the laptop or desktop computer and also features a dedicated headphone output at the rear - with a volume control at the front - so you can monitor what you sound like as you speak. The pattern it picks up is in front of it - where you are - and it doesn't hear as much of the room noises. It is immune to RF interference from other gear that might be running in your room. You can record voice and instruments and it gives a clear, warm sound. The included stand is heavy and has a magnetic attachment point onto the main mic and support. if you are having fist fights in your studio it is less likely to get used as a weapon. It doesn't cost a blue chip fortune and is made by a reliable Australian company - there is no down-side. So if you have something to say or play, and someone who wants to hear you do it, this is an ideal, simple way to keep both of you happy. Plenty of stock in CE right now!