The $1000 Video / Streaming / Blogging Kit
So you’re looking to stream, and not break the bank. Sometimes you just need a setup that’s dead simple, and offers some additional flexibility for editing and publishing in addition to going “live”. In our latest blog entry below you’ll find a list of everything you need to live stream, record, and edit videos on a $1,000 budget.
Let’s get started…
Device
Apple iPad Pro 11-Inch (2nd Generation)
Blazing fast, awesome screen, good cameras, excellent ecosystem – an amazing device.
2 cameras give you a normal and ultra wide field of view for more creative control.
Storage: 128GB
Wi-Fi: Yes
Cellular Data: No
Video Formats: Up to 3840 x 2160 at 60 fps or 1920 x 1080 at 240 fps
My Favorite Feature: Ultra wide camera makes for some awesome wide angle shots
Mount
Camera support and placement is important.
A proper mount will provide ways to securely attach the device to tripods, stands, grips, and other types of support.
Aluminum iPad Tripod Mount
Made from aluminum, this is a solid iPad mount that doesn’t interfere with ports or buttons.
It comes with a built-in Arca-Swiss quick release plate base, but also has a 1/4″-20 mounting hole on the bottom for mounting to other plates or stands.
My Favorite Feature: Cold shoe mount on top – a great place to mount accessories like a light or microphone.
Tripod
Endurax 66″ Tripod
A simple and budget-friendly tripod.
Maximum height of 66″ gives you enough to get the iPad camera around 72″ high.
Maximum load capacity of 11 pounds gives you plenty of room to add other accessories.
Audio
Aside from your content, audio is the most important part of your video.
Viewers are much more sensitive to sound than they are to visuals, so audio clarity and consistency should be a top priority.
The solutions listed below will help you achieve that, with 2 options to accommodate different situations and needs:
Camera-Mounted Microphone
This solution works well for personal recording or streaming, where one or two people are within a few feet of the camera.
It can also work well to pick up general ambiance in front of the camera.
It will not work well for picking up voices or sounds clearly from further away or in noisier environments.
Saramonic Vmic Mini
A great budget-friendly on-camera mini shotgun microphone.
Comes with a TRS to TRRS cable that works directly into the iPad’s 3.5mm headphone port.
My Favorite Feature: Female TRS connector on the mic gives you freedom to use different connectors and cable lengths.
External Audio Interface
This solution provides more versatility and options when it comes to microphone choices and audio signals.
You can use this interface to receive signals from your sound board, plug in various XLR microphones, or plug in musical instruments.
Saramonic Smartrig II
Single channel XLR or 1/4″ preamp with 48v phantom power and headphone jack.
Use any mic level input.
My Favorite Feature: 3.5mm output frees up the iPad’s Lightning port for power or other tasks
Apps
Now that you have the gear, here are great apps to help you record or stream the best quality video possible.
Filmic Pro
Easily one of the most popular and feature-packed video recording apps available.
Filmic Pro gives you professional features and controls unavailable in the default Apple camera app.
Gain manual control of camera settings like aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and gain.
Includes tools and features like manual focus, more recording formats and data rates, false color, contrast peaking, and color profiles.
LumaFusion
Amazing, powerful, intuitive video editing right in iOS.
Not cheap by mobile app standards, but well worth every penny if you need a powerful video editing app.
Facebook Live
Facebook Live is my current top pick for free streaming platforms.
With 2.5 billion monthly active users and live videos receiving some of the best engagement on the platform, Facebook Live is a natural choice to send your live stream.
Streamlabs
About the best live streaming app on iOS, giving you tons of features and a great ecosystem to support many different situations.
Stream to most social platforms or any generic RTMP destination.
*Requires monthly subscription to Streamlabs Prime to remove watermark from mobile streams
Packages
The links below will open a pre-filled Amazon list.
Simply add the list to your Amazon cart and add/remove items as needed.
View Package on Amazon w/ On-Camera Mic
View Package on Amazon w/ Audio Interface
If you want to know more, or have specific questions, hit the support button below.