I may have a video freelance job happening soon and I need to make sure that I can record the best sound possible. I contemplated getting something new and expensive (I’d be reimbursed if I get this gig) but then looked into using the gear I already have. A few years ago I got a Zoom H1 recorder for going to Disney press trips. Well, I can use that with my Samsung NX1 through the Mic input. I just needed a way to connect it to my camera. This is why I picked up the Movo SMM5-R Universal Microphone and Portable Recorder Shock Mount. This will hold the mic on the camera. I also picked up the Movo WS1 Furry Outdoor Microphone Windscreen Muff but I think that was redundant because I picked up the MOVO MicRig a while back and it came with the same Muff, or Dead Cat. The Movo MicRig isn’t exactly the best microphone but can work fine for outside stuff. However, the Zoom H1 is a better microphone. You can see it in the video below.
After 8 years I finally decided to bite the bullet and upgrade my laptop. For the past 8 years my workhorse has been a 13.3″ HP Pavilion laptop with an Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor SU7300(1.3GHz,3M Cache)w/Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD. It had 4 GB of RAM in it, a 320 GB Hard drive and I picked up an external CD/DVD drive. The cost = $675 after some coupons and rebates from someone I met at Blog World Expo.
The new laptop boasts these specs. It is 17.3″ and I didn’t fully comprehend that size until I saw it next to the old laptop. It dwarfs the thing! Although the Old Laptop has a ton of great stickers on it. I may have to save it specifically for that reason. The new laptop has a dedicated video card with 4GB of RAM. That is what my old laptop had in it for RAM alone. This RAM in this new one is 16GB and that allows me to do plenty of things at once, which is the way I work. I’m constantly switching between Photoshop and Premiere and more. There is an integrated DVD+RW drive and a 1 TB Hard Drive so I’m not running out of space anytime soon. It also has the latest Intel Core i7 processor and boasts speeds from 2.7 GHz to 3.5 GHz.
The main reason I got the new laptop was to produce Gameplay videos. These are videos where I play a video game on my Nintendo Wii U or Nintendo Switch and then capture it to comment on it, share tips or just show off the game with a review. I’ve been getting some great Nintendo Switch games lately and I really want to show them off to everyone. So, I also got an Elgato HD 60 S game capture device. I’m going to test it all out while I’m in New York for Blogger Bash. Why did I take that all with me. I knew I’d have a little time to do it and the room would have an HD TV in it that I could us, plus the Nintendo Switch and base is super portable. I’m only in NYC for an overnight for Blogger Bash but if I record some gameplay tomorrow night and edit it on the train ride home I’ll have something fun to show you. Gotta be productive and not just play games. Here is my unboxing video about the new laptop.
