Anytime I attend a conference I always come back reminded that radio needs to be creating significantly more content than we are. One of the easiest ways to make creating the amount of content necessary to compete now manageable is to capture it throughout the day as it happens. To do that we have to be prepared to capture content in all different environments. Putting together a content creation tool kit helps us do that and it’s not very expensive if we start with some things we already have. Here’s a list of everything currently in my toolkit and a couple that I’m considering adding.
The best tool all of us have for capturing content throughout our days wherever we travel is a good smartphone. I have an iPhone 15 (haven’t made the jump to the 16 yet), but the 15 accomplishes everything I need it to. Besides having a good, built-in 4k camera, allowing me to take high quality pics and videos from anywhere (since my phone is always on me). IPhones now also have a USB-C connection, since they switched from lightning, meaning I can attach wired or wireless USB mics.
For recording anything long-form like a podcast I have and carry around ShureMV7s but I also like and recommend the Rode PodMic USB which is $50 to $80 cheaper. Both of those come with built-in mic processing that allows you to truly get broadcast quality audio out of them. AudioTechnica has one as well but I haven’t tested it. For capturing man on the street type audio I also carry a $58 AudioTechnica handheld USB mic that also works well enough for remote cut-ins. I love the versatility of these USB mics because they also have XLR connections so I can use them into a mixer, a laptop or my iPhone. The wireless lavalier mics I carry with me are from Hollyland and I’ve been very impressed with their quality and durability.
Now that video cameras have gotten smaller, less expensive and higher quality. I also never go anywhere for business, conventions, client’s markets, etc, without carrying at least three cameras with me. I use Osbots and Mevos but I know there are a long list of options out there. I like those two because they’re in the right price range for radio stations, are user friendly and so far I haven’t had any issues with them.
Because I never know where/when I’m going to need to record content, and I’m not an expert in using existing lighting to my advantage, I always carry a few lights with me as well. My favorite one is this desk-clamp light my pal John Reynolds recommended, it’s $66 on Amazon and is easily adjustable allowing me to just go through the settings until I find one that works wherever I’m at. For supplemental lighting I travel with these cheap LED lights from Viltrox.
For setting all of this up, believe it or not, I used to lug around my normal tripods. However, this made keeping my checked bag under 50 pounds a living nightmare. So, I got a couple cheap portable tripods/selfie-sticks from Amazon and one from Joby at Best Buy that are light and small enough to throw in my backpack and keep with me. That’s a way better option than begging someone to hold a camera for several minutes while filming something.
On rare occasions when I have something setup ahead of time and I know I’ll need it, I will pack up my Rodecaster ProII and take it with me. I’m also considering adding the new RodeCaster Video which combines the incredible audio capabilities of the the ProII with a six camera video switcher. It also has keying, transitions, multi-source scenes, overlays and most importantly, intelligent auto switching allowing hands-free switching between video sources (IE it goes to the camera feed of whoever is talking without someone manning the controls).
A few other things that have found their way into my kit, a good pair of headphones, electricians’ tape, colored sticky labels, a backup wired-lavalier mic, microSD card to USB adapter, tiny set of tools, 1/8 inch to quarter adapters and a long ethernet cable. I was carrying around a Verizon business gateway so I could get 5G internet wherever I go but I’m testing a smaller solution to do the same (never trust hotel wifi).
What’s in your content creator tool kit? Comment below or email me at Andy@RadioStationConsultant.com.