Rewind half a year: Before a typical in-real-life event, I would take a shower in the morning, shave, put on some clean clothes and spend the day at a conference, trade show, or a meet-up. Without giving it too much thought, I’d create a more likeable version of myself so that others would find it more enjoyable interacting with me. All day, unconsciously, I’d present myself to the physical world being Roman Zenner, the e-commerce guy — red beard, blue glasses, backpack and all.

倒退半年：在一次典型的现实生活中，我会在早上洗澡，刮胡子，穿上一些干净的衣服，并在会议，展览或聚会上度过一天。 如果不加思索，我会创建一个自己更喜欢的版本，以便其他人会发现与我互动更加有趣。 一整天，我不知不觉地将自己介绍给现实世界，即电子商务专家Roman Zenner-红胡子，蓝眼镜，背包等。

And then the pandemic hit. All of a sudden, this way of presenting myself to the real-world came to a halt. People just couldn’t get out anymore, be around other people and project their best 3D versions. Instead, they are now spending the days in their home offices, spending their time with video meetings and webinars.

然后大流行受到打击。 突然之间，这种向现实世界展示自己的方式就停止了。 人们只是无法摆脱困境，与其他人在一起并投射出他们最好的3D版本。 取而代之的是，他们现在在家里的办公室里度过一天，花时间参加视频会议和网络研讨会。

Now that 2D is becoming the new normal, there are also new factors which make a difference: the quality of your video, your audio, the overall lighting, and the setup of your background. Those are the new criteria along which the people you’re interacting with will judge you — either consciously or unconsciously. Are you the one without the good microphone who’s hard to understand because of all the echo? Will you gradually be known as the one looking like a silhouette, because you always sit with your back against the window?

既然2D成为新的常态，那么还有一些新的因素在改变：视频的质量，音频，整体照明以及背景的设置。 这些都是您与之互动的人将有意识或无意识地判断您的新标准。 您是否是一个没有好麦克风却又因为所有回声而难以理解的人？ 因为您总是将背部靠在窗户上坐着，您会逐渐被人们称为剪影吗？

Along with an undeniable thirst for playing around with technology (nerd!), this was the main reason I decided to put some thought into my video and audio setup. It’s still very much a work in progress, but I hope that my description helps others on a similar path.

伴随着对技术发展的强烈需求(书呆子！)，这也是我决定对视频和音频设置进行一些思考的主要原因。 这项工作仍在进行中，但我希望我的描述对其他人也有帮助。

台 (Desk)

It all began with a new desk. I knew if I wanted to improve my setup, I needed space. So I got myself a 2m x 1m table top which would give me ample room for monitors, speakers, and everything else. Plus, I wanted to be able to work while standing up from time to time, so the height of the desk is now adjustable. I couldn’t find a single product that worked for me in that regard, so I decided to use separate products from two vendors and put them together — which was easy enough, even for me ;)

一切始于一张新桌子。 我知道如果我想改善设置，我需要空间。 因此，我为自己准备了一个2m x 1m的桌面，可以为我留出足够的空间来放置显示器，扬声器和其他所有设备。 另外，我希望能够不时站起来工作，因此桌子的高度现在可以调节。 在这方面，我找不到适合我的单个产品，因此我决定使用两家供应商的单独产品，将它们放在一起-这很容易，甚至对我来说也是如此；)

电脑 (Computer)

During my onboarding session, the friendly folks at Shopify gave me a brand-new Macbook Air 2019 to work with. It’s a beautiful, slim, very lightweight machine, perfect for travelling around with. But then, as we all experienced, the pandemic hit, and travelling was no longer an option. So the greatest benefit of this machine turned into its major flaw: it’s just not made for video streaming at all. So, fortunately, I could convince my team to let me have a different machine which met my new requirements. Right now, I’m using a new 16” Macbook Pro with a Radeon Pro 5300M graphics card, and it makes video streaming a fast, pleasant, and quiet experience.

在我的入职培训期间，Shopify的友好人员给了我一台全新的Macbook Air 2019。 这是一台美丽，纤薄，非常轻巧的机器，非常适合随身携带。 但是，正如我们所有人所经历的那样，大流行受到打击，旅行不再是一种选择。 因此，这台机器的最大优势变成了它的主要缺陷：根本不是为视频流而造的。 因此，幸运的是，我可以说服团队让我拥有一台满足我的新要求的机器。 现在，我正在使用带有Radeon Pro 5300M显卡的新型16英寸Macbook Pro ，它使视频流变得快速，愉悦和安静。

监控 (Monitor)

This is a change I made already at the beginning of the year. I tend to have many windows and applications open at the same time, so I need as much screen real estate as possible. So I went for the Samsung C34H892WJU 34" curved monitor to give me that panoramic view. Frankly, it took about a week for me to get used to the curve (not looking at a flat surface), but now it feels perfectly normal and I’m even considering getting a second one.

这是我在年初进行的更改。 我倾向于同时打开许多窗口和应用程序，因此我需要尽可能多的屏幕空间。 因此，我购买了三星C34H892WJU 34英寸曲面显示器，以便获得全景视图。坦率地说，我花了大约一个星期的时间习惯了曲面(而不是在平坦的表面)，但现在感觉非常正常，我我什至在考虑再拿一个。

相机 (Camera)

I spent a lot of time researching this part of the setup. My ideal scenario would be to have as much influence on the composition of the image as possible, including interchangeable lenses, using different focal lengths, and creating this nice bokeh effect known from DSLR cameras. Initially, I tried to hook up my old Canon EOS 550D to my notebook and played around with some Canon drivers. Somehow I managed to get a live view from this camera onto my machine, however, this was much too slow. It was impossible to get audio and video in sync, so I felt I needed a better solution.

我花了很多时间研究设置的这一部分。 我的理想方案是使用不同的焦距，尽可能多地影响图像的构图，包括可更换镜头，并创建DSLR相机已知的良好散景效果。 最初，我尝试将旧的佳能EOS 550D连接到笔记本上，并试用一些佳能驱动程序。 我设法以某种方式设法将这台摄像机的实时取景放到我的机器上，但是这太慢了。 同步音频和视频是不可能的，所以我觉得我需要一个更好的解决方案。

Later on, I spent some time watching Youtube videos of live streamers talking about their camera setup. And the most versatile type of camera, apparently, was the so-called mirrorless variant. Those cameras are much more compact than traditional DSLRs, but have the same flexibility. One model which appeared more than once was the Sony Alpha 5100 which I also ended up buying. It’s lightweight and has a moveable viewfinder screen which lets me monitor what the camera is actually seeing.

后来，我花了一些时间观看YouTube直播视频，谈论他们的相机设置。 显然，最通用的相机类型是所谓的无反光镜型号。 这些相机比传统的数码单反相机紧凑得多，但具有相同的灵活性。 出现了不止一次的型号是Sony Alpha 5100 ，我也最终购买了它。 它轻巧，并具有可移动的取景器屏幕，可让我监视相机实际看到的内容。

The camera is connected to my notebook via the Elgato Cam Link 4K. This is a hardware video processor which grabs the camera video signal in real-time using the HDMI port and transfers it to my computer via USB. This works seamlessly and out-of-the box. Granted, there’s a very slight delay between my audio and my video, but it’s barely noticeable. The last missing piece: a battery dummy. The Sony Alpha 5100 cannot be connected to a charger directly, so if you don’t want to change and recharge your camera battery from time to time, it’s really worth investing a few more Euros here. Plus, you need to make sure to hook up this battery dummy with a powered USB port to give it enough voltage — I’m using this RAVPower power socket USB combo to achieve this.

相机通过Elgato Cam Link 4K连接到我的笔记本电脑。 这是一个硬件视频处理器，它使用HDMI端口实时捕获摄像机视频信号，并通过USB将其传输到我的计算机。 这可以无缝且开箱即用地工作。 当然，音频和视频之间的延迟很小，但这几乎没有引起注意。 最后缺少的一块：电池假人。 Sony Alpha 5100无法直接连接到充电器，因此，如果您不想不时更换相机电池并为其充电，那么在这里值得多花几欧元。 另外，您需要确保将此电池虚拟设备与有源USB端口相连，以为其提供足够的电压—我正在使用此RAVPower电源插座USB组合来实现此目的。

Finally, I’m using the Joby TelePod Mobile to hold the camera, just above the top rim of my monitor. This is an okay-ish solution for now, but I’m missing some flexibility here. I think in the long run I’ll be thinking about a sort of boom which I can move around the table more freely.

最后，我使用Joby TelePod Mobile握住相机，使其刚好在显示器顶部边缘上方。 目前，这是一个不错的解决方案，但是我在这里缺少一些灵活性。 我认为从长远来看，我会考虑一种繁荣，我可以更自由地在桌子上四处走动。

光 (Light)

I started my lighting career with the infamous Neewer ring light, which I bought a year ago already. Typically, this product is used in combination with a smartphone, to give your videos and images better light and also to create this nice little ring of light in your eyes. Wearing glasses like I do, this does not really work. On top of that, the ring light comes with a chunky tripod, so it does not fit on my table. Long story short, I needed to have a more lightweight solution and also have more control over light intensity and light temperature. That’s why I decided to get two Elgato Key Light Air panels.Those are fantastic: they are sitting left and right of me, putting enough light onto my face just where I need it. Those panels connect to my computer via WiFi, so I can control the light with a little software tool. And although it took me a while to figure out how to connect the Elgatos with my network, it’s superhandy now.

我从臭名昭著的Neewer环形灯开始了我的照明事业，一年前我已经购买了环形灯。 通常，此产品与智能手机结合使用，可为您的视频和图像提供更好的光线，并在您的眼睛中营造出这种漂亮的小光圈。 像我一样戴眼镜，这实际上是行不通的。 最重要的是，环形灯带有矮胖的三脚架，因此不适合我的桌子。 长话短说，我需要一个更轻便的解决方案，并且还需要对光强度和光温度有更多的控制。 这就是为什么我决定购买两块Elgato Key Light Air面板的原因，它们很棒：它们坐在我的左右两侧，将足够多的光线放在我需要的地方。 这些面板通过WiFi连接到我的计算机，因此我可以使用一个小的软件工具来控制灯光。 尽管花了我一段时间才弄清楚如何将Elgatos与我的网络连接，但现在非常方便。

The ring light is still there, but in my current setup, it only serves to illuminate my background just a little bit.

环形灯仍然存在，但是在我当前的设置中，它仅能稍微照亮我的背景。

声音 (Sound)

This is the piece of the setup I’ve actually figured out a few years ago. I’ve been recording podcasts for some time now, and I always wanted my voice to have this high-quality, bassy, radio-like quality. So I spent some time researching and ordered the Beyerdynamic DT797 headset, connected via an Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface. I like the fact that I can move my head around (which I tend to do a lot) and still keep the same distance between my mouth and the microphone. The headphones are high quality too, and it’s a pleasure listening to music through them. Connecting to the Scarlett is very straightforward, and the audio interface goes into yet another USB-A port.

这是几年前我实际想到的设置。 我已经录制播客已有一段时间了，我一直希望自己的声音具有这种高品质，低音和类似收音机的品质。 因此，我花了一些时间研究并订购了通过Focusrite Scarlett 2i2音频接口连接的Beyerdynamic DT797耳机。 我喜欢这样的事实，我可以移动我的头(我经常这样做)，并且在我的嘴和麦克风之间仍保持相同的距离。 耳机质量也很高，通过它们聆听音乐是一种享受。 连接到Scarlett非常简单，并且音频接口连接到另一个USB-A端口。

In the future, I might go for a combination of real studio monitor boxes and a subwoofer to listen to some music the way it’s meant to be listened to. Until then, I’m using the Bose Mini II SE to listen to some music without any headphones.

将来，我可能会结合使用真实的录音室监听音箱和超低音扬声器，以听音乐的方式聆听音乐。 在此之前，我一直在使用Bose Mini II SE收听一些不带耳机的音乐。

绿色屏幕： (Greenscreen:)

I’d like to experiment with video live streaming as well and achieve this “cut-out” look that those streamers have. So I got the Celexon Mobile Chroma Key Green Screen 150 x 180, which is very easy to set up. Basically, you put the base right behind your chair and pull up the screen to its full height — done! The streaming software (see next paragraph) takes care of separating your head and shoulders from the background, all I need to do now is make sure to have proper illumination of the green screen itself (which I still need to figure out).

我也想尝试视频直播，以实现这些流媒体的“裁剪”外观。 因此，我得到了Celexon移动色度键绿色屏幕150 x 180 ，该屏幕非常容易设置。 基本上，您将底座放在椅子后面，然后将屏幕向上拉至最大高度-完成！ 流软件(请参阅下一段)负责将您的头和肩膀与背景分开，我现在要做的就是确保对绿屏本身进行适当的照明(我仍然需要弄清楚)。

软件： (Software:)

Last but not least: software. After having played around with OBS for a while, I tried Ecamm Live because it’s so much easier to use and has some great features. So basically, in my setup, I’m running my camera signal through this software, which allows me to then manipulate the image any way I want to. For example, if I have my green screen in place, I can let the software cut out my image and place a new background image (and even video!) all around me. It’s also possible to share my screen and have a small “me” hover just on top of it, to get that live streaming look. I can also use multiple cameras and switch between them, it’s also possible to hook up Ecamm Live with a streaming server. And, the best thing for my daily work at Shopify, it creates a virtual camera for me to use in our Google hangout meetings

最后但并非最不重要的：软件。 在OBS玩了一段时间之后，我尝试了Ecamm Live，因为它使用起来非常容易并且具有一些出色的功能。 因此，基本上，在我的设置中，我正在通过此软件运行摄像头信号，这使我可以按照自己想要的任何方式操作图像。 例如，如果我有绿色屏幕，则可以让软件切出我的图像，并在我周围放置一个新的背景图像(甚至是视频！)。 也可以共享我的屏幕，并在屏幕上方悬停一个小的“我”，以获取实时流媒体外观。 我还可以使用多个摄像机并在它们之间切换，也可以将Ecamm Live与流服务器连接。 而且，这对我在Shopify的日常工作来说是最好的，它可以创建一个虚拟摄像机供我在Google环聊会议中使用

So this was it, a snapshot of my current setup. As you can imagine, this is really a work in progress, and I constantly learn new things and change bits and pieces here and there. It’s good fun for once, but also makes me feel like I’m presenting the best digital version of me.

就是这样，这是我当前设置的快照。 可以想象，这确实是一个正在进行的工作，我不断学习新事物，并在这里和那里改变点点滴滴。 这是一次很好的乐趣，但也让我感到自己正在呈现自己最好的数字版本。