Wednesday
May072008
Dedicated Screencasting Rig
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 11:00PM
If you follow the show (ScreenCastsOnline), you may know that I recently started using the MacBook Air as the Mac I use for capturing my screencasts. Once I have them captured, I transfer the files across to the Mac Pro with the big monitors for editing and post production.
The problem has always been that everytime it's time to record a show, I have to setup the MacBook Air, unplug my USB audio adapter from the MacPro and plug it into the MBA, balance the MAB on the edge of my desk and well, it's a lot of hassle. Plus the fact that the MBA is slightly too low on the desk.
So I had a brain wave!
I've bought a Fellows keyboard draw which I've fitted underneath the monitor plinth and this is now the new home for the MBA. I've bought a powered USB hub plus an extra USB audio adapter so that the MBA is permanently connected both to Ethernet via a USB adaptor plus to the external Audio gear.
So now it can be stowed away like this:
When I want to record a screencast, all I need to do is pull the draw out, open the lid of the MacBook Air, press a button on the mixer and I'm good to go:
This should make things soooo much easier!
The problem has always been that everytime it's time to record a show, I have to setup the MacBook Air, unplug my USB audio adapter from the MacPro and plug it into the MBA, balance the MAB on the edge of my desk and well, it's a lot of hassle. Plus the fact that the MBA is slightly too low on the desk.
So I had a brain wave!
I've bought a Fellows keyboard draw which I've fitted underneath the monitor plinth and this is now the new home for the MBA. I've bought a powered USB hub plus an extra USB audio adapter so that the MBA is permanently connected both to Ethernet via a USB adaptor plus to the external Audio gear.
So now it can be stowed away like this:
When I want to record a screencast, all I need to do is pull the draw out, open the lid of the MacBook Air, press a button on the mixer and I'm good to go:
This should make things soooo much easier!
Reader Comments (5)
Hi Don,
I love your monitors setup. Are they 30' and 2 x 20" ?
Yes, the 20" monitors are 4:3 not widescreen so that when they are rotated vertically, they match the vertical dimensions of the 30" monitor.
The MacPro has an additional video card so all three monitors are a single desktop. In theory I could add another monitor but I'll probably stop at three!
This is one of the greatest setups I've seen. Does Dell still sell those 3:4 monitors?
I am impressed!
Ofir
Pretty sure they do:
Dell UltraSharp 2007FP 20.1-inch Black Flat Panel LCD Monitor (2007FP TCO99)
Looks like you've gone to work for Captain James T. Kirk