Metagamers Anonymous Studio Upgrades
Donation protected
Metagamers Anonymous started podcasting seven years ago as a biweekly roundtable discussion on tabletop roleplaying games and immersive character play. In the years since, the show has spawned a sizable fan community worldwide, numerous interview programs and Actual Plays, a podcasting network featuring other geek and gaming related programming, numerous local events, a small-print publishing effort supporting games, periodicals and publications, and a national gaming convention in our home town of Wichita, KS.
During that time we've enjoyed constant community support via donations, local fundraisers, Kickstarter campaigns for various projects, and a Patreon community that helps provide for some of our monthly expenses (i.e. software licenses, webhosting, online support services, etc.).
Sadly, we've never been a financially fluid organization, and the most important casualty of our efforts is the steady degradation of our studio equipment. With weekly recording sessions of both games and discussions and frequent setup and tear down, we've gone through more than a couple mixing consoles, a handful of mics and digital recorders, and numerous cables, peripherals and accessories. Like many hobbyists - if it can still be called that after taking such a central role in my family's life - I've always been happy to fund these efforts myself, and will continue to do so for as long as I am able. At this particular point, however, my financial situation is highly suspect, and the issues with my gear are becoming excessively disruptive.
As advised by one of our core contributors, we're launching this page to help raise a little money to assist with upgrading our studio. The funds will be used exclusively to purchase the following new equipment:
Mixing Console: I've been through two Behringer USB mixers that perform admirably for a while, but eventually break down after such rigorous usage. At long last Mackie has introduced a USB-accessible series that will invariably improve both the quality of our production and the durability of our studio. My preference would be the Mackie PROFX16V2, as it would provide all the features and versatility I need for both in-house and live recording sessions.
Digital Recorder: I've become a fan of the ZOOM series of digital audio recorders, which offer brilliant sound fidelity with excellent stereo and surround features at a fantastic price. My only complaint is that they just aren't rugged enough. I currently use a ZOOM H2n to record live surround at the table as well as digital output from my mixing console for online games and interviews. It's a vital part of of studio and my road kit... and it's broken. One of the mics on the unit sometimes gives up entirely, and the input jack is jacked.
Headphones: I've gone through a dozen pairs of cheap headphones in seven years, and I'm down to just one or two working sets at this point. I'd love to investigate a more effective selection of quality headgear.
Microphones: One of the tragedies of trying to balance a cast recording is that mic selection is inevitably reduced to the least common denominator. I have some good mics, but I don't want to mix them with cheap mics and have some people sound like their talking from another part of the world. I doubt it would be realistic to spend $400 a piece on a few more Shure SM7b cardioid mics, but I wouldn't mind a full set of more affordable condensers or better dynamic mics than what we have.
XLR Cables: I typically do NOT waste money on high-dollar cables. As much as they get moved around, they'll break down either way; so I typically collect cheap cables that I can more easily afford to replace.
Accessories and Peripherals: Whether we're talking about pop filters, patch cables, or better storage solutions (you should see what's left of my stand bag!), a lot of bits and pieces round out both the studio and the road kit.
You can take a look at my Amazon Wish List for MetAnon studio gear if you'd prefer to support us by purchasing something directly.
During that time we've enjoyed constant community support via donations, local fundraisers, Kickstarter campaigns for various projects, and a Patreon community that helps provide for some of our monthly expenses (i.e. software licenses, webhosting, online support services, etc.).
Sadly, we've never been a financially fluid organization, and the most important casualty of our efforts is the steady degradation of our studio equipment. With weekly recording sessions of both games and discussions and frequent setup and tear down, we've gone through more than a couple mixing consoles, a handful of mics and digital recorders, and numerous cables, peripherals and accessories. Like many hobbyists - if it can still be called that after taking such a central role in my family's life - I've always been happy to fund these efforts myself, and will continue to do so for as long as I am able. At this particular point, however, my financial situation is highly suspect, and the issues with my gear are becoming excessively disruptive.
As advised by one of our core contributors, we're launching this page to help raise a little money to assist with upgrading our studio. The funds will be used exclusively to purchase the following new equipment:
Mixing Console: I've been through two Behringer USB mixers that perform admirably for a while, but eventually break down after such rigorous usage. At long last Mackie has introduced a USB-accessible series that will invariably improve both the quality of our production and the durability of our studio. My preference would be the Mackie PROFX16V2, as it would provide all the features and versatility I need for both in-house and live recording sessions.
Digital Recorder: I've become a fan of the ZOOM series of digital audio recorders, which offer brilliant sound fidelity with excellent stereo and surround features at a fantastic price. My only complaint is that they just aren't rugged enough. I currently use a ZOOM H2n to record live surround at the table as well as digital output from my mixing console for online games and interviews. It's a vital part of of studio and my road kit... and it's broken. One of the mics on the unit sometimes gives up entirely, and the input jack is jacked.
Headphones: I've gone through a dozen pairs of cheap headphones in seven years, and I'm down to just one or two working sets at this point. I'd love to investigate a more effective selection of quality headgear.
Microphones: One of the tragedies of trying to balance a cast recording is that mic selection is inevitably reduced to the least common denominator. I have some good mics, but I don't want to mix them with cheap mics and have some people sound like their talking from another part of the world. I doubt it would be realistic to spend $400 a piece on a few more Shure SM7b cardioid mics, but I wouldn't mind a full set of more affordable condensers or better dynamic mics than what we have.
XLR Cables: I typically do NOT waste money on high-dollar cables. As much as they get moved around, they'll break down either way; so I typically collect cheap cables that I can more easily afford to replace.
Accessories and Peripherals: Whether we're talking about pop filters, patch cables, or better storage solutions (you should see what's left of my stand bag!), a lot of bits and pieces round out both the studio and the road kit.
You can take a look at my Amazon Wish List for MetAnon studio gear if you'd prefer to support us by purchasing something directly.
Organizer
Erik Carl
Organizer
Wichita, KS