I opened the TMDS backyard studio back in June and it totally reinvigorated my zest for podcasting. In mid-March I pivoted to Zoom recordings and after three months of that, I was starving for in-person conversations. The backyard studio allowed me and a guest to record in person while physically distancing outdoors.
Four months later, I'm still recording episodes of Toronto Mike'd outdoors. Yesterday, in fact, it was a rare double-header with a 4pm recording with Joe Siddall followed by a 7pm recording with Ben Rayner. Both were great fun.
As the temperatures fall, the backyard studio has evolved. Last night, for example, in addition to the standard microphone and webcam set-up, there was:
- A tarp put up to protect my gear from rain
- Television lights so Ben could be seen on the Periscope livestream
- A backyard heater for warmth on a cool October night
I'm not sure how long I can keep the backyard studio open, but I'm hoping to make it into late-November before I'm forced back to Zoom. At least for another few months...
