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ATEM switching, Stream Deck control and ProPresenter lower thirds: how we get cameras and lyrics online.
Churches building or growing a live stream, from a small room with a few sources to a multi-camera room that needs a bigger switcher.
See what’s in the kitWatch how it’s set upWe live stream every week, and there isn't one right or wrong way to do it. I've always landed in the middle of the road with Blackmagic. They're real affordable, I find their products easy to use, and they have a great feature set.
This kit is the video side of our stream: the switcher, the converters that tie different gear together, a Stream Deck to run the switcher, ProPresenter lyrics keyed over the cameras, and a clean way to get audio in. Pick the switcher that fits your room and build out from there.
How it fits together
Each camera's SDI or HDMI output goes into an input on the ATEM switcher. Converters bridge any HDMI source to an SDI switcher or the other way around.
ProPresenter sends a fill and an alpha key out of a DeckLink card into two switcher inputs. An upstream key on the ATEM puts the lyrics over the camera.
Bitfocus Companion turns Stream Deck buttons into camera cuts, previews, fades and the on-air button for the lyrics.
A Dante AVIO output adapter pulls analog audio off the Dante network for the stream.
At Holly the switcher's SDI output runs through a Blackmagic SDI to HDMI converter into a hardware encoder, which sends it to a Wowza Streaming Engine server on Amazon AWS. Wowza sends it to our website, our app, Facebook and YouTube.
What’s in the kit
Blackmagic ATEM 1 M/E Constellation HD× 1
The ATEM I use the most. It takes 10 inputs and fits most of our church locations that don't need every bell and whistle.
Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 (15 keys)× 1
Controls the ATEM through Companion: hard cuts, previews, fades and turning the lyrics key on and off, with button colors that show what's live.
Blackmagic Micro Converter SDI to HDMI× 1
Takes the switcher's SDI output to HDMI for an encoder with an HDMI input, the way I feed our stream at Holly.
Blackmagic Micro Converter HDMI to SDI× 1
Converts an HDMI source to SDI so it can reach an SDI switcher input. They carry audio as well as video.
Swap-outs
Blackmagic ATEM Mini Pro (HDMI)The ATEM Mini Pro, HDMI version. Great as long as you don't need more than 4 sources, and its USB-C port acts as a webcam when you plug it into a computer.
Blackmagic ATEM Mini Pro (SDI)The same ATEM Mini Pro in an SDI version.
ATEM 2 M/E Constellation HDWhat we run at Holly. Two M/Es is like having two switchers, so one switch can go to iMag and a separate one to the live stream.
Blackmagic Micro Converter BiDirectional SDI/HDMIDoes SDI to HDMI and HDMI to SDI in one converter.Good add-ons
Blackmagic DeckLink Duo 2Gives ProPresenter the two extra outputs it needs for fill and alpha key lower thirds into the switcher. See my ProPresenter Computer Setup kit.
Sonnet Echo Express SE I (1-card enclosure)On a Mac, the DeckLink card needs this Thunderbolt enclosure.
Audinate Dante AVIO analog output adapterGets analog audio out of your Dante network. I use these to get audio into my live stream.Watch me set it up
Tips from my setup
- Color-code your Stream Deck: I use red text for hard cuts and green text for previews, then add feedback so the live camera's button turns red.
- Double-check that frame rates and resolutions match between ProPresenter and the ATEM. A mismatch shows up as flickering or black screens.
- If a newer MacBook Pro or Mac Mini won't show up on your ATEM, put a Decimator MD-HX between them. It converts the Mac's signal into what the ATEM is looking for.
- Want a separate stream mix? Put a second Behringer Wing on the Dante network in another room, so the stream gets its own mix independent of front of house.
Questions people ask
Which ATEM should I start with?
The ATEM Mini Pro is the smallest one Blackmagic makes, and it's great as long as you don't need more than 4 sources. The 1 M/E Constellation HD is the one I use the most. It accepts 10 inputs.
Do I need a switcher at all for a small room?
No. At our smaller locations we did a one-camera shoot: a camera in the back of the room with an HDMI output into a capture device, then into a computer running Wirecast or OBS. The ATEM Mini also has a USB out, so it can be your encoder too.
How do you get one stream to Facebook, YouTube, your website and your app?
I send the stream to Wowza Streaming Engine on a Linux server I rent from Amazon AWS. It distributes the stream to all four places and encodes it at several bit rates.
Will a Stream Deck work with my ATEM?
Companion's Blackmagic ATEM module works with all of their video switcher models. On a switcher without M/Es, like a Television Studio, you just pick the input.
Do I need two outputs for lyrics on the stream?
For an alpha key, yes: one for the fill and one for the key. If you only have one output, a chroma key works, as long as the key color doesn't show up in your graphics.
Other kits
Wing Front-of-House Sound System
The Wing, a stage box, a Dante card and a USB drive: a front-of-house package built from gear I use.
See the kit →
ProPresenter Computer Setup
The Mac Mini, DeckLink Duo 2 and Sonnet setup I run ProPresenter on at every one of our locations.
See the kit →
Personal In-Ear Monitor Kit
P16 personal mixers on a Wing: 16 channels per musician, mixed by the musician, instead of a stage wedge.
See the kit →Not sure what you need?
Ask me in the chat (bottom right) and I’ll point you to the video where I cover it, or book a session and we’ll work through your setup together. Or start from one of my gear kits.