Looking for lighting and sound equipment for your next press conference? In this article, we share our typical press conference setup, and we’ll even throw in a few set up and tear down hints and tips at the end.
Quick Answer: Our go-to press conference kit consists of an Allen & Heath QU16 digital mixer, 2 x Yamaha DSR112 speakers, 2 x Shure MX412 microphones, a Press Train 12 channel press box, Tascam DR40 audio recorder, Kino Celeb 201 lights, and a podium suited to the event.
Press Conference Digital Audio Mixer
We recommend using a digital audio mixer like the Allen & Heath QU16 for your press conference. Sure, you can do a press conference with an analog audio mixer, but we don’t feel that it will give you all of the tools that you really need.
- Sub-mixes
The event speakers, press audio box, and your personal recording device all have different requirements, so sub-mixes allow you to create a mix optimized for each. - Signal Processing
Compressors and gates allow you to enhance your event audio further.
Press Conference Press Box
The mixer will output to a multi-box or press feed such as the Press Train 12 Channel Press Box. The press can plug their recording equipment into this box to get a clean feed of the audio from the podium.
This eliminates the need for every reporter to place a microphone on the podium, which can look cluttered and distracting at best.
Tascam Recorder
We always include a Tascam DR40 audio recorder with our press conference setup as it allows us to provide clients with an original recording of their presentation.
Want to know more? See our guide on recording audio from your event.
This is extremely useful for speakers to refer to in the future if something they said is reported out of context by the media. They can use the original recording to defend themselves.
Press Conference Podium
There are many styles of podium to choose from, so you should choose one that complements the style of the event and speaker/s.
The podium you choose should be at a comfortable height for the most important presenter of the day. It’s always nice to have a flat edge at the top of the podium on the public-facing side to attach signage or branding.
Press Conference Speakers
We find that a pair of 12” powered speakers, like the Yamaha DSR112, works well for most press events with 10-80 in-person guests.
If you’re planning a larger press event, check out our article on choosing the right speaker for your event.
Kino Celeb 201 Light
We’re big fans of the Kino Celeb 201 light. It’s a typical video production light that we always recommend for press conferences with a few standout features.
- Adjustable color temperature
Great for matching the color temperature of your event venue lighting. - Stackable
We find 2 of these stacked together make a great fill light for outdoor press events.
Our standard setup is to place a light to the left and right of the podium, about 10” away. This leaves a clear view for the cameras that are filming the event.
Press Conference Light & Sound Equipment Set Up & Tear Down Tips
- Guests arrive and leave very quickly
It’s not unusual for there to be no guests at the venue 15 minutes before the announcement. Secure tripod stands with sandbags and tape down/ramp over cables to avoid disaster when the guests rush in. - Arrive in good time
We typically arrive at a press event 2 hours before the scheduled announcement time. It takes us around 30 minutes to set everything up, and we use the rest of the time to test and fine-tune all of the equipment and sub-mixes - Have backup equipment
We always have 2 microphones on the podium, even though we only use 1. We also bring a wireless handheld microphone as an additional backup and to use for Q&A sessions.
Equipment Used To Make The Accompanying Video
- Camera: https://currentprice.io/sony_a7iii
- Lens: https://currentprice.io/sigma_24_70
- Microphone: https://currentprice.io/sony_lav
- Studio Monitors: https://currentprice.io/hs5_monitor
- Video Recorder: https://currentprice.io/ninja_v
- Video Switcher For Live Stream: https://currentprice.io/atem_minipro
- Key Light: https://currentprice.io/celeb_250
- Fill Light: https://currentprice.io/astera_ax1
- Uplight: https://currentprice.io/astera_ax5
- Truss: https://currentprice.io/truss_black
- Editing Computer: https://currentprice.io/mac_mini
- Editing Monitor: https://currentprice.io/lg_32in_4k
