Hey Friends, as an Amazon Associate, Dave The Spreadsheet Guy earns from any purchases that you make on this page. However, if you’re cool with that, then check out the useful links below, that will help you with your Spreadsheet craft!
The items at the bottom end of the page are what we use to create our YouTube video content, so feel free to have a look at those too if you’re interested in becoming a Creator yourself?
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Excel 2019 All-In-One for Dummies
Don’t let the ‘Dummies’ bit fool you, this book is immense and covers a wealth of ground in the latest version of Microsoft Excel.
Even if you prefer looking for answers online (hey, you’re here right?), this is still a great reference to have to hand and concepts are explained very well indeed.
Simply click on the image below to learn more:
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Office 365 – Home
If you’re still using an older version of Microsoft Office at home and are looking to upgrade, the best you can do is go for Office 365.
It’s subscription based and one of the main benefits is that you get access to updates the moment they’re available, keeping you up to date with all the possibilities of MS Office (and especially MS Excel!!)
Please note that if you’re intending to use MS Office for commercial purposes, you’ll require the ‘Office 365 – Business Premium’ version instead (due to licencing terms), which can be found in the next section.
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Office 365 – Business Premium
If you’re looking for a commercial solution, then Office 365 – Business Premium is the option for you.
It’s a single user subscription but gives you access to additional features over the Home version, including a host of business-friendly apps, as well as Publisher and Access (Publisher and Access are only available on PC).
If you like what you see, click on the image below:
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Our tools for video creation are:
Screen Capture Software
We use CamStudio™ Recorder to capture what is occuring on our screen. This software is Open Source and is hence, free!
Despite the price tag, it works really well.
Find out more on the CamStudio website here: https://camstudio.org/
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Video Editing Software
When we first wanted to edit video/audio, we thought we were going to have to spend lots on decent software but again, we found some great Open Source (free) software in terms of Shotcut.
It allows you to bring your video and audio together seamlessly and is a pleasure to work with.
Find out more on the Shotcut website here: https://www.shotcut.org/
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Sound Editor Software
You know, the sound you hear on our videos isn’t the raw version. When you record, you pick up all sorts of background noises. The Spreadsheet Lab gives off a low frequency hum as well, so Audacity® is a great program to filter these unwanted noises out.
Audacity is again, Open Source (free) and has worked very well for us so far.
Find out more on the Audacity® website here: https://www.audacityteam.org/
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Sound Recording
So when we’re sat in front of the screen, we record our audio at the same time as the video (which kinda makes sense right?).
Using the built in microphone of our laptop just doesn’t cut it, so instead (as we’re gamers too) we use our ‘Turtle Beach Recon 50X Gaming Headset’. Whilst other headsets are available, this feels clearer when recording audio and the playback works well through the double headphones too.
To check this (or something similar) out, click on the image below:
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Video Camera
To shoot video, we use the 4K Ansteker Ultra HD Video Kit. It’s a great camera and comes with a Shotgun Mic, as well as an additional Wide Angle Lens (we haven’t used the lens yet but may do if Dave puts on any more weight!!).
The camera also comes with a case, lens cover and two batteries (always carry a spare right?). You’ll need to get an SD Card separately but after that, you’ll be good to go!
We rate it as a great mid-range camera and the mic is great too. Check it out by clicking the link below:
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Tripod
So you’ve gotten yourself a great camera but what ya gonna rest it on when you record? Stools? Books? A wonky worktop? Trust us, we found this to be ineffective and thus realised that we needed a Tripod!
There are all sorts out there… some good, some bad, some expensive, some inexpensive. We had blown most of our budget on the Camera to be honest, so opted for the ‘Tairoad Lightweight Tripod’. We weren’t disappointed!
It’s extendable, rotates 360 degrees, has a spirit level (to avoid wonky videos) and works great in the field (literally, as you’ll see from our Intro Video!).
Check it out by clicking the image below:
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Lighting
So we just about had enough budget left to get some decent lighting! Our unit is the ‘Neewer Dimmable Ultra High Power Panel Light’. This fixes to the top of your Mic and is independently powered by 6 AA batteries (not included).
It comes with two different colour filters and the brightness is variably controlled by the wheel on the side.
Even in the daylight, you need lighting to reduce shadow etc and this does the job well enough for us. Have a look yourselves by clicking the image below:
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Dave The Spreadsheet Guy 