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.
![](https://www.torontomike.com/content/images/2020/10/20201019_172010-1-1.jpg)
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...