IKEA BESTÅ System | Tips & Tricks

[@kait-hanrahan]

Thanks for watching! I am (and was as soon as I heard the recording) aware of the audio issues. In this case, the Audio Rec Level on my Sony camera wasn't set to an ideal level for my Rode mic. And, yeah, I was lazy and didn't record a sample, take the card out, and check it in computer before starting the real recording that day. I guess I could have done it all over again once I heard it, but I didn't know at the time this video would do so well! I have plenty of videos with like 40 views, so perhaps my decision is understandable there. Also, as one might guess by the fact that I just put in this furniture, the room was still somewhat empty but I don't think that made much difference. Even now, I record in a medium sized home office, with decent equipment, a mic boomed in as close as possible out of frame (or even in frame), have added carpet, curtains, and some sound panels, and throw bedding on the other side of the room when I record, too. I've exchanged audio samples with Ali Abdaal's lead editor and equipment expert (who advised me on most my equipment). And my audio is still not great! Though better than this Ikea video, which again I had a setting set wrong. So. If anyone has advice beyond these things, please, I'm all ears! But if you're just saying "your audio is bad"... I know dude, I know.

[@bgenge339]

Really great tips and tricks that are very helpful in making these difficult and time consuming decisions. Unfortunately I did miss some things that were said. In part it was the echo- but for me it was more speech which at times was fast with a fading volume. i.e ~minute 8.50. Replayed several times and could not be understood. I am mentioning this, not to criticize, but so you are aware and can be improve because your video and information is very good. Also it would be helpful to see more demonstration of the thing which you are describing. Thank you for this and I look forward to other videos.

[@AgarothStory]

I'm considering ordering and customizing one of these and you give here very good tips that I didn't even think about when using the planner. Don't worry about the audio, it could be better but I'm not even native and I can understand you perfectly.

[@kait-hanrahan]

Thanks for that comment about the audio 💜

[@jpokorny2268]

Thank You ,good info but hard to make out what is being said because a slight echo in the sound. Everyone learns as they go along so don't be discouraged ,you're awesome.

[@kait-hanrahan]

I knoooooow ::shakes fist: Now that the main furniture is in place, I've added curtains, rug, sound proofing hex'es on the walls. And I use good software to try to help, too. And a good Rode mic. Next upgrade is a overhead rig to get the mic closer. It was easier when I just recorded in my old bedroom-office and the bed absorbed any echo. This fancy office is ruining my videos 😂

[@akastewart]

Great info and great tips. But, please invest in a decent microphone. The room reverb (and possibly high levels of audio compression) is just bad enough to make it a little tricky to follow every word clearly. Consider also ‘audio treatment’ for a specific room that you film most often in. With longer videos, the audio quality might actually discourage some viewers from watching the full video, which might, in turn, be limiting the reach of your videos - and that would be a shame because the content seems interesting and useful.

[@kait-hanrahan]

I've got a nice Rode microphone. The problem is the new empty room. But slowly I've added curtains, a rug, and some sound proofing. It's a work in progress :)

[@akastewart]

@@kait-hanrahan All good. Want to say again - great video. It’s the kind of detail that, as you say, is often missing. Exactly the kind of detail you wouldn’t think to check in the store (because you’d just assume the designers had accounted for those things), but which would bug me continually once home and installed. 👍 I’ve got plans for a 3m or 3.6m run of low hung Besta cupboards, same doors. My problem is that I really want a single top piece, possibly with matching sides/end-pieces, so that’s going to be ‘fun’ to source. 😉

[@kait-hanrahan]

You want the top to match the doors? I think the color you can match easy enough (I would literally bring a drawer front to the store when picking stain). But if you mean exactly match, so the chevron pattern, too -- that will be tricky! I don't know how you'll get real wood to match the "printed" wood. You could buy extra doors to cut and glue together to form a long top board (sounds like a PIA, tho). I would personally go for a contrasting stain (like white, grey, or a color). A color could be fun. If you get sick of it, you just have to replace (or repaint) that one piece of wood. Thanks for encouraging words! And double thanks for commenting 🥰

[@akastewart]

@@kait-hanrahan Thankfully, I’m not enough of a masochist to try to match the doors. Most likely I’ll go with a simpler, all-white top, so it’s more of a budget and finish thing, than a problem sourcing the wood to-size. I’m toying with the idea of using the single large top in place of the unit built-in tops (so all the units share the same single, long top piece). This means no gaps along the top, but also that the doors would still close flush with the top of the overall unit, to give it a slick finish. Not sure if that will end up being too much of a pain to get done or more costly than it’s worth. I’m still at the ideas stage, and knowing me, I’ll have a completely different plan next week. 👍

[@jlammetje]

​@@akastewart that would mean having to cut off a little bit of the sides of all the units, which sounds like quite some work. Wouldn't it be much simpler to put a piece on top of the cabinets, and make it jut out a bit in the front to align with the doors? If you do the same all around, the doors will be "inset", but the diy is quite simple to do.

[@deannaswenson8810]

Hi! Thank you for this video; so many on PAX but not as many on BESTA. We really can't hear on the video nor get it on CC exactly what shelf clip we need to bring that shelf forward, flush over the drawer. (I think it will look cleaner that way and keep dust at bay). Do you have a part number? Or name of part? TIA for your help. Great vid!

[@Slicksledge]

Shame she recorded in a room with echo. Most off putting 😮

[@philiphorner]

It looks like you filled the holes in? Any tips !? Please :)

[@kait-hanrahan]

Which holes specifically?

[@linkLoverAG]

Permanent: Wood Filler, paint Temporary: Silicone, paint.

[@sallyjenks7924]

Oh the sound what a shame

[@kait-hanrahan]

I know... I've really struggled with audio quality since moving into my home office. This video I tried some different settings and it was actually much worse. But, what can ya do? I didn't realize until it was too late. Believe it or not, I do actually have a high quality mic on a boom stand and have consulted with Ali Abdaal's editor on a few occasions to troubleshoot why it's still so bad. I've tried different mic set ups. Only thing left to try is to spray foam the whole office -- but it's a rental haha