Gamers are the newest addition to the Audio-Technica family, joining a long list of artists and pro audio titans. Late last year we welcomed professional gamer Summit1G, and now we’re excited to introduce Twitch streamers GoldGlove and TimTheTatman to Audio-Technica fans. In a new two-part series we’ll sit down with each gamer to discuss the world of professional gaming, their favorite equipment and more. In this first part, we speak with GoldGlove. Audio-Technica: Fans call you Goldy. Is there a story behind the nickname? GoldGlove: Well my gamertag is GoldGlove, which is an award in baseball for the best defensive player. I grew up playing baseball and priding myself on my defense. Decided to use it as a gamertag and it just stuck. Then viewers just called me Goldy for short and that stuck. No going back now and, to be honest, I actually prefer being called Goldy these days. A-T: Do you remember the first video game you ever played? GoldGlove: First game I ever played was an old PC game called Scorched Earth. It was very similar to modern day Worms but instead of playing as little earthworms, you controlled little tanks. This was probably around the age of four or five. Such a great game! A-T: Wow! So you got into gaming at a young age. When did you decide to pursue livestreaming full time? GoldGlove: I decided to pursue streaming full time around 2013. I had been streaming on and off for around three years before that point, but my viewership hit a point where the viewers started expecting a stream nearly every day. I fell in love with Twitch as a platform and there was only one thing to do: stream as much as possible. But if you ask some of my viewers, they'll still say I'm only a part-time streamer. A-T: Can you walk us through a day in the life of a professional streamer? GoldGlove: To be honest, being a professional streamer isn't that different than a normal job. I start my day like most people. I wake up, eat food, do things around the house or run some errands, and then sit down at my PC to start my 6- to 8-hour "work" day. It's hardly work when I love what I do. A-T: What’s your all-time favorite video game? GoldGlove: My favorite game of all-time is easily, hands down, without a shred of doubt, Gears of War. It's the game that got me into online gaming and I absolutely love it to this day. A-T: Do you have a favorite aspect of live streaming? GoldGlove: My favorite aspect of live streaming definitely has to be the feeling of having an online family/community that you can always count on being there to hang out with. I can turn on my stream, pop on a game, and sit back and relax with a bunch of like-minded and awesome individuals. A-T: Tell us about your gaming setup; what are your streaming essentials? GoldGlove: My setup is actually a bit different than most streamers. I currently use a two-PC setup to stream. One PC is my main gaming rig and the other is used strictly for streaming. My essentials include my ATH-PG1 gaming headset and my Razer DeathAdder mouse. Also, having a good microphone is a must. I'm currently using the AT2035 and absolutely love the quality of it. A-T: Are there any streamers you enjoy watching in your downtime? GoldGlove: For the most part, if I have any downtime I'm spending it eating, hanging with my friends or my family, or watching my favorite sports teams. Occasionally I'll pop on Lirik or Fairlight_Excalibur to see what kind of shenanigans they are getting into. A-T: You’ve built up a massive following on Twitch. Have you had any interesting fan encounters? GoldGlove: I once had a fan get into an Uber with our group and go to IHOP with us at 3 a.m. Not only did he join us uninvited, but I also had to pick up his tab. Good times. A-T: Which platform do you prefer: PlayStation, Xbox or PC, and why? GoldGlove: PC Master Race. It’s so easy to jump in and out of games. Steam. Steam. Steam. Did I mention Steam? Also, consoles require so many updates and downloads and extra nonsense. I just want to play games with my friends and not deal with silly online console services. A-T: Can you give some advice to anyone looking to become a professional streamer? GoldGlove: Do it because you love it. Do it because it makes you happy. Don't start streaming to become a professional streamer. It takes a lot of time, effort, and luck. Be original and attempt to do your best at standing out. Don't take any shortcuts. Network. We’d like to thank GoldGlove for taking the time to speak with us. Make sure to catch his streams on Twitch and to check him out on Twitter!