Learn Hardcore Russian: Сегодня я настрою микрофон и камеру перед стримом. - Today I will set up the microphone and the camera before the stream.

Настрою is the 1st person singular form of the perfective verb настроить.
With perfective verbs, the “present” forms are used to express the future in Russian. So я настрою means I will set up / I’ll configure (and it implies the action will be completed).

What would change if I used настраиваю instead?

Настраиваю is the imperfective verb настраивать (present tense). The meaning shifts:

Сегодня я настраиваю микрофон и камеру… = Today I’m setting up / I’m in the process of setting up (focus on the ongoing process, routine, or “what I’m doing today”).
Сегодня я настрою… = Today I’ll set up (and finish) (focus on completion).

Why is камера becoming камеру?

Because it’s the direct object of the verb настрою (“set up what?”), so it takes the accusative case.

камера (feminine, nominative) → камеру (accusative singular) For feminine nouns ending in -а / -я, accusative often changes to -у / -ю.

Why does микрофон not change form like камера?

Микрофон is masculine and inanimate. For masculine inanimate nouns, the accusative singular is usually the same as the nominative singular:

микрофон (nom.) = микрофон (acc.)

Why is it перед стримом and not перед стрим?

The preposition перед requires the instrumental case.
So стрим becomes стримом (instrumental singular):

стрим → стримом
This is standard after перед both in the meaning in front of and before.

Does перед mean “in front of” or “before” here?

It can mean both, depending on context:

перед домом = in front of the house (space)
перед стримом = before the stream (time) Here it clearly means before (time).

Is стрим a normal Russian word? How do you decline it?

Yes—стрим is a common loanword (from English stream, as in livestream). It declines like a regular masculine noun:

стрим (nom.)
стрима (gen.)
стриму (dat.)
стрим (acc., inanimate)
стримом (instr.)
о стриме (prep.)

Why is the word order Сегодня я настрою…—can it be changed?

Russian word order is flexible, and different orders change emphasis:

Сегодня я настрою микрофон и камеру… = neutral, “today” as the time frame.
Я сегодня настрою… = more emphasis on I (as opposed to someone else) or a slightly more conversational rhythm.
Микрофон и камеру я настрою сегодня… = emphasis on microphone and camera (topic first).

All are grammatically possible; the given order is very natural.

Do I need to say я, or can I drop it?

You can often drop я because the verb ending already shows the subject:

Сегодня настрою микрофон и камеру перед стримом. = perfectly normal. You keep я if you want emphasis/contrast (e.g., “I will, not someone else”).

What exactly does настроить mean here—“set up,” “configure,” or “tune”?

All are possible translations depending on context. For streaming equipment, настроить commonly means:

set up (basic setup and preparation)
configure (settings in software/hardware)
adjust/tune (levels, focus, etc.) It’s a broad verb for “make it work properly / adjust settings.”

Is it okay to say перед стримом without anything like “началом” (start)?

Yes. Перед стримом naturally means before the stream (starts); the “start” is understood from context.
If you want to be extra explicit, you can say:

перед началом стрима = before the start of the stream.

How is this sentence pronounced (especially tricky words)?

Common tricky parts:

Сегодня is pronounced roughly [sʲɪˈvodʲnʲə] (often surprising vs spelling).
настрою: stress on -ю part: настроЮ (roughly [nɐˈstrojʊ]).
перед стримом: stress пЕред, стрИмом.