Recording sucks when....

[sandysue]

Thank you Michele for starting this thread and Bill for encouraging me to post a video on Fire And Rain. I've actually been obcessung over this video thing for a couple of weeks now. I'm so glad everyone is joining in and giving ideas on how to make it easier.

I'm thinking that I just need to jump in and make a video and posted it, and if it's not perfect that's OK. I just can't seem to stay out of my own head long enough to get a decent video. I guess misery loves company because I'm feeling much better hearing that other people are struggling a little bit as well.

[crieniecat]

Oh Sandy don't worry!
We all go through the same thing when it comes to record a video.

Image this.....
Practicing goes great but then these bright lights need to go on because the image quality needs to be perfect.
Then, when my eyes finally adjust to that, B) and we're half way down a song, I forget to breathe, or need to cough, the guitar goes slightly off key, or someone we all know very well, makes me laugh! :silly:

Oh wait, then all goes well and I'm already winking at my glass of wine, 'cause, when finished we usually relax and have dinner accompanied by a nice red, but then Someone (!) decides her hair isn't in order!! So we start all over again :blink: :S
And noooooo, that wouldn't be me :laugh:

So, yes we all know what you mean. Great thread Shel

(everything written above is based upon a true story, any coincidences do make totally sense, no harm was done to any of the instruments.)
Copyright... oh well, I leave that to the Time Zone Zombies, this thread may have you two fully inspired to write a "Goofy song" this time :laugh:

Cheers,
Corina

[wrsomers]

Bill[/quote]

Bill: If I am singing into the computer, isn't the Mic still going to pick up the background noise from the room (not as much on a dynamic mic, but still some).?

Thanks for the Doug Young clip. I have to tell you, he has so many great videos out there. The guy is a guru, and he is as nice as they come!

Jason[/quote]

Jason,
I'm not sure what type of mic you are using, but yes if there is noise in the room it will be picked up. When I'm recording I use a condensing cardioid usb mic in a quite room.

Bill

[Music Junkie]

wrsomers wrote:

Jason,
I'm not sure what type of mic you are using, but yes if there is noise in the room it will be picked up. When I'm recording I use a condensing cardioid usb mic in a quite room.

Bill

I have a condenser mic and a dynamic mic, so I can use either one. I just know that the condenser picks up "EVERYTHING"....lol. The dynamic is more forgiving, but will still pick up some background noise in my situation. If I plug in my guitar, and record that directly into my computer, I can use it as the audio to replace the built in audio on the video recorder. That will clean that part up. It is the vocals that still remain the problem, and that won't change until I get a quiet space, or get Chris to sing for me as well....

Thanks!

I really appreciate the input!

J

[michelew]

Music Junkie wrote:

Recording sucks when..... You just haven't figured out how to line up an external audio file with your video file... I have to practice in a very noisy environment every night (fighting with the TV). So the only way I will be able to get a video done, is to record the video normally, but also record another audio directly into my computer and then use that audio with the video file I have. When I try it, I just struggle with getting it lined up correctly.

Great question Michele. I imagine that most of us will have some things in common in this thread.

Jason

Jason,

Now, I almost always record into a USB mic into GarageBand and then simultaneously record with the Mac's web cam and built-in mic using IMovie. That produces a video with a crappy sound file attached and a good sound file (from GB). When I'm putting the good sound file against the video, I sync it in three ways.
- I watch what I'm doing in the video (when I hit a bass note or start to sing a certain phrase).
- I listen to the crappy sound file against the good sound file, play them both at the same time; do they line up
- I match the shape of the sound files - to do this most easily, it's best to zoom right in on the start of the sound files - then you move or jiggle the location of the good sound file against the one attached to the video until it lines up under the crappy one - the shape goes up and down in parallel. (I generally start with this step).

It can definitely be tricky, but if you match the shapes of the sound files first you can generally get it pretty well placed and then you watch and listen to fine tune.


Once the good sound file is properly synced, you simple mute the crappy one and wella! Video with good sound.


I hope that makes sense.

M


Hey everyone! Great responses here and I sure can relate to the vast majority If not all. The light in the eyes thing absolutely sucks too.

Sandy - you're very welcome. I hoped it would help to know that we all experience those issues. Just having the camera on is distracting and takes some of your attention away from what you're playing and singing.


Recording sucks when ... You record a good take (sound and what you're doing on the video) and then you notice the sun changed while you were recording and suddenly you're seeing straight into a well lit wardrobe with very visible hanger etc; where previously it had just been dark ..... And you have to work out how to make the background neater and record it all AGAIN .... David reckons it would have just added interest to the video... But... Nah! The backgrounds of my current videos are too busy as it is.

[TGNesh]

Whaha!! :laugh: :laugh: Nice recap!

crieniecat wrote:

Oh Sandy don't worry!
We all go through the same thing when it comes to record a video.

Image this.....
Practicing goes great but then these bright lights need to go on because the image quality needs to be perfect.
Then, when my eyes finally adjust to that, B) and we're half way down a song, I forget to breathe, or need to cough, the guitar goes slightly off key, or someone we all know very well, makes me laugh! :silly:

Oh wait, then all goes well and I'm already winking at my glass of wine, 'cause, when finished we usually relax and have dinner accompanied by a nice red, but then Someone (!) decides her hair isn't in order!! So we start all over again :blink: :S
And noooooo, that wouldn't be me :laugh:

So, yes we all know what you mean. Great thread Shel

(everything written above is based upon a true story, any coincidences do make totally sense, no harm was done to any of the instruments.)
Copyright... oh well, I leave that to the Time Zone Zombies, this thread may have you two fully inspired to write a "Goofy song" this time :laugh:

Cheers,
Corina

[michelew]

So Ness!... The hair... You might need to fit a hair check step into your routine.

Camera - check
Lights - check
Audio - check
Which song am I playing.... Oh yes got it, check

Hair - ... Lookin' good

[crieniecat]

michelew wrote:

So Ness!... The hair... You might need to fit a hair check step into your routine.

Camera - check
Lights - check
Audio - check
Which song am I playing.... Oh yes got it, check

Hair - ... Lookin' good

Shel, I rest my case B)
Ness,

[TGNesh]

You two are hilarious!!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

But I'm telling you....I think I've mentioned it before, when working on a TG-lesson, recording the play through takes, by far, most of the work. The prep for it too btw. Obviously Corina has witnessed and experienced some of that for sure. The pay off is often huge though, since you Shel are always there to support me and leave me a great comment, makes it all worthwhile.. :cheer:



crieniecat wrote:

michelew wrote:

So Ness!... The hair... You might need to fit a hair check step into your routine.

Camera - check
Lights - check
Audio - check
Which song am I playing.... Oh yes got it, check

Hair - ... Lookin' good

Shel, I rest my case B)
Ness,

[davidrfinn99165]

So after we've all checked our hair ..( yep, you too Jason!)... two more tips...

1. make sure your mobile is on silent... those txt-coming-in beeps get all over the best tracks..

2. see if you think the dogs will stay asleep for the duration of the recording.. otherwise -
- the postman arrives and the dogs bark their heads off.. all over the track
- they decide it is time to eat , start running around in circles, and pull the audio cable out of the lecky guitar into GB on the Ipad, and the video cable out the pc
- they jump on the sofa, land on the tv remote, which switches on and blasts out an advert.. all over your best take of the morning, usually in the final verse...

... not that any of those things has ever happened to me.

/ david