Topic: Question about video recording

[eric]

Hope this the right forum...

I would like to begin recording some video/audio of my playing for uploading and sharing.   I know almost nothing about this subject.  What are you folks using?

[banjochris]

I'm just using the built-in iSight camera and mic on my iMac and iMovie. Whatever camera and mic setup you're using, iMovie or Windows Movie Maker would be perfectly fine for any editing and video encoding you need to do. I try to compress the file as little as possible on output and let YouTube do that -- it takes longer to upload, but not that much longer.

If your computer has a built-in web cam type thing, I'd try that first. I believe Windows Movie Maker is included on PCs just like iMovie is on Macs.

[Carlos Funk]

Yeah, I've used the webcam on windows with the free virtual dub program's screen capture.  That works pretty darn good.  I've got a rode nt1a mike and a tube preamp that makes all the difference for sound.  Now, I have just bought a kodak zi8 on ebay used for around 90 bucks and am plugging the mic into that.  That's the advantage that that camera has....it has an external mic plug, and a sensitivity setting that you can adjust.  That's pretty darn good.  Then I am reducing the video for faster uploading and into avi to edit and add etc in windows movie maker with another free program called format factory....that does a great job and it's free.  So you can get started for very little if you have a laptop with a webcam, and then add to or improve your equipment.  The thing is, you're gonna have to get in there and experiment with these programs and google stuff till you get the results that you're looking for.

[daddystovepipe]

I'm very lowtech but get good results with just a camcorder (JVC Everio 505 with internal harddisc- it's 4 years old now).
I use the internal mike (it has an external plus as well) to record and hook up the camcorder with the computer after that.  The camcorder came with a cd that has an easy program called Cyberlink Powerdirector Express; I just have to cut off the beginning and the ending of the recording and click on "producing"; the endresult goes to a file from which I can choose the vid when I upload toYouTube.  Getting the song right is the hardest part
http://www.youtube.com/user/daddystovepipe?feature=mhum

[Pan]

I asked for help reagrding this subject a while ago, and got some very good advice. Maybe it would be helpful to others as well, so here's the link: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=128&topic=5555.0

Cheers

Pan

[GavinG]

I record a couple of different ways. First is with a external mic plugged in comp, using web cam built in. Then if i feel like it, I load video in to my sony acid program and up the volume add effects or what ever I feel.

Second is plugging straight into my guitar processer than straight in to comp. Digital in to comp digital recording.

For acoustic I will use "free air" mic mostly I have put my pickup on and plugged in for digital(that kinda looses the acoustic sound of course)
, and electric sometimes digital in or I'll mic my amp.

With all the tech of today it's nice that you don't have to record audio and video with same hardware if don't want to....I have used a cannon sure shot digital camera for video and recorded audio with comp, stripped audio from camera recording and used the audio from comp for final product.

Well i hope i didn't ramble to far off from what your asking....i tend to do that at times....

Gav

[onewent]

Elder, in case you're still looking at this thread re recording video..I recently saw some rave reviews from musicians regarding the newest Zoom Q3HD..it's got built in stereo mics, and you can plug in external if you desire.  I was using my Canon camera, but it broke.  The Q3 is simple and you can trim and divide vids before downloading..and that's fine for simple use. 
The only drawback for me is the Zoom only records a MOV file, and my Windows Movie Maker does not support that format.  And that's ok, but, not knowing this, I attempted to open a MOV file in WMM and now WMM is corrupted and automatically shuts down each time I attempt to open it.  I've tried in safe mode, too, but same auto shut down (If anyone knows a fix for this, let me know..I've searched the net and it's a common problem).
The new Zooms cost ~ $299.  Regards, Tom

[frankie]

WMM just plain doesn't support .MOV files...  the best workaround I've found (and it's really not optimal) is to download a file format converter.  You can find a few free on the net - one I've used in the past (although I wouldn't say I recommend it) is eRightSoft "SUPER" - it has a somewhat peculiar interface, but does what it's supposed to do.

It's disappointing the Q3 doesn't support other output file formats... their audio recorders do!

Generally, I upload .MOV files directly to youtube without  editing and avoid the whole conversion issue.

[uncle bud]

Tom - is the MovieMaker problem in Windows 7? I had to recently uninstall all Windows Live components including Movie Maker, which refused to load, beta had expired. Reinstalling the Windows Live package fixed it.

[onewent]

UB..I think the WLiveMM is a newer version, I have plain WMM.  Not sure what version of Windows I have, but I tried downloading LiveMM, but computer told me I needed to download SP1 and SP2, and I began to do those, but went down a cyber hole, long story short I needed to restore the computer to an prior time and all that ..big mess, so now I don't have MM..  ;-)  Just got too overwhelming, so I played my guitar instead..     ..thanks for the tip  Tom

[uncle bud]

UB..I think the WLiveMM is a newer version, I have plain WMM.  Not sure what version of Windows I have, but I tried downloading LiveMM, but computer told me I needed to download SP1 and SP2, and I began to do those, but went down a cyber hole, long story short I needed to restore the computer to an prior time and all that ..big mess, so now I don't have MM..  ;-)  Just got too overwhelming, so I played my guitar instead..     ..thanks for the tip  Tom

Hopefully not based on my advice!!

[onewent]

No, no..sorry if that last phrase was misleading .. I was doing this a week ago, after some 'research' on the Microsoft forums..  Tom