Recording Setup Suggestions? - Syncing Video with Audio

[JoshwaBurke]

Hey everyone,

I normally create YouTube videos with just a camera. The sound quality is not great. I want to to upgrade to a condenser microphone to pick up vocals and my Taylor GC8. How should I go about syncing the audio and video?

Current Gear for recording:
Nikon D3200 Camera

Thinking of purchasing:
Blue Bluebird Condenser Microphone
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface.


I don't want to lose quality by going directly from a XLR condenser mic to a 3.5mm mic jack on the camera. I do have a Behringer XENYX 802 Mixer if I wanted that.

I'd like both audio and video directly handled by a PC.
I'm not an expert with recording software so I don't know if software like Garage band, Pro tools, Sony Vegas Pro, etc... handle the syncing. Let me know what you think

Thanks,
Josh

https://www.youtube.com/user/JoshwaBurke

[Mobilemike]

The easiest way is just to clap before every take.

If you start rolling on the camera and the audio, then clap so that your hands can be seen by the camera and picked up by the microphone then you can simply line up the instant your hands touch with the audio waveform on the computer. If you get those lines up then everything after should be in sync. You can do that in iMovie.

You just have to remember to clap again after every time you stop and restart the camera.

-Mike

[wcap]

Originally Posted by Mobilemike

The easiest way is just to clap before every take.

If you start rolling on the camera and the audio, then clap so that your hands can be seen by the camera and picked up by the microphone then you can simply line up the instant your hands touch with the audio waveform on the computer. If you get those lines up then everything after should be in sync. You can do that in iMovie.

You just have to remember to clap again after every time you stop and restart the camera.

-Mike

Yes, this.

If you wanted to get fancy and impress your friends and family when doing these videos you could even get a movie clapperboard! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clapperboard (clapping with your hands will be easier though of course!)

I think what my daughter has also done is to compare and line up the waveforms of the video camera's recording (she eventually either mutes or removes this sound track) with the wave forms in the better quality recording.

[Fran Guidry]

Originally Posted by JoshwaBurke

Hey everyone,

I normally create YouTube videos with just a camera. The sound quality is not great. I want to to upgrade to a condenser microphone to pick up vocals and my Taylor GC8. How should I go about syncing the audio and video?

Current Gear for recording:
Nikon D3200 Camera

Thinking of purchasing:
Blue Bluebird Condenser Microphone
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface.


I don't want to lose quality by going directly from a XLR condenser mic to a 3.5mm mic jack on the camera. I do have a Behringer XENYX 802 Mixer if I wanted that.

I'd like both audio and video directly handled by a PC.
I'm not an expert with recording software so I don't know if software like Garage band, Pro tools, Sony Vegas Pro, etc... handle the syncing. Let me know what you think

Thanks,
Josh

https://www.youtube.com/user/JoshwaBurke

There's a software add-on called PluralEyes that many video pros use to sync audio and video automatically, and there are probably other similar solutions available, but of course any tool has a learning curve and limitations.

When I experimented with my Panasonic GH3 audio input I was surprised to find that the quality was very very close to a high quality audio recording chain, so you might at least try using the mic input on your camera, since you already have tools for that approach. This is only likely to work if you have some control over the input level in your camera, though.

I've done several blog posts and videos about syncing audio and video using various tools. The principle, as mentioned above, is to imitate the traditional "slate" used in movie production by creating a clear visual and audible point in both recordings, and simply clapping ones hands in view of the camera(s) does the job.

http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2010/...deo-in-reaper/

By the way, you may find it useful to use two mics to record the guitar and vocal. I'm not sure why you mention the Blue Bluebird, but there are many excellent mics that would deliver similar results and give you two mics for the same price as one Bluebird. I've found that in general mic position is more important than the mic itself in getting satisfactory recordings.

Killer performance of "Your Smiling Face" by the way.

Fran

[Gnatty]

Keep in mind that your dslr also records sound (that is already synced up), so you can match the peaks in the audio wave form when you clap. Then just mute the dslr audio track

[MikeBmusic]

I second the idea of using two mics rather than the Bluebird. Unless you are in a room that is acousitcally treated you do not want to be far away from a mic (like you would be using 1 mic to record vocals and guitar at same time) as then you will get the natural reverb of the room and it oculd be not much better than what the camera picks up with its internal mic.
Most video cameras have audio compression built in, as well, which can ruin the dynamics of a song (hence the warning from someone above about trying a mic plugged into your camera).
You will need software to record your audio (using a mic and audio interface), then possibly to add some processing (EQ, reverb). Then you will need video software that will allow you to edit the video (mute the audio recorded by the camera) and add the audio you recorded with the mic/interface. Reaper software does have video editing capability, but I have never used it so not sure how easy it is to use. I use Roxio Creator as my main video editor as it is very simple to use, but synching can be difficult - have to do it by sight as there is no waveform view.

[Doug Young]

You mention garageband, so if you're on a Mac, Final Cut Pro X will sync your audio and any number of video tracks automatically, and is a pretty amazing video editor as well. But a clap works great, too.

[JoshwaBurke]

First off all, thank you everyone for the wonderful responses. I love how helpful the acoustic guitar forum community is!

I was considering the clap method but didn't know how accurate it would be, but it seems pretty common judging from the responses. I have a copy of Sony Vegas Pro on a desktop but I have not used it with the audio and video separate. I'll try out some of the recommendations.

I've just heard good reviews on the Blue microphone by a friend who mentioned it's performance for it's price range. I'm open to other microphones to research on if anyone would be so kind to recommend any.

[mutantrock]

I record at the same sample rate . So for example, if the camera sample rate is 44khz I record into my DAW at 44khz. Then I import the camera video and audio and the WAV file from my DAW into Sony Vegas Movie Studio ( cheap) and then I just line up the waveforms. Very easy to do. Once I am satisfied I delete the camera audio .

[Punchy]

I record video/audio using my droid phone. At the same time i use a mic into presonus 44vsl to garageband on my mac.

Record the song. I use the clap method also

I copy the file from my phone to my mac

In the garageband file i import the phone file so it now has a video track, and 2 audio tracks (one from phone, one from mic).

If i forgot to clap i can still line up the waveforms in GB.

I delete the phone audio track from GB

Import GB file into I-movie. there you can clip out the beginning (setup, clap, etc) and also the end where you turn the recording off.

hope that helps!

[Rick Shepherd]

I use Logic Pro. I just import the movie file into Logic as a separate track and drag to sync. I am able to hear both audio sources, the video with audio, and just the audio track simultaneously. I just align the video with the audio until both audio sources are in sync.