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Old 03-29-2018, 06:57 PM
v32 finish v32 finish is offline
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Default Recording- simple and on the cheap. advise?

Ok, so.. here are my needs. I'll cut right to the chase. I'm a member of a few different forums and lessons, and I have a need to be able to post audio and preferably video of simple acoustic performances. No vocals, just acoustic guitar. My last trip to the shop, I was told I needed a Focusright and about 500$ worth of equipment, but I can tell from the other videos that this is not accurate.

At the same time.... I can't bring myself to just shoot a cellphone video. Can anyone shed a little light on this? I'm guessing there are plug-n-play mics available.. but even then, what camera is doing the capturing? If I were to use my cellphone temporarily until I was able to get a rudimentary setup working, what settings should I use? I currently have a laptop with Windows 10, a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, ... and that's it. I'd like to be able to contribute and record myself, but I seem to be stuck at a point where I don't want to bother if I'm just using my cell, but it seems that everyone else has already crossed this hurdle.

Any advice here would be appreciated; I don't mind spending a bit of money, but would prefer that my funds go towards my next guitar, so I'm looking at keeping a budget of maybe $100 or less, and the lower the better.

Thanks in advance
Scott
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Old 03-29-2018, 07:04 PM
Brucebubs Brucebubs is offline
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Check out the Tascam DP-008EX.
http://tascam.com/product/dp-008ex/

Sweetwater has them, check out the reviews; https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...al-portastudio
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Old 03-29-2018, 07:20 PM
mdshax mdshax is offline
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Here's a cheapo option I've used with a phone or tablet and a simple 4 track app off Google Play:

https://www.amazon.com/Samson-Mic-Po.../dp/B001R76D42

It's not phenomenal sound quality or anything, but it's better than your cellphone mic by a few factors. The drawback is that it picks up all ambient noise, so you'll need to be in a quiet room to record acoustic. But it's cheap, very portable, and decent sound quality.
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Old 03-29-2018, 07:22 PM
Rudy4 Rudy4 is offline
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Hi Scott,
Suggestions are going to be very different depending on it you really need video or if you want audio only. There's a huge difference between the two both in complexity and in what you'll need to spend. If you're starting on the ground floor without any hardware or software $100 isn't going to get you very far regarding quality video production.

I suggest you read everything that's pertinant to your needs at Fran Guidry's Homebrewed Music website:

http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/
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Old 03-29-2018, 07:58 PM
v32 finish v32 finish is offline
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Appreciate the feedback.

I should clarify that I'm not interested in the quality of the video, at all, a bit more with the sound. 90% of the videos I've seen are pointed at people's guitars.. and I would be very surprised if most of these aren't recorded with a cellphone. So, I would say I'd definitely be on board with an option that's just a step or two beyond that. We're talking about a typical message board's "open mic" section.. not a A+ youtube channel or video editing suite, or some such.

thanks for all your replies. I guess I wasn't clear enough in the first place.. I'm not looking for super crystal clear UHD video at 70 FPS.. etc etc. Likely a camera will be pointed at my guitar and as long as it's not super, super, super grainy and choppy.. with quality APPROACHING reasonable, slightly better than my cellphone's regular mic, then I think that would suffice in the short term.

From there, depending on how far I get into it, I can consider a focusrite or a better camera and mic. I need a couple ptions for a starting off point and basic instructions. thanks again!!!
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Old 03-30-2018, 03:18 AM
N+1 N+1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by v32 finish View Post
My last trip to the shop, I was told I needed a Focusright and about 500$ worth of equipment, but I can tell from the other videos that this is not accurate.
I can only speak from my own experience, but I found the Focusrite Studio/software package to be impossibly user-unfriendly, and for me it was a complete waste of money.

I use a Tascam DP00Ex, as suggested by Bruce above. It costs less than a Focusrite package and I find it so much easier to use. You can use an external mike with it (it has phantom power available if you want to use a condenser mike), or use the built-in mikes (which may be all you need, for recording acoustic guitar). Some people report an annoying sensitivity to the kind of memory card you use with it, and I've experienced that myself, but other than that, it's very straightforward to use.

The recording in my signature was made with a Tascam DP00Ex. I think any deficiencies you hear are due to my incompetence (which knows no bounds, in so many ways) and the poor acoustics of the kitchen, rather than deficiencies in the gadget.
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Old 03-30-2018, 07:20 AM
MikeBmusic MikeBmusic is offline
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If you are concerned about audio quality, then using a USB audio interface and decent condensor mic will be your best bet. You can shoot video with your cellphone at the same time, and combine the recorded audio with the cellphone video in your computer.
So you'll need:
interface - $150 (I don't recommend anything with less than 2 preamps, there are many choices in the price range)
mic - $100-$150 - again, many choices in this range
DAW (recording software) - chances are the AI you buy will come with a limited edition DAW that you can use.

Video software - not sure of the freebies out there, but you can find a simple one that will let you combine the video from your cellphone (muting it's audio) and the processed audio from the DAW for $50.

Alternately, if you don't want to be spending a ton of time doing all this processing, consider a small 'point and shoot' digital camera that also shoots video. I have a little Sony with built-in stereo mics that does quite well until the volume level gets too high.
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Old 03-30-2018, 12:43 PM
Ty Ford Ty Ford is offline
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You don't want to hear this, but you can have the bridge of the Starship Enterprise and still end up with crap unless you understand what you're hearing and know how to use the tools.

Inversely, you can end up with a good product with a flint, a stone and shavings if you know how best to use them.

Getting good doesn't happen overnight. You learn more from mistakes than by successes. There are NO SHORTCUTS. Welcome to the show!
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Old 03-30-2018, 01:43 PM
Johnny K Johnny K is offline
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"At the same time.... I can't bring myself to just shoot a cellphone video. "

Why not?

All you need is an I-Rig Pre and an SM58 and the I-Rig App on the phone. 200 bucks, tops. The front camera of my iPhone 6 plus shoots in 1080. The normal one on the back does 2.7k. You can even buy lenses to change the FOV angle, zoom, macro etc, for the phone camera if you want something different.

You can buy a Rode cell phone mic and spend even less.
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Old 03-30-2018, 05:15 PM
cleanheadsteve cleanheadsteve is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by v32 finish View Post
Ok, so.. here are my needs. I'll cut right to the chase. I'm a member of a few different forums and lessons, and I have a need to be able to post audio and preferably video of simple acoustic performances. No vocals, just acoustic guitar. My last trip to the shop, I was told I needed a Focusright and about 500$ worth of equipment, but I can tell from the other videos that this is not accurate.

At the same time.... I can't bring myself to just shoot a cellphone video. Can anyone shed a little light on this? I'm guessing there are plug-n-play mics available.. but even then, what camera is doing the capturing? If I were to use my cellphone temporarily until I was able to get a rudimentary setup working, what settings should I use? I currently have a laptop with Windows 10, a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, ... and that's it. I'd like to be able to contribute and record myself, but I seem to be stuck at a point where I don't want to bother if I'm just using my cell, but it seems that everyone else has already crossed this hurdle.

Any advice here would be appreciated; I don't mind spending a bit of money, but would prefer that my funds go towards my next guitar, so I'm looking at keeping a budget of maybe $100 or less, and the lower the better.

Thanks in advance
Scott
Your cell phone has very good specs for recording. I would setup in a room with plenty of light (plus more light) and hang blankets on the walls to deaden the echo and give it a go. I would bet you'd be surprised
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Old 03-30-2018, 07:03 PM
v32 finish v32 finish is offline
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Thanks for all the replies!

I like the idea of trying a point-and-shoot digital camera. Had never thought of that. I picked up a Shure MV5 today because I found one at a good price(and a good return policy); but I haven't had a chance to plug it up and try it for audio yet. I've also wondered the specifics of how to use a mic and video concurrently.. is using editing software to match up the video and audio the only way to do this ?

As for the cellphone- I'm aware my Galaxy S7 has a good camera for video, but I guess I just assumed that the microphone would be totally insufficient for capturing the tone of an acoustic guitar. I may actually play around with this idea, as well. As I started to note above, I'm very interested in using my phone's camera and using a different mic. Any advice here would be appreciated, software to use, etc etc.

To TY- not sure 100% if I came across this way, but I'm not looking for any shortcuts, magic bullets, etc. and yes, am quite aware how very inexperienced I am in this arena of recording! That's why I'm here asking for advice in between sessions of experimenting on my own. I'm fully aware as a guitar player that there's always lots to learn . "Getting good" isn't 100% of my priority, but in my life I've had excellent results with conferring with people who had more experience than I and were willing to advise me and share their talents. I know it won't be overnight and would never expect it. Somewhere mid-way in between the bridge of the Enterprise, and a flint and a stone, with just a modicum of talent and determination; that's where I will be conducting most of my journey.

That all being said, thanks again to everyone else who responded. For the time being, I have the MV5 that I will experiment with for audio alone.. I will take all other suggestions under consideration.. Im glad I read about the Focusrite (and that I didn't buy it, to be honest) -- I will likely go with the other one as recommended if and when I go that route. Wasn't aware it has built-in mics and I'm curious if they will suit my needs. I'm not an audiophile, but want the guitar represented accurately.

Either way, I think I have several options to experiment with now; for my purposes I really just want to be able to get semi-decent audio clips and/or video of my own playing .. nothing too extreme, but at the same time, would like them to be decent. all input is greatly, greatly appreciated. .

cheers
Scott
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Old 03-30-2018, 10:09 PM
DupleMeter DupleMeter is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ty Ford View Post
You don't want to hear this, but you can have the bridge of the Starship Enterprise and still end up with crap unless you understand what you're hearing and know how to use the tools.

Inversely, you can end up with a good product with a flint, a stone and shavings if you know how best to use them.

Getting good doesn't happen overnight. You learn more from mistakes than by successes. There are NO SHORTCUTS. Welcome to the show!
^
This...this...this!!

as I like to say "it's the carpenter, not the tools".
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Old 03-31-2018, 07:43 PM
Rudy4 Rudy4 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by v32 finish View Post
Thanks for all the replies!

I like the idea of trying a point-and-shoot digital camera. Had never thought of that. I picked up a Shure MV5 today because I found one at a good price(and a good return policy); but I haven't had a chance to plug it up and try it for audio yet. I've also wondered the specifics of how to use a mic and video concurrently.. is using editing software to match up the video and audio the only way to do this ?

As for the cellphone- I'm aware my Galaxy S7 has a good camera for video, but I guess I just assumed that the microphone would be totally insufficient for capturing the tone of an acoustic guitar. I may actually play around with this idea, as well. As I started to note above, I'm very interested in using my phone's camera and using a different mic. Any advice here would be appreciated, software to use, etc etc.

To TY- not sure 100% if I came across this way, but I'm not looking for any shortcuts, magic bullets, etc. and yes, am quite aware how very inexperienced I am in this arena of recording! That's why I'm here asking for advice in between sessions of experimenting on my own. I'm fully aware as a guitar player that there's always lots to learn . "Getting good" isn't 100% of my priority, but in my life I've had excellent results with conferring with people who had more experience than I and were willing to advise me and share their talents. I know it won't be overnight and would never expect it. Somewhere mid-way in between the bridge of the Enterprise, and a flint and a stone, with just a modicum of talent and determination; that's where I will be conducting most of my journey.

That all being said, thanks again to everyone else who responded. For the time being, I have the MV5 that I will experiment with for audio alone.. I will take all other suggestions under consideration.. Im glad I read about the Focusrite (and that I didn't buy it, to be honest) -- I will likely go with the other one as recommended if and when I go that route. Wasn't aware it has built-in mics and I'm curious if they will suit my needs. I'm not an audiophile, but want the guitar represented accurately.

Either way, I think I have several options to experiment with now; for my purposes I really just want to be able to get semi-decent audio clips and/or video of my own playing .. nothing too extreme, but at the same time, would like them to be decent. all input is greatly, greatly appreciated. .

cheers
Scott
If you want to use a point-n-shoot camera consider trying this one, mounted on a stand with a mirror setup to see what you're shooting. It actually works quite well, and although it's shown here with a secondary recorder, you can get pretty respectable audio and video as long as you're not looking for CD quality.

I use it most often to document small sections of tunes so I can pass them along or even to help me remember something further down the road, like this:

https://youtu.be/zVZ0LcJZ14k

What's actually being done in the photo is video with the point-n-shoot and audio captured with the small handheld recorder (Zoom H1). The audio and video were brought into my DAW and some other instruments were added to do a multi-track demo of the three string guitar shown here:

https://youtu.be/bjlCpOVNH7U


Last edited by Rudy4; 03-31-2018 at 08:02 PM.
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Old 03-31-2018, 08:29 PM
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TBman TBman is online now
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Look at some of the Zoom recorders. I got one recently and like it a lot.
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Old 04-01-2018, 12:00 PM
v32 finish v32 finish is offline
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I was leaning towards the Tascam 008EX as recommended here, or possibly the 006.. but I hadn't even heard of Zoom until just last night when I stumbled across some of their recorders. definitely have more ideas to work with now; thanks again for everyone's ideas. I will probably still get a point-and-shoot camera for video, and still order some sort of other interface or recorder as well.

Also looking into a looper pedal in the future.. As a pretty much strictly acoustic player with no electrics and not even an acoustic-electric (yet), this was alot of information for me to tackle at once, but I think I've got a solid foundation now to get where I want to be.

thanks again
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