What's a good "YouTube pickup"?

[Ruark]

I've been planning to make some YouTube videos, but as you know, an unamplified guitar sometimes doesn't come through very well with a smartphone or digital camera's microphone. I have a couple of amps, though, and would like to play the acoustic through them to get a bigger, fuller sound in the videos.

Guitar is an Ibanez AC240 OPN (an all-mahogany), strings are Earthwood Silk & Steel softs; I fingerpick with bare fingertips. Instrumental only, no singing.

I don't want to spend much; this is just for some casual videos to share online with friends, not for gigs or professional performances. I know virtually nothing about acoustic pickups. Any suggestions?

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Ruark

…Any suggestions?

Hi Ruark

I think the money spent on a Zoom H2n digital recorder (just out of frame) would produce far better sound than a pickup. You are going to end up over-laying sound either route you go, and the sound of a microphone is always superior to pickups.

Modern video editing software makes it easy to take away the original audio on a digital video recording and overlay it with digital audio from a second source.

Here's a YouTube video I did in 2008 with a Zoom H2 (the predecessor of the H2n) and it was just out of frame below the guitar on a tripod aimed up at the lower bout of the guitar (from about 18" away) manually adjusted for volume. It's an mp3 recorded @ 192kbps… I have also recorded the guitar just out of frame with the mic about 18"-24" away from the neck/body joint with equal results. The camera was a cheap 720p thing-a-ma-bob.

The mic patterns on the H2n are far more elaborate. And it's a $150 solution for great audio on YouTube style videos, even for larger settings (duets, or small ensembles).



Hope this contributes to the thought process…

[Petty1818]

Another option is the new Ik Multimedia Irig acoustic pickup. It's extremely affordable, is easy to set up and sounds great.

[Ruark]

Thanks for the suggestions, but apparently they would also require getting a microphone, then a microphone stand, etc. I'll check them out. Thanks!

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Ruark

Thanks for the suggestions, but apparently they would also require getting a microphone, then a microphone stand, etc. I'll check them out. Thanks!

Hi Ruark

Not at all. The Zoom recorders have mics built into them.

I use a camera tripod (under $20 at a big-box store) when recording. …All Zoom field recorders and many other brands of small digital recorders have a tripod socket built into them, and the mics too.

Using an actual mic would require a mic stand.

Even if you install a pickup, run it through an amp, and record using a video recorder or iPhone, the audio isn't going to be substantially better than just a guitar.

If you are just looking for an excuse to buy an amp, then by all means buy an acoustic amp. But it's not a magic answer to the recording of better sounding YouTube videos.

[Ruark]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi Ruark

Not at all. The Zoom recorders have mics built into them.

I use a camera tripod (under $20 at a big-box store) when recording. …All Zoom field recorders and many other brands of small digital recorders have a tripod socket built into them, and the mics too.

Thanks - I checked it out on some online music store sites. I had the impression it required a separate mic. This is just a sound recorder, though. How does it synch and combine the sound with the video, so you can post the whole thing on YouTube? I'm trying to get a mental picture of the whole process.

[midwinter]

I picked up this Røde NT-USB mic on a lark and am pretty happy with it.

Edit: Alternately, the LR Baggs Lyric doesn't sound too bad direct.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Ruark

Thanks - I checked it out on some online music store sites. I had the impression it required a separate mic. This is just a sound recorder, though. How does it synch and combine the sound with the video, so you can post the whole thing on YouTube? I'm trying to get a mental picture of the whole process.

Hi Ruark

You record both video and audio at the same time, then using video editing software you either turn down the original audio track or delete it, and import the audio recording and sync it with the video (often an automated process of the software itself).

Apple casual users often use iMovie, not sure what Windows users prefer. There are plenty of YouTube help videos about replacing the audio track of a video recording.

There are high end programs, but the free/inexpensive ones usually have everything you need.

You could borrow an amp (as you originally suggested) and see if just using one would improve your recordings before buying anything.