For recording myself Marc ask me what i what i was using
Because my keyboard is just beside my computer , i decided to choose a little webcam and a external soundcard
And the magic comes with the software OBS a freeware that can record all what comes in your pc computer. Heres the link https://obsproject.com/ .
After i record them on youtube and after that i post the link on the forum
But our nowadays smartphone can do a great job . I just choose this setup so the noise of the house cant comes in the recording ,because the recording quality , the easy use when the setup is done.
Hope it helps.
ps if you have specific question ask me, if i can help.
Pierre
Hi guys and thanks @Pierrot for sharing your workflow for recording. For anyone that doesnāt know, I head the video production here at PianoGroove and my previous experience has led me to use all sorts of different hardware/software for different video requirements.
With regards to this collaboration a half decent cell phone recording will be fine to capture whatever your working on at the moment. Iāve been on video shoots in the past where weāve had equipment worth hundreds of thousands of pounds and ended up using a little bit of iPhone footage in the end cut due to it being the only thing accessible at the time, haha.
If anybody wants to invest in something better than a phone, message me and Iāll be happy to forward you some different options of what I think would be a suitable for both the video and audio recordings.
One thing I would recommend if you were to shoot on your phone is getting some sort of tripod or gorillapod for it so that you can get a good angle whatever space you are in. Something like thisā¦
Dan, I followed your suggestions, bought a tripod (works fine with cell phone and iPad Mini) but had/have problems with the audio (not video). Namely, neither my Android cell phone nor iPad Mini seems to pick up the sound(s) while playing too well; the audio portion of the record is too weak. I picked up a Lavalier mic and ran into a different problem: it is too sensitive and picks up everything, bass notes are very poor and unclear and overwhelm the staff I play with the right hand. I tried it in different locations and the quality is still poor.
Suggestions please? What am I doing wrong? Thank you greatly, Smole
Hey @smole, youāre nearly there. Unfortunately, lavalier mics are predominantly for vocals recorded mono for interviews and such so you wont be able to get a good range of the lows/mids and highs that you get from the piano.
A lavalier mic will struggle especially as thereās no real function to alter the input levels on the audio recorder app.
My advice would be to go for a zoom H1N which you can pick up for approx. $80ā¦
It offers a mini jack output that will feed straight into your device. these are still great audio recorders, they just donāt have the added various XLR inputs for multiple recording etc.
Thanks, Dan, for the quick response. I equally quickly looked the Zoom H1n over to see whether my technical ability (very modest) can handle it and it appears that that is quite possible.
Just curious: is there a way to make a better audio with my iPad Mini or Android phone without any additional mics? [Sorry to bother you with these details but hours of searching the web left me without an answer that I can use; also, your responses may help other PG students struggling with these details]. Best, Smole
Itās a pleasure to share all this digital knowledge with you budding Jazz cats @smole. Ask me anything anytime and Iāll get back ASAP.
In answer to your question, the best thing you could do without any additional mics is to download a recording app with the functionality to control the input levels. Hereās one that looks like itāll do the job but I havenāt tested it yetā¦
The most important thing about Audio recording is to get the recording device (microphone) as close to the source of the audio without it peaking and being too much for the device to handle, so the problem with the iPad being used for the shot also, means it will be a distance away from the audio source therefore not able to get the maximum wavelength of the sounds.
This is getting quite deep now and I personally think that phones and iPads are more than sufficient for us on this feed for now. For those of you who would like to up the quality of recordings in terms of audio and video, I shall be updating the feeds to offer best practices and tips.
Hope this helps and let me know if you need help with adjusting the input levels on the app?
Hereās a good, affordable condenser mic that you can plug into your phone/tablet jack ports. It will enable you to place it near to the piano whilst get a shot further away with the deviceā¦
Also comes with a handy mini tripod These mics wonāt get the quality of the Zooms but they are the next best thing and easy to set up.
Thank you, Dan, truly!! With all these suggestions (and the prices are fabulous) I know that I will be all set (I hope others, too). Taping oneself, video or only audio, is so very helpful in learning how to play better and continue to improve (once I overcome my own embarrassment, āin front of myselfā). Since I am in this for the long haul, this is truly a very small investment and, I feel (more than I know it yet) that this will be a very fine technical set up.
Anytime @smole Yes this would be a solid basic set up and if you can get the mic close to the piano and adjust the levels on the recorder so that theyāre not peaking (going into the red when played at itās loudest) you should be able to get a good recording.
I think that with any art form that involves expression, recording (video and audio) then watching it back is a valuable technique to development as you can watch, listen and analyse with a clear head as your not concentrating hard on playing the piece. The best part isā¦ the more you do it, the more comfortable it gets
OFF TO THE RACES!! I ordered the mic from the Amazon and downloaded the Voice Record Pro (easy peasy). When he mic arrives, I am going to have some fun (I hope others, too).
I could not agree more with your statement about the role of tech in the process of learning (alas, this is based on my background as a psychologist, long retired). And, of course, I am looking forward to learning and using it when I set it up.
So, you can imagine, I hope, how grateful I am to you for all the help. Best, Smole
Is there a sign for a hare? (You must have noticed that English is my, say, 3-rd language so excuse my level of communication). Enough, you are busy and I will find ways to keep myself busy with the Voice Record Pro to be able to use it immediately. Thanks again, Smole
Are any of the Zoom video cameras(or other low to mid price brands) good enough for simultaneous audio & video recording? for example , for something like an āoverheadā style keyboard recording?
I thought if I could video/audio record my keyboard ,overhead, just hands ,it might help me improve my playing & see where Iām weak better than audio only.
Of course any video cameras , even camera on our smartphones are already great tool for improving
Dont know about zoom cameras, but if only for improving your piano playing dont spend too much money on it , just use what you have already
We are talking about zoom audio recorder because for their price and size they give us great audio quality, but not needed for improving our piano but more for improving the video production .
I agree with @Pierrot that the audio quality recording from iPhone/iPad is fine for the purpose of sharing our music.
For an overhead video shot, it is much harder to set up than positioning an iPhone or an iPad facing the piano. The camera must be suspended above the keyboard and so you will need some sturdy equipment to support it.
Hereās an example I just created using an exert of the upcoming lesson on āSomeone To Watch Over Meā. Itās the exact same performance, recorded overhead on a Sony Handycam, and from the side using an iPad:
Overhead Camera Using A Sony HandyCam
iPad Positioned Next To Piano:
My Verdict When Comparing The 2:
Overhead camera creates a loud ticking/buzzing noise from the camera operating.
The overhead shot also picks up a lot of breathing - or maybe Iām just a heavy breather
The iPad audio sounds much cleaner to me
You will notice many wires coming out of my keyboard. This is to record audio/midi separately so the PianoGroove lessons have crisp, clear, and distortion free audio.
The overhead shot gives more clarity into what is being played, but can be costly to set up, and the audio quality is not great as a result.
If you like Iām happy to send you some details on setting up an overhead camera shot like this and the equipment I use.
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