Simple recording audio with video capture question(s)

[XZit]

Hello fellow gear heads and musicians.
I have a simple question(s) regarding recording.

So I do a lot of hand drumming, and I'm familiar with how to properly setup mics etc. etc.
However I need to make a youtube video demonstrating me drumming/instructional video. How can I go about recording video of myself playing, and get good proper audio into the computer?

Obviously I can't use my camera phone due to it picking up audio. I was toying with using the built in web-camera on my labtop (no I don't have a separate webcam) and then simply record the audio through the mics and it should all hopefully sync up? I have a audio interface unit of course.

Anyone have experiance with this? Or something like this?
I know the "youtubers" whom do this for a living use a nice camera/video camera setup with a microphone, but I'm playing drums and need to do video so I need to capture the nuances of the drums sound.

Any help/suggestions/etc. are greatly appreciated!!

Thank you

[Z]

I use the following cameras: Canon T3i (DSLR), JVC HD7 ("camcorder" that records to built-in hard drive or SD card), Zoom Q3HD & Q4HD (these cams are aimed at musicians with good stereo microphones and 3.5mm audio input, video quality is OK).

[meatballfulton]

Looking at your gear list, you own a few DAWs.

Both Cubase and Live support editing the audio in a video. I've never done this myself, but the features are there.

So if you recorded the drumming into one of your DAWs, you could take the resulting audio and edit the video such that it would use that audio (including any narration).

[XZit]

Currently I'm only using reason--which supports recording, yet not integration with captured video.

I do own a camcorder though-I totally just remembered! Its a decent HD camcorder only a few years old (Sanyo Xacti VPC-FH1A HD) . Its built in microphone is ok, as you can see from the picture its not to bad...yet I believe it has a 1/8 port for plugging in an external microphone.


I suppose I could record video+audio with the camcorder, then upload it onto the comp and tweak audio through a basic video editing program?However ideally I'd like to be able to mix down/eq my recorded drumming, or at least some basic EQing with my mixer. The problem with a lot of recorded hand-drums is the low-end/bass sound can get lost, I would want to potentially increase the low-end a little bit. And to further complicate things for micing my drum I need a microphone in the bottom and a mic at the top. The bottom one to record low end coming out the port (Djembe drum) and the smaller mic on top near the drum head for the other sounds. The camcorder only has 1 port for 1 mic unless I can figure out some other sort of setup using this method.
This is roughly the mic setup I'll be using

I also have the drum in the corner of the room to carry the low-end bass sound a little bit more.





Obviously just recording audio from the drum would be easy, or just video with no real need for decent quality audio. Yet doing both video and audio recording, where the audio recording needs to capture the djembes low end, and match up with the video footage is the issue.
My labtops webcam may work decently and I can run my mixer into my comp. thus capturing a dual mic setup and being able to do some eqing--yet I'm not 100% if this would work and would require some tinkering.

[Stab Frenzy]

Record the audio separately and then sync in post. That's how everyone does it.

[Esus]

Record the audio separately and then sync in post. That's how everyone does it.

Yep.

[ned-ryarson]

Yeah, what Stab said. I used to shoot gigs with a decent DSLR and an average audio recorder.

Tip; still record audio to your camera, so when it comes to syncing your footage with the audio from the audio recorder, you can align the waveforms

[XZit]

So is it possible to feed the audio/mics into my mixer--then the mixer output to the camcorder?
Or should I record audio separately--eq that, then I'll have an audio file on the comp, then record the video w/o volume--then sync the two files on youtube?
I guess I'm confused what you guys mean by syncing the two? I'm familiar with syncing audio and video from my days of video editing in iMovie and Final cut, but is this possible in youtube?

Thanks again for the great replies so far!

[Stab Frenzy]

What are you talking about 'in youtube'? Sync it in whatever editing program you use and then upload the finished file to youtube.

[XZit]

What are you talking about 'in youtube'? Sync it in whatever editing program you use and then upload the finished file to youtube.

ya thats what I was thinking I was just a lil confused.

So in theory I should be able to take sound output from my mixer and feed it to the mic input on the camcorder?

[ned-ryarson]

Who knows, you're complicating things. Record your audio. Shoot your footage, then sync them. Then upload.

[Z]

So in theory I should be able to take sound output from my mixer and feed it to the mic input on the camcorder?

I do that with my Canon T3i. I use a stereo cable with 1/4" plug on one end that plugs into the mixer's headphone output and 3.5mm plug on the other end that plugs into the camera's external mic input.

BEWARE!

You must adjust the camera's recording level VERY LOW and also have very low output from the mixer. Otherwise, everything will clip and distort.

As others have already mentioned, it's best to record audio separately then sync them in your editor, but I've been recording audio and video together for years since I use (don't laugh) Windows Movie Maker. One of these days, I'll get a proper editor.

[Esus]

So in theory I should be able to take sound output from my mixer and feed it to the mic input on the camcorder?

I do that with my Canon T3i. I use a stereo cable with 1/4" plug on one end that plugs into the mixer's headphone output and 3.5mm plug on the other end that plugs into the camera's external mic input.

Yes, but it's a bit involved. It's almost a certainty that your mixer outputs a line level signal. Your camcorder almost certainly accepts a mic level input (that's why it's "mic in").

You must adjust the camera's recording level VERY LOW and also have very low output from the mixer. Otherwise, everything will clip and distort.

Line level is much hotter than mic level. That's why Z is advising the low input level. And in addition to increasing distortion, your signal-to-noise ratio will go right down the tubes. If you must go from your mixer to camcorder, it's highly advisable to put a -50dB pad in line. It would look something like a balanced 1/4" male TRS to 2 unbalanced male 1/4" TS "Y" cable. The pads are a metal barrel with a 1/4" female input and an XLR male output (Shure among others make them). You then connect 2 XLR female connectors to the pads' XLRS and terminate in a "Y" to a single 1/8" stereo (balanced) male connector which plugs into the camera.
But it's an unwieldy mess, in addition to being pretty expensive (the pads alone will probably set you back about 50 bucks).

As others have already mentioned, it's best to record audio separately then sync them in your editor, but I've been recording audio and video together for years since I use (don't laugh) Windows Movie Maker. One of these days, I'll get a proper editor.

You've mentioned earlier that you've used Final Cut in the past. If you still have access to editing software, it's a no-brainer to get a Zoom H4 or equivalent (record wav files in 16/48), use a visual/aural hand clap to establish a sync point, record, import audio & video, line everything up on the timeline, edit, and export in whatever flavor YouTube likes.

Have Fun!

[XZit]

Don't have editing software anymore-except for imovie.
I'm going to give it a go initially in just feeding a line input into the iphone from the mixer with recording levels very low. I'll see how this works out, if it doesn't then I'll have to sync audio/video together with imovie or some other free editor.
Video doesn't have to be highest quality nor does audio.

[Stab Frenzy]

iMovie will let you sync your recorded audio to the video. If you run your mixer into the mic input of your camera it will sound bad. If you record it properly and sync it in iMovie it will sound better.