Guinness
05-25-2010, 01:11 PM
Hey -
I'm just curious what you're using to make your vids and how you're doing it. Are you recording via a camcorder and then loading it to your computer? or are you recording directly to your computer?
The sound is coming through quite clearly, so I'm assuming that you're not just using the microphone of a camcorder, that you must be using an external mixer, or your computer's internal mixer. Taking the audio of your DM10 out and going direct to your computer? And then I also assume that you're using a microphone of some sort and doing a voice over of some kind.
So how are you doing all of this and then the editing?
I'm really curious 'cause I'd love to start creating some vids as well, I just don't really know how I should set it all up. We have a relatively good hard-disc camcorder, and I have a pretty good sound card. But getting one connected to the other, and then getting video files and audio files sync'd up is where I think "Uh...what?"
If you don't mind being super detailed, I'd love to know what it is you're doing...heck, you could even make it a tutorial video! ;)
Thanks for any info/advice you feel like disclosing!
Dave
Per dschrammie's question, below is how I make a video. Note this is just how I do it. There's probably a bajillion different ways of doing it.. ok, maybe not a bajillion. ;)
__________________________________________________ ______________
The Alesis DM10 has Main and Aux 1/4 outs, and a pair of RCA's in. It's important to note that, as I don't know what inputs/outputs other modules have.
There's two important pieces of software I use: Adobe Premier 1.5 (video)and Adobe Audition 1.5 (audio). Of those two software pieces, I know about 10% of their capabilities and have been learning on the fly. I'm in no way an expert at making videos. I believe Window’s Movie Maker has similar capabilities, but I haven’t used it, so I can only comment on Adobe’s products. (By the way, these Adobe products are old, so if you choose to purchase, I’m sure you can find for cheap.)
So, the set up is like this: 1/4 Main out to 1/8 TRS in to my PC's soundcard. I have an Aux In on the card, but I could use the Microphone In if I didn't. My sound card is nothing special, other than it's a PCI card, and not part of the main board (even though I do have onboard audio). It's an older Creative Card that can do 5.1 sound, but that's besides the point. In XP, I set Audio Options to Aux In (instead of Microphone). I also, in that screen, have the slider bar at about 2 (very low).
My camcorder is a simple MiniDV with No external input for audio. (It took me a week to figure out that I couldn't mix it in to the tape itself, and had to come up with the below work around (which actually produces better quality sound (video is only 16bit). The camcorder does record in 16:9, but not HD.
I hook up my Ipod to the Aux In on the module (via the jamdock, but that’s not necessary). (Use the Jamdock or Ipod or whatever’s volume control to adjust volume, as the DM10 does not provide volume control on AUX In.) So, in recap, it’s Jamdock Out to Module Aux In, Module’s Main Out to PC’s Aux In.
After choosing the best angle with the Tripod and Camcorder, I set up Adobe Audtion. It has a monitor on the bottom so I can see if I’m peaking. I got back to my set press play, and hit the drums as hard as I can. I adjust the jamdock volume to make sure I’m not redlining, then I adjust the drums (bass and snare mostly) and make sure that it falls just below peak. I might make a minor adjustment (for mixing purposes) from there, but it’ll be down, NOT up.
Press record on the camcorder, then record on Adobe Audition. Back to my kit, hit the snare 3 times. (this is for syncing the audio and video). Press play on the ipod and go to town. :D
When done, it’s back to the computer to check. (obviously, I’ve stopped recording.) I’ll play the song back and look at the scope to make sure I didn’t peak (too much)( Zero peaking is best). (On “The Jack”, it was dipping into the red throughout the song (whoops!), and that’s why it sounds a bit muffled at times.) I typically delete the dead air from when I pressed record and the walk over to my kit.
Ok, so I have my Audio Recording, but what about video? After rewinding, I hook up the firewire, and open Adobe Premier. This has a handy capture mode, where it controls the camcorder via the firewire. Once I’m done capturing the video I want, I pull it down into the editor frame. I import the audio, now saved as a wav file (96k) (or shoot, maybe it’s avi)
Anyways, I now have a Video Track and two Audio tracks. What’s the first audio track you ask? That’s from the camcorder. It’s the acoustic (phone book) sounds. Remember when I hit the snare 3 times at the beginning? I can see the audio wave from the camcorder and the wave from the module. Lining those up is key (gotta be perfect here). Then it’s a matter of muting the camcorder audio track and pressing play. The video should be in time with the Audio. If that’s done, I group those two tracks, so they I don’t accidentally unsync them.
After that, it’s just a matter of editing…. Adding Intro and Outtro, images, transitions, etc.. (In some videos, I’ll switch audio in and out if I’m talking.) (I record the Intro and Outtro in Adobe Audition and mixdown to one file). Then I export as an Adobe Media file, which gives me options on what parameters I want to use. I choose MPEG-2, Audio is at 48k, Video quality at 5.0 and set size to 720 x 480. The program renders it into a usage mpg file, then it’s just a matter of uploading to YouTube.
I hope that explains what I do and how I do it. It was probably excruciating detail. LOL :p
If you have questions, feel free to ask. :D
I'm just curious what you're using to make your vids and how you're doing it. Are you recording via a camcorder and then loading it to your computer? or are you recording directly to your computer?
The sound is coming through quite clearly, so I'm assuming that you're not just using the microphone of a camcorder, that you must be using an external mixer, or your computer's internal mixer. Taking the audio of your DM10 out and going direct to your computer? And then I also assume that you're using a microphone of some sort and doing a voice over of some kind.
So how are you doing all of this and then the editing?
I'm really curious 'cause I'd love to start creating some vids as well, I just don't really know how I should set it all up. We have a relatively good hard-disc camcorder, and I have a pretty good sound card. But getting one connected to the other, and then getting video files and audio files sync'd up is where I think "Uh...what?"
If you don't mind being super detailed, I'd love to know what it is you're doing...heck, you could even make it a tutorial video! ;)
Thanks for any info/advice you feel like disclosing!
Dave
Per dschrammie's question, below is how I make a video. Note this is just how I do it. There's probably a bajillion different ways of doing it.. ok, maybe not a bajillion. ;)
__________________________________________________ ______________
The Alesis DM10 has Main and Aux 1/4 outs, and a pair of RCA's in. It's important to note that, as I don't know what inputs/outputs other modules have.
There's two important pieces of software I use: Adobe Premier 1.5 (video)and Adobe Audition 1.5 (audio). Of those two software pieces, I know about 10% of their capabilities and have been learning on the fly. I'm in no way an expert at making videos. I believe Window’s Movie Maker has similar capabilities, but I haven’t used it, so I can only comment on Adobe’s products. (By the way, these Adobe products are old, so if you choose to purchase, I’m sure you can find for cheap.)
So, the set up is like this: 1/4 Main out to 1/8 TRS in to my PC's soundcard. I have an Aux In on the card, but I could use the Microphone In if I didn't. My sound card is nothing special, other than it's a PCI card, and not part of the main board (even though I do have onboard audio). It's an older Creative Card that can do 5.1 sound, but that's besides the point. In XP, I set Audio Options to Aux In (instead of Microphone). I also, in that screen, have the slider bar at about 2 (very low).
My camcorder is a simple MiniDV with No external input for audio. (It took me a week to figure out that I couldn't mix it in to the tape itself, and had to come up with the below work around (which actually produces better quality sound (video is only 16bit). The camcorder does record in 16:9, but not HD.
I hook up my Ipod to the Aux In on the module (via the jamdock, but that’s not necessary). (Use the Jamdock or Ipod or whatever’s volume control to adjust volume, as the DM10 does not provide volume control on AUX In.) So, in recap, it’s Jamdock Out to Module Aux In, Module’s Main Out to PC’s Aux In.
After choosing the best angle with the Tripod and Camcorder, I set up Adobe Audtion. It has a monitor on the bottom so I can see if I’m peaking. I got back to my set press play, and hit the drums as hard as I can. I adjust the jamdock volume to make sure I’m not redlining, then I adjust the drums (bass and snare mostly) and make sure that it falls just below peak. I might make a minor adjustment (for mixing purposes) from there, but it’ll be down, NOT up.
Press record on the camcorder, then record on Adobe Audition. Back to my kit, hit the snare 3 times. (this is for syncing the audio and video). Press play on the ipod and go to town. :D
When done, it’s back to the computer to check. (obviously, I’ve stopped recording.) I’ll play the song back and look at the scope to make sure I didn’t peak (too much)( Zero peaking is best). (On “The Jack”, it was dipping into the red throughout the song (whoops!), and that’s why it sounds a bit muffled at times.) I typically delete the dead air from when I pressed record and the walk over to my kit.
Ok, so I have my Audio Recording, but what about video? After rewinding, I hook up the firewire, and open Adobe Premier. This has a handy capture mode, where it controls the camcorder via the firewire. Once I’m done capturing the video I want, I pull it down into the editor frame. I import the audio, now saved as a wav file (96k) (or shoot, maybe it’s avi)
Anyways, I now have a Video Track and two Audio tracks. What’s the first audio track you ask? That’s from the camcorder. It’s the acoustic (phone book) sounds. Remember when I hit the snare 3 times at the beginning? I can see the audio wave from the camcorder and the wave from the module. Lining those up is key (gotta be perfect here). Then it’s a matter of muting the camcorder audio track and pressing play. The video should be in time with the Audio. If that’s done, I group those two tracks, so they I don’t accidentally unsync them.
After that, it’s just a matter of editing…. Adding Intro and Outtro, images, transitions, etc.. (In some videos, I’ll switch audio in and out if I’m talking.) (I record the Intro and Outtro in Adobe Audition and mixdown to one file). Then I export as an Adobe Media file, which gives me options on what parameters I want to use. I choose MPEG-2, Audio is at 48k, Video quality at 5.0 and set size to 720 x 480. The program renders it into a usage mpg file, then it’s just a matter of uploading to YouTube.
I hope that explains what I do and how I do it. It was probably excruciating detail. LOL :p
If you have questions, feel free to ask. :D