Making a Video - Guinness Style

[Guinness]

Originally Posted by dschrammie

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.

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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.

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

If you have questions, feel free to ask.

[dschrammie]

Let it be known that there is no such number as a bajillion. Wikipedia said so...that means it must be true!

[Guinness]

"bajillion" should be a word. I like it. :P

Did that explain what I do and how I do it? Too detailed?

I've been meaning to try another way. The DM10 Module allows for sending just the module's voices out and excludes any other sources. So, i could theoritically play along with a track, but only record the drums. Then import the music track (mp3) and mix. Might be more effort than reward though.

[dschrammie]

There's no such thing as "too detailed" in my world!

Thanks for posting it!

what you're doing is basically what I assumed one would do. For your intro/outro messages, are you using a separate microphone in as a separate audio track that you import in?

And as far as your recordings process, if I understand correctly, you are recording audio from the module directly to your computer...and video and microphone audio is being recorded directly to the camcorder, in this case on tape; that is then rewound and then loaded to the computer, yes? In other words, you're not recording video and microphone audio directly to the computer at the same time as the audio from the module, right? If that's the case, do you know if you can? I think I have Adobe Premier as well (I honestly can't remember what editor I have)...I'm just wondering if I can establish an audio track directly from the camcorder, and a separate audio track from my module, and record the entire thing directly to the computer all at the same time. Theoretically it should work...the only thing that I'm wondering is because of the processing involved, there would probably be a delay involved and the audio from the module might not be in sync with the audio from the camcorder...in which case I'd still have to do some amount of sync/alignment of audio.
(sorry about the brainstorming...I'm just typing this all out while I think about it and more often than not my stream of thoughts are all over the place)

I think for what I'd want to do, I'd just need to make sure that I have my inputs and outputs on my sound card set correctly because I'd be playing tracks directly from my computer, not an iPod.

[Guinness]

Yes, or intro and outtro, I record that in Audition. STandard crappy computer microphone. Import music to go behind it (in my case, it's DM10's demo). Adjust volumes. Mixdown to one track. Save. Import back to Premier. Premier is awesome as it can have multiple video and audio tracks.

I haven't tried capturing live with Premier (bypassing Tape). I assume I can though.

You are correct, I am recording the module's audio directly to comp. Video and Video Audio are on tape, then transferred to computer.

[Padowan]

Holy crap!

Sounds kind of complicated - well, for me anyway. I was hoping I could just "camcord" myself, with a microphone hooked up to the camera, then download that into the 'puter, then edit it in Vegas Pro...

Hmmmm...

But thanks for the post! VERY informative!

[Guinness]

Originally Posted by Padowan

Holy crap!

Sounds kind of complicated - well, for me anyway. I was hoping I could just "camcord" myself, with a microphone hooked up to the camera, then download that into the 'puter, then edit it in Vegas Pro...

Hmmmm...

But thanks for the post! VERY informative!

I'm sure that would work too.

[dschrammie]

Originally Posted by Padowan

I was hoping I could just "camcord" myself, with a microphone hooked up to the camera, then download that into the 'puter, then edit it in Vegas Pro...

Well, you can do that. It's just that you normally get a better sound and more ability to set mix levels as needed/desired if you have your module go direct to the computer. It's just that it involves a little more work and editing.

Using the camcorder's mic you're going to pick up room noise including HVAC, fans, and in particular stick strikes. So you end up having to turn your speakers up and it generally just doesn't sound as good. Plus consumer equipment (like a camcorder) usually has a relatively high noise floor that you don't hear until you play it back.

[Padowan]

Well, you can do that. It's just that you normally get a better sound and more ability to set mix levels as needed/desired if you have your module go direct to the computer. It's just that it involves a little more work and editing.

Using the camcorder's mic you're going to pick up room noise including HVAC, fans, and in particular stick strikes. So you end up having to turn your speakers up and it generally just doesn't sound as good. Plus consumer equipment (like a camcorder) usually has a relatively high noise floor that you don't hear until you play it back.

Ah! Good Point...I better re-think this...

And Thanks!