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Recording & editing your CBG videos, advice please.

Just wanted to get some feedback from all you guys out there who post videos and record them selves playing CBG's like I do. I have posted over 25 videos now and all of them I've done so using my iPhone. I use some phone apps to add a few visual effects and up to to now I've been happy enough with the process.

However I feel now I've got to the point where I'd like to take it up a level and get better quality results and have more control over the finished piece.

Primarily I need to resolve the poor sound quality on my videos first. This is an inherent problem as the iPhones microphone is poor. So firstly is there an external microphone out there suitable for the iPhone that gives improved results? I see dozens and dozens on eBay/amazon etc so what's good and what's not?

Also here's what I'd like some advice on too regarding recording/editing;

1/ what's the best device/kit for recording straight to the PC? Something like iRig springs to mind here. I want to have the flexibility to use my effects pedals and amp effects directly as I record or have the ability to record a clean signal and post edit the effects via software.

2/ what software (PC based) to use for guitar based recording and post editing? Something I can add effects to and edit/splice/cut/alter recordings with. Something that will end up in mp3 format that I can add to my iTunes library for instance and use in iPhone based apps as I have been doing already.

3/ video software (for PC) to combine the mp3 sound files and video/photographic material to create a more lusher visual experience, all in a file format that I can post directly to YouTube from the computer.

Any advice you guys have will be greatly received, thanks in advance to all who contribute to this post :-)

Many thanks Beamerboy (YouTube channel; tattoogeezer13)

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on December 29, 2012 at 4:37am

you know .. i've tried alot of stuff for audio .. guitar rig 4 and 5 ,, the usb patch cord , etc etc etc ..

and honesty , the best results with the less headaches , was putting a computer mic in front of the amp , and recording it.

i downloaded "freesound recoerder 7.3.1" instead of using the computers default recorder .

as per video , i still use windows movie maker .. it works fine and you can edit audio too .

no need for a vid cam . (since i dont own one ) lol

but you could sync it to a vid if ya wanted to the same way .

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Permalink Reply by Beamer Boy on December 29, 2012 at 5:26am

Pick; what kind of microphone do you use on your PC, are there better ones to look out for or are they all pretty much the same? I've taken notes of the software advice and will look into them soon, many thanks

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on December 29, 2012 at 6:42am

not sure on the computer mic .. it was 2nd hand store stuff . has a CE sticker tho . , but looks simular to dollar store stuff .

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Permalink Reply by Reeds Taylor on December 29, 2012 at 4:44am

I use Magic Maker 17, it will do everything you mentioned......and if I remember correctly...all the Magic products are 40% off till the end of the year.

http://www.magix.com/ca/

All the Best!

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Permalink Reply by Beamer Boy on December 29, 2012 at 5:28am

Stewy; I'll check out some reviews of Magic Maker, many thanks

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Permalink Reply by James on December 29, 2012 at 4:45am

if you like i will tell you all i have learned , and how i do it, here is the recorder i use, for starters

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Permalink Reply by Beamer Boy on December 29, 2012 at 5:24am

James, the Tascam has some glowing reviews and it looks like a nice piece of kit, in the uk they start at over £100 for the updated model. I will weigh my options up after a little while and see if this would be the best route for me, thanks for the advice. You mentioned other advice about your recording/editing set up? I like to hear that :-)

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on December 29, 2012 at 1:10pm

BB,

I recommend the Blue Snowball USB mic; should run you about £90. I have recorded work vids and PSAs with a friend's. I use the iRig mic and iRig guitar dongle for most of my recordings, straight into the iPad, recording with either the full version of AmpliTube, or GarageBand. I can reamp and add effects at that point if needed. Then I e-mail the resultant m4a sound files to myself, upload them into the free PC-based Audacity sound editor, which is quite sophisticated yet easy to use, for post-production, and conversion to mp3. The few vids I have done were shot with a handheld vid cam, and the sound is surprisingly good. I have edited them using the also-free-with-PC Movie Maker, which is also reasonably sophisticated yet easy to use. I have also shot some test vids with a Flip Video camera (I record my kids' choir concerts with it, too: great vid, great sound, easy upload to YouTube), and most simple digital cameras nowadays feature video and audio recording. There are cheap PC cams that also record reasonably good vid and sound.

Sounds like you wanna do this as cheap as possible, but if you happen on some spare cash, the X-Y mic sound and vid recorders by Olympus, Tascam, and especially Zoom, which record in HD, are worth a look. They look similar to James' example, but also record video. They will likely run you around £300 street.

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Permalink Reply by Hip Bone Bellaire on December 29, 2012 at 3:14pm

This is a complicated question...

1. Computer specs for video?

2. What compression is the video?

3. What kind of camera for video?

4. Does the camera have a mic input?

5.What is your focus.. Audio or Video?

6. How good do you want each?

7. Voice and Guitar Mixed?

8. How technical are you with a computer?

9. I've seen miracles sitting in a bathroom or concrete stairwells and just video taping...

Every thing every one has mentioned will work but it takes time and effort.

Sorry but these all will need to be answered at some point... I shot this video with a point and shoot camera BUT he had the audio from a CD he had... 6 hour shoot, 3 days to edit... for 3 minutes of video.. Next video will be a CBG FOSHO!

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on December 29, 2012 at 7:48pm

I haven't a clue what I'm doing with a computer, but for quick YouTube vids I just sit in front of my Mac and use the inbuilt camera and mic. and the iMovie software. For better sound quality, I can just plug in a mic. If you've got a PC, then I'm thinking it's not anything like as easy.

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Permalink Reply by Beamer Boy on December 31, 2012 at 3:43am

No Mac I'm affraid chickenbonejohn :-( but I've got enough good advice already to get me on the right track :-) happy new year!

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Permalink Reply by bizzaro guitaro on December 30, 2012 at 1:40am

BB, like Oily says,try a zoom q3hd. I use one and it works fine. it's simple to work with.Also purchase the accessory kit(tripod ,a/c adaptor etc) The batteries don't last to long !