Home video production tips

[dansworld]

I'd like to create some demo clips of my own but can't figure out how I'd like to go about it. I'm pretty technical and have lots of professional audio recording experience, but I don't want to open a gigantic can of production worms....

I just want to record some quick (but good sounding) video clips of me playing various musical pieces and gear demos but with good audio that well represents what I'm playing. I see all kind of videos created by some of you and they are pretty impressive; both the playing and the production quality.

I want to create a little production rig of my own so I can try my hand at it, too. SO, I put this question to all of you clip recording mofo's out there:

How do YOU do your own clips?? Equipment, mic's, codecs, cameras, webcams, whatever. What works for you?

 

[Dexter Holliday]

I have a few cameras capable of video - a Nikon d7100, Panasonic Lumix lx7 and a Sony nex30. The key is the audio, though as a lot of video cameras are capable of producing really good looking video with just OK audio. Pretty much no matter what I'm shooting I record audio on a Zoom h4n and match it up in post. The h4n has two XLR/hi-z inputs and they can be recorded on separate channels and mixed later. So one way to do it would be to have a lav for your speaking (if applicabe) and then the other channel can be a mic on a cabinet or in front of an acoustic guitar or whatever.

For editing I use Sony Vegas Pro and export as mp4.

Hope this helps.

 

[dansworld]

I have a few cameras capable of video - a Nikon d7100, Panasonic Lumix lx7 and a Sony nex30. The key is the audio, though as a lot of video cameras are capable of producing really good looking video with just OK audio. Pretty much no matter what I'm shooting I record audio on a Zoom h4n and match it up in post. The h4n has two XLR/hi-z inputs and they can be recorded on separate channels and mixed later. So one way to do it would be to have a lav for your speaking (if applicabe) and then the other channel can be a mic on a cabinet or in front of an acoustic guitar or whatever.

For editing I use Sony Vegas Proto and export as mp4.

Hope this helps.

How do you link the audio with the video. Do you use time code or some other kind of clock signal?

 

[Dexter Holliday]

How do you link the audio with the video. Do you use time code or some other kind of clock signal?

I do it the old fashioned way and get both the video camera and h4n rolling and either "clap" it or just line a key word up, preview it for sync, then lock them together in the editor and then mute the ambient camera audio track. The h4n does not have timecode sync capability.

 

[tweedster]

I also use the same method. Record to a zoom r16 from the mixing board inserts, and match up the audio to the video shot on a Panasonic video recorder.

I sync up in Vegas using the intro drumbeats to.line up the camera audio with the zoom r16 audio.

I still don't know why the sync between video and audio eventually drifts is lost over time, say 20 minutes. Once lined up, shouldn't it stay lined up?

 

[Texas_Blues]

I do audio production and yeah usually a clap where you can sync the camera audio and hq mic audio works perfect. Just make sure to do it for each take to make your life easier.