Hopefully this topic is OK to post in this group... One of my New Year resolutions is to get up the nerve to make a video of a tune of the month and post it here. I have an iMac, and the built-in webcam is kind of awkward to use when one wants to highlight the mandolin and my playing. Curious as to what webcams or other equipment folks are using to record their videos. It would obviously need to be OSX compatible. Thanks Bill
I don't know about Apple compatibility, but Logitech has a line of pretty good USB webcams at reasonable price. I am using a Logitech C920 (on a Windows PC). Logitech claims Mac compatibility, but who knows ...
When I started experimenting a few years back I used the laptop webcam; it was pretty awful. For the past three or four years I've used the iPhone mounted to a tripod. It can deliver decent quality. For the sound, I use the iPhone's native mic for quickies. For multi-track recording, I use the Focusrite Scarlett Solo as an interface into my laptop. I use the AT PRO 35 clip-on mic for miking the mandolin and/or guitar, and a Shure SM58 for miking vocals. As a DAW, I use Ableton Live 9 Lite software, because it shipped for free with the Scarlett Solo. There will generally be some good, well known DAW software bundled with the Scarlett Solo and most other audio interfaces you might purchase. For editing videos, I use the outdated Windows Movie Maker. I suppose the iMac probably has some native video editing app bundled with it, or readily available. Going back to the beginning, when I first started all this, I just used the laptop webcam and did no editing of the resulting video at all, and for a total beginner that may be a way to begin experimenting. Hope to see a video from you soon! It's always great to see, hear and share videos of your progress, regardless of skill level and video or audio quality. You are among friends here!
Also, by way of explanation: Audio Interface ~ This is a piece of hardware that you can plug a microphone or instrument cord into, and adjust sensitivity (audio) levels on, that will send the digital signals to your computer via a USB cable. DAW ~ Digital Audio Workstation: This is "recording studio" software that you install on your computer in order to receive the audio signals and record them to tracks.
All you guys and your specialized equipment and software look so polished, I am ashamed to post my recordings from my laptop webcam. (That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it) :D
No excuses & no shame needed! Posting videos is traumatic in the extreme at the beginning, but becomes merely terrifying with practice. I use a Macbook Air, with its webcam (have been meaning to upgrade, as I have to tilt the screen way down to highlight the mando), plus GarageBand & iMovie, the latter being a plenty-good-enough-for-me video editor. Feel free to DM me, @mandoweather, if you want to discuss my cheap & cheerful setup in greater depth, but Mark & Kevin offer solid advice - start simple & gradually add stuff as needed. Your videos don't have to be fancy, they just need to get posted!
Hi mandoweather, we all suffer under the red-button-syndrom therefore I suggest making the recording procedure as simple as possible. My solution is to put my smartphone on the music stand and tilt it with help of an old rubber until the build in cam shows my mandolin. Now hit the red button and play. I like that it is easy to install the equipment, easy to control the success of my efforts and equal easy to delete all the trash I produce on the way to a decent recording. Nowadays many phones allow you to upload direct to YouTube – no special app needed. https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/a...1&d=1546861229 https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/a...0&d=1546861229 Hope that helps.
Thanks everyone for the great information. I ordered an inexpensive desktop iPhone tripod stand. I may try other options after experimenting with it. Bill
