• Sam

  • Post #1

Streamlining my recording process while still preserving some quality, that is. In the 16 years i have been doing this I think I have tried everything. A quick look through my junk drawer tells the story. Standalone audio recorders like the Zoom H4. Standalone video recorders like the Zoom Q4. USB mics, then mics through a mixer, Audacity, midi out from a keyboard (the first thing I ever tried). And a Focusrite Scarlett with external mics and a phone camera (all of which had to be synced by hand). Now the syncing of video and audio can be done with the click of mouse at least.

But lately I have been using a Universal Audio Volt 2 with two external mics. I leave the mics setup all the time. My iphone connects to this and uses it for audio in. Then just put the phone on a tripod and record a video. Airdrop to my laptop, trim the ends, open it in Logic Pro and use the "Mastering" button to analyze the audio and make it sound great. Save the video with the new audio and upload to youtube.

Why not just use the iphone? I still think the best place for the camera is not the best place for the microphones. YMMV.

I just did a 90 day intensive at Tonebase where I had to record a video every week for the teacher to review, and this setup worked great for me.

For Zoom calls where I have to play, I still use the Scarlett interface, since I also use a lapel mic. So I have mics for the piano and one for talking, with the laptop camera for the live video. The Scarlett I have is not recognized by the iPhone, which is a bummer, but the laptop sees it as an audio input. But the UA Volt is recognized by the iphone.

Anyway, that works for me, and has taken a lot of the head scratching and guesswork out of recording, while still getting good audio and video.

Funny you should start this thread! I was just thinking about posting asking a question about a tripod/holder for iPhone for recording.

I am not as involved as you, although I have a Zoom H4, these days, I just want to record on my iPhone and be done with it.

But I'd like to have an overhead shot, straight-down, full view of the keyboard.

Do you have any recommendations for tripod/holder? The tripod I have is a pain in the rear to set up and it's not really designed to shot straight down.

    ShiroKuro But I'd like to have an overhead shot, straight-down, full view of the keyboard.

    Do you have any recommendations for tripod/holder? The tripod I have is a pain in the rear to set up and it's not really designed to shot straight down.

    Yes, me too. The set up I have is clunky and I want to find something that works better.

        I purchased a Zoom Q8 so that I could directly record video with decent audio, but the video had very compressed audio quality! So I had to do a separate step to merge the WAV file with the video. This extra step was annoying.

        • Sam

        • Post #5

        ShiroKuro Do you have any recommendations for tripod/holder? The tripod I have is a pain in the rear to set up and it's not really designed to shot straight down.

        No, I have never had the need to shoot straight down. So far the teachers have been satisfied with the side shot. I did record my wife's sextet once with a boom mic stand (which are cheap on Amazon) and an adapter to put a camera mount on it - got the camera up pretty high - so high I couldn't reach it to turn it on and off!

        I know Josh Wright had a video describing his setup a couple of years ago, but he had multiple cameras and switched them using yet another piece of equipment. Looked like too much trouble for my needs.

            • Sam

            • Post #6

            OK, it was 4 years ago, so it is probably dated now. But he covers what he was using then:

              Sam thanks I'll take a look!

              Also, I'll consider a boom stand, I hadn't thought of that.

              re turning it off... hadn't thought about that either 😅

                ShiroKuro BartK I have setup overhead shots a couple of ways. One with a mic stand. The other using articulating arms attached to a wall shelf.

                The tricky part to get a good overhead shot is the camera needs to be exactly over the center of the keyboard (so that the shot is square) and be high enough (to avoid distortion). Because my mic stand has limited lateral reach, it only works when positioned behind my DP. For grand piano, it looks to me the only viable position for mic stand is behind the bench. You need to be careful not bump into it when standing up. And it may become unsightly in wide shots. For the above reasons, I think a C stand (used for lighting) would work better. They are designed to be hold longer boom so you could place it to the side of the piano and still reach keyboard center.

                Another method I have read about is to get a photography background support. It’s basically two stands connected by a long horizontal beam at the top. This would be the most stable way to mount a heavier camera like a DSLR. And this should be the easiest to adjust the camera to be perfect level. (On mic stand or C stand, using a mini-ball head to mount your camera/phone will make leveling the shot a lot easier).

                In any case, setting up a good overhead host always take some back-and-forth tweaking. Therefore it’s best to do it once and leave it in place permanently.

                    Sam I know Josh Wright had a video describing his setup a couple of years ago, but he had multiple cameras and switched them using yet another piece of equipment. Looked like too much trouble for my needs.

                    I bet all of the cameras are connected to a computer, and the switching is done using OBS and Elgato Stream Deck. It’s a common setup for streamers. I’ve done it. Once setup, switching between cameras/scenes is as simple as pressing a button in front of you.

                      Hmm, I'm going to have to return to this question when I'm not tired (today was an especially tiring day at work, you'll have to forgive me), because this all just sounds like too much work! 😅

                      • Rob

                      • Post #11
                      • Edited

                      Sam an adapter to put a camera mount on it - got the camera up pretty high - so high I couldn't reach it to turn it on and off!

                      I have a bluetooth remote button to start/stop video recording, to avoid having to touch my phone.
                      It was just a few dollars on ebay, and works with android and i-phone.
                      It can also be used to take photos remotely.

                      My newer Samsung phone, also has an 'S pen' stylus, which has a button which performs the same function.

                        Ok now that I’ve had a (somewhat good) night’s sleep…. I realized that in our new house, the piano space is narrower such that getting a side shot, like @Sam mentioned, might actually be a little harder.

                        I should be able to have a tripod behind me though.

                        And having a Bluetooth remote for starting and stopping would definitely be good, otherwise I’ll have to get up every time, which is quite disruptive.

                        Maybe I should just the remote, and deal with the tripod I currently have….

                        Here’s a screengrab from a video I made a few years ago. I just remember it’s such a hassle to get it set, get the angle right, and it’s off to the side, so it’s easy for it to get wonkey…

                          • Sam

                          • Post #13

                          The Apple watch can also control the iphone camera.

                          • Rob likes this.

                          ShiroKuro And having a Bluetooth remote for starting and stopping would definitely be good, otherwise I’ll have to get up every time, which is quite disruptive.

                          My experience with a Bluetooth remote for starting and stopping was not good. Connecting the device to my phone was a hassle, and after not using it for a couple of minutes, it was disconnected automatically.
                          If you have enough free storage space on your phone, you can also consider to just let it record, until you make a really good recording, and then you stop. In that way, you always know that the good recording is at the end of your file.

                          *
                          ... feeling like the pianist on the Titanic ...

                              Animisha My experience with a Bluetooth remote for starting and stopping was not good. Connecting the device to my phone was a hassle, and after not using it for a couple of minutes, it was disconnected automatically.

                              Ahh, this is good to know! I'll have to read the reviews carefully, and maybe there's just not a good option. Although, if I do find one, I'll share the product here.

                              Animisha If you have enough free storage space on your phone, you can also consider to just let it record, until you make a really good recording, and then you stop.

                              A lo of people recommend this, but I find video editing on the phone to be quite clunky, and if you have a large file, it's a huge hassle to get it onto your laptop... so I've always tried to have just one file per play-through, it's easier to manage. But if requires getting up after each take...

                              I feel like there's a catch 22 here... 😛

                                    ShiroKuro Your screengrab looks great! If somehow you can figure out a way to leave it permanently in place, then it would work very well. Are you open to the idea of recording directly to your laptop? I believe that could open a lot of opportunities to solve your conundrum.

                                        iternabe If somehow you can figure out a way to leave it permanently in place

                                        Unfortunately this probably isn't an option....

                                        iternabe Are you open to the idea of recording directly to your laptop?

                                        No, only because this would require even more of a set-up hassle. Every time, I'd have to get it out, bring in a little folding table or something, get the cord, get a usb mic, do the set up and take down each time etc....

                                        My whole goal is to have the least amount of friction possible, so one key is to have the fewest number of items to get out and put away, since I can't leave it set up all the time.

                                              ShiroKuro I do have the setup with the least amount of friction, and that's achieved by having everything permanent, including the computer. To me, the next least amount of friction setup is to make the computer (i.e. laptop) the only component that's temporary. Everything else can be left in place, preferable all connected to a docking station. Then all you need to do is to dock the laptop and be ready to go. The laptop/docking station can even be out of the view (as long as cables for camera and mic are long enough). Start/stop recording can easily be controlled by a remote device (wireless mouse/keyboard, iPhone app, or Stream Deck). Additional benefit is elimination of file transfer time and easier trimming/editing on the computer.

                                                Maybe I can get something like that in the future, but for now, it's not an option. So based on what I'm hearing here and in another forum, I am guessing my best bet (least friction) is to get a better tripod or clip with gooseneck, not take it apart (I think I can store in a closet when not in use), so that all I have to do is get it out and put it in place.

                                                I'll only get a bluetooth remote if I can find one that doesn't have reviews like @Animisha 's (e.g., unreliable connectivity).

                                                We'll see how it goes!

                                                  • Sophia

                                                  • Post #20
                                                  • Edited

                                                  Shiro, I am in the same situation as yourself, I can't have a permanent setup either. So my solution is a standard camera tripod in combination with this clip that I purchased from Amazon:

                                                  All I have to do is place the tripod next to me and have it record straight to my phone. I know it's not an ideal angle, but it works... I don't need any 3rd party shutter device because the phone is right next to me within reach. I can even see what I'm recording if I lean over a bit. Then I use a free Dropbox account to sync my videos with my desktop computer automatically, so that I can edit and upload the video there.