Regarding videos, do you also want a semi-permanent setup with those? If so, I agree with @iternabe that webcams are probably the right way to go. But most people have a recent iphone or Android phone, and anything from the last 5 years will take HD/4K video that will blow any webcam or laptop cam out the water. I was pretty floored by the quality of videos out of my iPhone 15. All this to say that it's fairly easy to get a tripod mount into place and leave it be, and when you need you can just snap your phone into place and use it to take the video!
Please Help Me Refine My Recording Setup
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Pallas One major decision you need to make is what type of microphone to go with: USB or XLR.
Microphones capture sound in analog signal (voltage) via voice coil or diaphragm. That analog signal needs to be converted to digital signal for computers to accept.
Microphones that uses XLR connector, which is the standard for pro audio, can only output analog signal. You will need an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), like an USB audio interface or a mixer with USB interface between XLR mic and your computer. That is an extra equipment to lug around.
USB microphone solves this portability hassle by having an ADC built-in to the microphone body, and plug directly into your computer's USB port. The downside is the need for compromise between audio quality and price. Early USB microphones are known for inferior sound quality. That has improved a lot over the years, and now there are affordable high quality USB microphones that recommended by pros.
But, the portability benefit only really helps if you only intend to use a single microphone. For multi-mic setup, you at least need a USB hub (because limited USB ports on laptop). Plus the cost saving of having ADC built-in to the mic becomes a cost redundancy with multiple mics. With XLR mics, you pay for a single external USB audio interface once. Upgrading XLR mics is also more effective because without the additional built-in circuit, equality XLR mics are cheaper. In addition, XLR mic being the long time standard in audio industry, it comes in many shapes and forms for all type of recording need. USB mic originated mostly for online content creators, so the majority of them are desktop mics with cardiod pattern for voice recordings.
One more benefit going with an USB audio interface is it becomes a hub of all audio connections: mic inputs, other instruments inputs, headphone, studio monitor/speakers. And of course your computer, which can then be attached/detached to the whole setup with a single USB cable.
iternabe One major decision you need to make is what type of microphone to go with: USB or XLR.
+1 to all of this above.
I've also heard some VERY good recordings with USB mics recently, from options such as the Yeti Blue. To my ears, they seem more than up to the task for non-professional work, and are well worth considering. XLRs are the industry gold standard, but they're bulkier and more complex, have to consider run length, phantom power settings, etc. Not a deal-breaker, but for a K.I.S.S. approach, starting with some good USB mics isn't a bad idea imho.
Gombessa Good point on phantom power. Condenser mic, which generally has better sensitivity and dynamic range, usually require phantom power. Not only you need to get an audio interface that can supply phantom power (Focusrite 2i2 and Behringer UMC202HD both do), but you also need to pay attention to the procedure of connecting the mics to avoid damaging them.
The correct sequence, IIRC, is to turn down the gain, turn off phantom power, connect the mic, turn on the phantom power, then adjust gain. To disconnect, do the reverse: turn down gain, turn off phantom power, wait a bit, then disconnect the mic.
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Pallas Thanks for this video.
What I do is more like what she does with her Behringer mixer, except I'm going it all on the Zoom and then just moving the file to the computer (via the Zoom's SD card). Then I mix, add the video, etc., just like she does.
What I couldn't tell was whether running the mics directly to the iPhone (via the Focusrite) allows for any mixing options after. There's the convenience of the audio being attached to the video already, but does it result in single mono audio, or does the iPhone capture the two mics (via the Focusrite) as two mono audio tracks or a single stereo track?
I suppose if you do a lot of trial and error and find a sound that you like without having to edit, mix, master, etc., then it's a moot point, but I always like the option of messing around with the audio, especially the levels between the two (or more) mics. Thus my Zoom.
EDIT: I keep forgetting that the Zoom has its own built in interface, so it can plug directly into a phone, laptop, etc. I haven't really experimented with it much yet, but I need to answer my own question above about a Zoom + phone combo.
Enthusiastic but mediocre amateur.
TC3 I have used the zoom connected directly to my phone/iPad - it records in stereo but there are no controls on the zoom that will work to modify the sound. That said, the sound came out very nice on my video. I don't do a lot of processing after recording anyway so that part doesn't matter to me that much....
I have a Zoom h4n, along with focusrite and presonus preamps, Audio Technica and SE electronics mics (among others). For less than $1000, I'd skip the Zoom, unless you plan to do field recording, which is what I use mine for. My suggestion is a 4 input preamp (Behringer, Focusrite, Presonus, etc) along with a pair of small diaphragm condensers (spend the money here) like my SE8's, and a pair of large diaphragm condensers (spend less money here) like AT2020's. Don't get me wrong, Zoom makes great products, its just that you'd be stuck with the mics that come with it (other than the two inputs)
@iternabe that's right. 4 XLR inputs. For me, in retrospect, the audio interfaces at this level are pretty similar in quality - I'd spend the money on the Mics. Audio processing tools are very sophisticated nowadays - you just need a low noise preamp, and I think most offerings are similar. I did buy a used Tascam and a used Zoom H4n before settling on a Zoom H4n Pro. The former two were crazy noisy. Check the noise specs before purchasing, but I think most new stuff nowadays is fairly decent, especially if they are usb interfaces, and not dedicated "handy" recorders.
I use a Blue Yeti USB mic as input plugged into my Mac running GarageBand. Sound output through Edifer bluetooth speakers. It works OK, but I'm not entirely happy with the sound. I've lived with it because I only record to get the perspective of a listener, which does in fact reveal a lot that I cannot hear when playing. I'm not recording for other people to listen to me play; it's just for my edification.
Garage Band comes with a bunch of equalizers, and I use the Grand Piano one with some modifications. The Yeti mic is on the cardioid setting, and the gain is turned down to zero, as even a little gain results in clipping. (The Edifer speakers aren't great, either, producing a muffled though accurate sound.)
Any suggestions for improving my current set-up or another one that's equally simple?
AaronSF Edifier speakers are good for general use. I am not sure they can be considered accurate, though. Good quality studio monitors are designed for fidelity. It’s a big decision to buy them, because of size, and cost.
Alternatively, you can start with using a good pair of open back headphone. I have several pairs of Sennheisers. The HD600 is most accurate and neutral, but its high impedance requires a headphone amp. The HD558 (or 598) has lower impedance, and is quite good, too. When you EQ, judging the result through the headphone will make sure you are adjusting for good sound, not adjusting to compensate for deficiency in your speaker.
Also, have your tried moving the mic farther away? That should give you better headroom to avoid clipping.
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iternabe Thanks for your response. I appreciate it.
My set-up is designed so I can use it in conjunction with my practice, hence I didn't mention headphones. I have some Grado 325sx's, and yes, the sound is much improved through them, but as I'm listening while practicing, turning the recording on and off, stopping at problem areas and working on them, then listening some more, etc., I find the Edifer speakers more suitable to my purposes. I'm not recording for other people to listen to, just for me to approximate what a listener might hear so I can see where I hesitate, where my articulation is uneven, how consistent my tempi are, where I'm using too much rubato, etc.
I have tried placing the Yeti mic in lots of different places, in and out of the piano, and the best placement so far has been inside the piano about 1/2 back from the front, in between the treble and upper treble. Putting it outside the piano has always resulted in inferior sound.
I know better speakers would help, but it's a balance between the convenience of a blue-tooth & usb setup on the one hand, and a more complicated arrangement of better mics and better speakers. My current arrangement is light-years better than the crappy Tascam recorder I was using!
I'm also relatively naive about the intricacies of GarageBand. I know it is overkill for what I'm doing, but I don't really know of a simpler alternative. For instance, I can adjust the gain a little in GarageBand to improve the sound, whereas adjusting gain at the Yeti even a little results in clipping. (I'll try listening through my Grados and seeing if I can adjust the gain better.)
And as I said I have tweaked the equalizer to maximize piano sound.
I can live with my set-up fine, but all the responses here made me think maybe someone has a way I could tweak things or do something different without going whole hog into sound engineering. 