How to record a video with external mic using the computer?

[Captain Satellite]

What I want to do is shoot a video with the camcorder recording straight to the computer. I'm going to be using the Sony software (GigaPocket) which will result in a mpg. file. I want to record the sound (my guitar amp) using my Sennheiser, not the built-in mic. It has a XLR jack that I run into a M-Audio MobilePre. I'm drawing a blank here. I have the usual basic editing tools. I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to get the two together.

Any ideas?

[edDV]

What camcorder model?
I'll look up GigaPocket.

Hmm all I can find are people unhappy with GigaPocket. Expalin why you want to use it.

[Captain Satellite]

Hi ed,
I'm using the old VHS-C until I get my DV cam in a couple of weeks.

It's a JVC but I'm running the audio and video straight to the computer and recording its signal with the GigaPocket software, rather than run it to tape. That gives me an .mpg file.

I also have a 32 track GuitarPro computer recorder. What I'd like to do is get that recording quality rather than the built-in mic.

I think one of my options is to sync them after I record but thought there might be a better way.

GigaPocket may suck for what it was originally intended for, I don't know. Thanks!

[Captain Satellite]

I think I just thought of a way. I have 'outs' on the back of my M-Audio MobilePre that I can feed into the soundcard I'm feeding the video into. I may get feedback though. Might work if I were going for Hendrix but not tonight.

Still open to ideas...

[edDV]

So you have the M-Audio MobilePre with a guitar mic and some sort of capture card for video for the camcorder?



Does the GigaPocket software see both the cam and the MobilePre?

Cakewalk Software Guitar Tracks Pro is a software app.

[Captain Satellite]

There they are, ed! Below are caps of what I'm seeing. When I've been recording audio and video through GigaPocket, I've been plugging into the front. This is the card that came with the computer. I don't see an option that would allow me to use the MobilePre if it would make a difference. For ALL others sound from my computer, the MobilePre is used. I mispoke, Guitar Pro is software. Thanks for the help! Here are the caps:

[edDV]

Since I don't have the software I can't offer much help.

A second computer could feed the Guitar Tracks into the M-Audio second input.

[Captain Satellite]

Thanks for your help, ed. I thought there might be an easy solution I wasn't thinking of.

[Captain Satellite]

I'll be using a DV cam in a couple of weeks. What type of software can I purchase to accomplish this? How can I record record video using an external mic if the cam doesn't have an input? Should I make sure it *does* have an input?

[edDV]

I'll be using a DV cam in a couple of weeks. What type of software can I purchase to accomplish this? How can I record record video using an external mic if the cam doesn't have an input? Should I make sure it *does* have an input?

Camcorders without an audio input are near useless. You want that sync sound. If you try to cap audio separately without a sync reference, it will cause hours of grief in post getting sync.

I'm talking about an audio reference track. If you want to pass quality audio through a camcorder, at a minimum you need manual audio level control on the camcorder. Consumer camcorders AGC the sound in a whipsaw fashion. They're pumping up the noise floor when things are quiet causing saturation when loud sound happens. Then the AGC over reacts hunting for an average.

If you learn mic skills, you can get usable levels into a 16bit PCM audio track by setting manual levels. If you are considering recording a music group, you will probably need a mixer upstream of the camcorder. If you're grabbing sound from a house mixer, try to tap into the flat mix, avoid the over equalized house PA mix.

HDV cams don't have the luxury of uncompressed 16bit PCM stereo sound. You have to live with compressed audio.

[Captain Satellite]

Thanks again for being so helpful, ed. Your post confirms what I thought. No, it's just me recording some vids for youtube.

I had done some recording through GuitarPro and then muxed that with a still shot of my amps. I was more concerned about the sound and didn't care about the visual.

A guy wrote me and wanted to learn how to play a song I had posted so I told him I would shoot a vid of me playing the song. I wanted the same sound quality but it looks like it won't happen w/o a lot of time, trouble and expense.

Here's some external micing but the guitar is not in sync - this is not me.

This is a clip I recorded of myself with the Sennheiser through the MobilePre then muxed the audio with a pic.

This is a clip I captured with my JVC to my computer using the built in mic.

Like I said, I was just getting a feel for what my options were and it looks like you've answered my questions. Any idea how the guy in the first clip would have pulled that off? That guitar is seriously out of sync but the vocals are on. Thanks, ed!