Video editing questions

[BraylonJennings]

I've lately played around a bit with video recording some guitar playing . I've done basic recording with phones, tablets, and an older Nikon, mostly taping acoustic sing along stuff. The quality is decent enough, but I know I can improve can upgrade my sound quality with a better cellphone mic. Any suggestions here for Android?

Secondly, I would like to record full electric recordings made live in Studio one. Meaning, I take an existing backing track in S1, play lead guitar and sing (recording the audio in s1 and the video by phone) and combine them in a video editor. Using the Win movie editor, I can play the video with sound muted, and combine it with my finished s1 audio mix. This keeps the audio quality highest, but its awkward to sync the audio and video. I wonder what video editors you fellows use for this. I've recorded using my tablets internal mic, and while the sound can have a crude charm, I doubt a cellphone external mic will give me the audio quality I seek.

 

[Griff]

I'm not familiar with Win Movie... I use the Vegas stuff on my Windows computer for video. I'm not sure what @PapaRaptor uses, he might be able to point you to some other video editing options.

As for syncing, there's no magic trick, you just get used to seeing the waveforms and dragging to line them up. I can do it in seconds now from doing it so much.

On some platforms (Adobe Premiere I think) there is a plugin to do that automatically. I'm not sure how well it works, but sure would be nice!

 

[PapaRaptor]

I think @Griff and I use the same video editing software. I'm using Magix (aka Vegas) Movie Studio 16.0 Platinum. I've used it for two or three versions. It is now at version 17 and I'll probably upgrade, just for the sake of support. I can't really add anything more than Griff already mentioned. It doesn't provide an automatic method of syncing separate audio and video, but if you're recording from your phone, you'll have an audio record you can use as a "scratch" track to align a fully mixed recording in Studio One. As long as the timelines of your video and audio are matched, getting audio and video synchronized is a quickly learned process. Pretty much everything on my Youtube channel was edited using Magix. There is a lot of live stuff that was done in less than ideal conditions with a portable recording rig, but if you check out the videos that were shot in my music room, they were all edited with Magix and the audio was recorded with either Cubase or Studio One and then sync'ed and edited. Even the audio on the live jams and recordings was somewhat massaged in either Cubase or Studio One before committing to video.
https://www.youtube.com/user/elder99/videos

Even the tutorials I have recorded about Studio One were edited and the audio mixed using Magix and Studio One.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0IL0ZBAkXXYJfWDFNjJZ3Q/videos

As for a mic to plug into an Android phone, you might look at the Rode VideoMic ME. I use a pair of Rode Video MicroPro mics, which are nearly identical except for the plug connection and mounting method on my portable recording rig.

 

[BraylonJennings]

Thanks for the quick advice. Years ago I made some nature videos but I have a bit to relearn.

 

[sdbrit68]

well, now we are in a subject I love to play with..................

I use two different softwares depending on what I am working on. For big work projects and training videos, I use Corel videostudio, gets a little pricey. Good things, easy to use, many video effects like split screen and transitions, I can even have 4 different screens at once, negative, its not really useable as an audio interface for music.

I have also mentioned Acoustica mixcraft I use as my DAW. I have been over the top happy with the useage, the ability of it and the customer service. The benefit here, its cheaper, and it does basic video editing.

This means, you can record with your video camera, while also using your audio interface to record on Mixcraft creating a seamless connection when you add your video

Its worth a look at, as it has a good 30 day free trial I believe with almost every feature

 

[MikeS]

FWIW I use an OLD version of Windows Movie Maker. It used to be a freebie, but I don't know about now. It's not the greatest for matching audio & video (a very "Slide it a bit & check" kind of thing), but I've been able to do it. Since I don't do that a lot, I'm satisfied with it.

I use the Rhode Video Mic that Papa recommended for some Zoom calls and no one has complained about my audio. I've never tried to do a side by side (phone with & without the Rhode), but that's something interesting to try.

 

[BraylonJennings]

FWIW I use an OLD version of Windows Movie Maker. It used to be a freebie, but I don't know about now. It's not the greatest for matching audio & video (a very "Slide it a bit & check" kind of thing), but I've been able to do it. Since I don't do that a lot, I'm satisfied with it.

I use the Rhode Video Mic that Papa recommended for some Zoom calls and no one has complained about my audio. .

This is exactly what I've been using in some recent tests and the audio video matching is not ideal. Workable, maybe, but I downloaded Vegas last night and it appears to do just what I want more easily. I'm gonna try for a good cut of Thrill is Gone tonight to work with. I've got some other old videos I'd like to work with, so I need a little more than the Windows editor gives me. The Rode mic would be mostly for outdoor work and its so cold here, I can wait a bit to try that out.

 

[OG_Blues]

If you want the best for free, there is only one choice IMO - Davinci Resolve.
This is pro level stuff, totally free, no limitations.
The learning curve is similar to any other video editing software, and Davinci has very powerful audio processing / editing capability
built in. You won't even begin to scratch the surface of what Resolve can do, but hey - it's free.
There are endless instructional videos on youtube that demonstrate how to do the really fancy stuff that it is capable of.
At one point I had committed to Corel VideoStudio, but had numerous problems with it, and got tired of Corel always wanting to
sell me more stuff. I switched to Resolve and am very glad I did.
I use it to produce videos for my daughter's instructional courses for the medical community that she sells.
I use a Canon M50 to record the video, and record the audio separately with a Zoom H5, and sync them in Resolve, along with
a minor bit of EQ, leveling, and compressing (all built in to Resolve). After trying many different mics,
including some fairly high end condensers, using a "blind" listening test method, she chose the SM58 as best for her voice.
Surprise, surprise.

 

[BraylonJennings]

After trying many different mics,
including some fairly high end condensers, using a "blind" listening test method, she chose the SM58 as best for her voice.
Surprise, surprise.

Plenty of times I use a sm57 or 58 over my condensers for vox. On recordings, I use a lot of reductive eq on vocals and often find i can start out closer to the sound I want with the dynamic mics.

 

[OG_Blues]

The problem with a good condenser mic in a not real studio environment is that it will pick up a mouse breaking wind
in the next door neighbor's attic.
Not a good thing for a serious recording effort.
I know, I could use a pop filter, but mine is all gummed up from straining Coke through it.