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Dan3460

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Sorry if this has been asked to exhaustion but i'm a completely newbie on this stuff. I design and build Vacuum Tube Guitar Amps and I'm starting a Crowdfunding campaign, i have to put a few clips of the product in the site.
I'm pretty good with computers and electronic gear, but i never had to buy a video recorder or microphones. Here is what i'm thinking to do:
I have a Nikon D3500 that takes pretty good movies, i think i can record the person playing with that. Even do the camera has a decent mike i don't think will be good enough for making the clip look professional. The camera does not have an external mice jack, but i could use a mike connected to a laptop to record the sound. BTW Because this is a one shot deal i wouldn't like to spend too much money on this.
1- Would what i proposing makes sense? Should i consider other options?
2- I have seen condenser microphones on ebay for $40 to $50 that advertise professional sound? Are those mikes any good? Remember i'm not interested in longevity, one shot deal.

Thanks for the help,
 
I would look at using something like OBS, DroidCam, and your cell phone. This is just a suggestion and dependent on having an Android phone or tablet that has a decent camera.

OBS - obsproject dot com
DroidCam - dev47apps dot com - can't post links because this is my first post...

You install the software on your PC
Setup the app on your phone
Configure OBS to capture the output window that DroidCam provides
And you can mix in the audio from whatever audio device you are using.

You may have to take some test videos to tweak the output settings for the video to get the highest quality.

This is a very low-to-no dollar solution that can produce some decent results if you put some time into it.
 
most likely you would want to mic the guitar cab, but will anyone be talking?

Micing the guitar cab is easy, except you'll probably want to use a well known mic so your market can make educated guesses at how the amp sounds. For that, I seriously recommend the SM57. If you're a guitar player, I bet you have one laying around.

If someone on-camera will be talking, you should use a lavaliere mic. I never used one and can't make a recommendation, but many other here can. If someone off-camera will be talking, you can use the same 57. You'll need some kind of interface. You can find a 2-channel in the $150 that will work fine for you.

To get it into any usable format for posting, you'll need a video editor. They are not expensive. Vegas Studio is $50.

Record the clip with the camera. And use the 57, laveliere mic and record with the interface into the computer. Do what you need to do with the audio to get it to sound the way you want.

Load the video clip into Vegas, import the audio and align the audio to the audio of the camera to sync them up. Edit as necessary and render to a format for posting. (MP4).

That's a simplified method, but it is a start and will get you started.
 
Have you considered paying someone to do it, i.e., someone who makes it their business to do this kind of thing and thas everything they need to do it right? Sure, it might cost more than that $50 mic, but it will save you time, and potential frustration, doing something which is not likely to be the high quality you want, plus it's time spent doing something that is not directly income producing.
 
Thanks for the answers. I think i have the computer side covered, i have used in the past OpenShot and i think i can do what i need there. My question is more in the way of the mike. It hurts to spend $100 to use it once and put in a shelf until it melts.
I just need to record the amp. In the shot you'll see the guitar player sitting on a chair to one side of the amp. I will put the mike near the amp to capture the sound. Then in open shot i will replace the sound with what i have recorded.
But my question still are those $40 mikes that you see on ebay any good? The worst thing to do will be to buy one of those, realize that it doesn't work and have to buy a SM57.

Thanks again
 
keith.rogers said:
Have you considered paying someone to do it, i.e., someone who makes it their business to do this kind of thing and thas everything they need to do it right? Sure, it might cost more than that $50 mic, but it will save you time, and potential frustration, doing something which is not likely to be the high quality you want, plus it's time spent doing something that is not directly income producing.
Click to expand...

I did think about it, but the couple of quotes that i got run in the $5k. At that price spending $100 or $200 and see what is the result seems like a no brainier. I'm pretty good at photography and the few videos that i have made are pretty decent. The sound is what i'm worried about, that is why i'm asking about the quality of the $50 mikes seen on Ebay.

I appreciate the input.
 
Brain Paper said:
I would look at using something like OBS, DroidCam, and your cell phone. This is just a suggestion and dependent on having an Android phone or tablet that has a decent camera.

OBS - obsproject dot com
DroidCam - dev47apps dot com - can't post links because this is my first post...

You install the software on your PC
Setup the app on your phone
Configure OBS to capture the output window that DroidCam provides
And you can mix in the audio from whatever audio device you are using.

You may have to take some test videos to tweak the output settings for the video to get the highest quality.

This is a very low-to-no dollar solution that can produce some decent results if you put some time into it.
Click to expand...

The video of the cell phone will have the same problem as the D3500, the sound and to take a video on my d3500 i have all what i need.
Thanks for the input
 
A Shure SM57 and a Behringer UMC22 would run about $140 total and would yield good results. Find an XLR cable and a mic stand and you'd be set to record electric guitar through an amp.
 
You are making an audio product, you want people to fund it, and yet you're looking to shoot video and audio with no concern for audio or video quality at all? Every cash poor student who puts stuff on youtube knows the value that quality images, sound and production have. Surely an audio product needs the VERY best quality or people will assume its terrible? Video needs proper planning, lighting and equipment. Phones have surprising quality - but they need assistance to stay steady, have destructive zooms and poor control of focus. everything about your plan screams the sort of end product people will click off.

Why do you build tube amps? - solid state ones are cheaper. Unless your customers can hear the difference will the clips help or hinder sales?

Five grand is way over the top - but the real key is access to the equipment and the skills that you don't have, but need to master too quickly. Is a cheap mic, bodge up camera really going to scream 'quality' to potential investors?
 
rob aylestone said:
You are making an audio product, you want people to fund it, and yet you're looking to shoot video and audio with no concern for audio or video quality at all? Every cash poor student who puts stuff on youtube knows the value that quality images, sound and production have. Surely an audio product needs the VERY best quality or people will assume its terrible? Video needs proper planning, lighting and equipment. Phones have surprising quality - but they need assistance to stay steady, have destructive zooms and poor control of focus. everything about your plan screams the sort of end product people will click off.

Why do you build tube amps? - solid state ones are cheaper. Unless your customers can hear the difference will the clips help or hinder sales?

Five grand is way over the top - but the real key is access to the equipment and the skills that you don't have, but need to master too quickly. Is a cheap mic, bodge up camera really going to scream 'quality' to potential investors?
Click to expand...

No need to get angry, i'm guessing the questions that i'm asking are too stupid.

Who said that i have no concern for video or audio quality? To the contrary, that is exactly the reason what i posted here. Video quality i know that i can make it professional, if it doesn't look professional i will go in a different route. Same as the sound, that is what i keep asking if anyone have used one of the cheap condenser mics.

BTW i have been building tube amps for customers for many years, there is a difference in the sound just by the very way that the sound is produced. Electrons leaving a Cathode to the plate behave very differently from the ones leaving a P layer a passing to a N layer.
 
I have an AT2005USB dynamic mic I bought for a specific use that did not include recording guitar, either electric or acoustic. You quest prompted me to throw it in front of an amp and give it a try at an electric through a tube amp since I couldn't find any Youtube vids used on an amp.
Audio-Technica-AT2005USB-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone
Can be used either as a USB mic or connected via XLR as a normal dynamic.

- Epiphone Sheraton II on bridge PU
- Peavey VK-112 tube amp. Reverb off and didn't pay much attention to EQ and was played as set. A little bit of the 'dirt' channel and some clean.
- AT2005USB was centered about 3" off grill of the amp
- Recorded via USB into Audacity. Did not normalize or anything else. Exported as mp3

The ATR2100USB is pretty much the same mic as well....... https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Techni...TF8&qid=1546024179&sr=8-1&keywords=atr2100usb

Kinda interested in what others think of how it sounds (not the actual playing :) )
 

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arcaxis said:
I have an AT2005USB dynamic mic I bought for a specific use that did not include recording guitar, either electric or acoustic. You quest prompted me to throw it in front of an amp and give it a try at an electric through a tube amp since I couldn't find any Youtube vids used on an amp.
Audio-Technica-AT2005USB-Cardioid-Dynamic-Microphone
Can be used either as a USB mic or connected via XLR as a normal dynamic.

- Epiphone Sheraton II on bridge PU
- Peavey VK-112 tube amp. Reverb off and didn't pay much attention to EQ and was played as set. A little bit of the 'dirt' channel and some clean.
- AT2005USB was centered about 3" off grill of the amp
- Recorded via USB into Audacity. Did not normalize or anything else. Exported as mp3

The ATR2100USB is pretty much the same mic as well....... https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Techni...TF8&qid=1546024179&sr=8-1&keywords=atr2100usb

Kinda interested in what others think of how it sounds (not the actual playing :) )
Click to expand...

Thanks Mark, your playing is not bad. This is the answer that i was looking for. Thanks again.
 
Didn't;t mean to sound angry - but if your customers cannot hear the difference between solid state and tube in your ads, you have failed.

DSLRs have pretty awful audio circuitry, they don't offer any pro audio facilities, so you need a decent recorded like maybe the Zooms, plus a decent microphone. Your pc audio card is totally unsuitable - because it has the very solid state sound - so using that would ruin what your amps do.

I didn't;t mean to be rude, but your entire income generation depends on marketing it correctly - with quality audio and video. Your 'do it on the cheap' idea while perhaps understandable is surely the opposite of what you need - a HIGH quality audio rendition of what comes out of your amp. There's no need to spend thousands, but you do need a sensible amount of decent kit - and of course editing skills and software.
 
I still say to use a mic that is well known among your target market - guitar players. They all know the 57 and will trust their ears (and eyes) when they see you are recording your clips with a 57. You can find one used for less than $100.

If you're recording with a $40 chinese mic, then your target buyers are going to question the validity of the tones they hear in the video clips.

I think Rob is trying to encourage you to put a little more investment into you project and do it properly to better your chances of success.

Are you making cabs too?
 
Chili said:
I still say to use a mic that is well known among your target market - guitar players. They all know the 57 and will trust their ears (and eyes) when they see you are recording your clips with a 57. You can find one used for less than $100.

If you're recording with a $40 chinese mic, then your target buyers are going to question the validity of the tones they hear in the video clips.

I think Rob is trying to encourage you to put a little more investment into you project and do it properly to better your chances of success.

Are you making cabs too?
Click to expand...

Understand, makes sense. I saw a few 57s for about $100 that said were new.
About the cabs, yes i have been making them for years. For some of the amps that i have made the customer requested that the cabinet look like a Fender or Marshall.
 
Dan3460 said:
Understand, makes sense. I saw a few 57s for about $100 that said were new.
About the cabs, yes i have been making them for years. For some of the amps that i have made the customer requested that the cabinet look like a Fender or Marshall.
Click to expand...


Nice. I'm interested in what you have going on. If you decide to make a bass amp, let me know. :)

You can't advertise in the free forums, but you are allowed to place a simple description and a link in your signature. I don't remember how many (if any) posts you need to add a signature, but stick around and join the community. Eventually, you'll hear from Dave (ecc83) he is a retired elex tech from Blackstar Amps. Always great to get his input on all things electrical.


Welcome to the site.
 
Dan3460 said:
Understand, makes sense. I saw a few 57s for about $100 that said were new.
About the cabs, yes i have been making them for years. For some of the amps that i have made the customer requested that the cabinet look like a Fender or Marshall.
Click to expand...
If you're building amps (and I assume playing as well), I'm surprised you don't seem to have a few guitar playing friends that would have some decent recording gear.

If you do decide to go the SM57 route, buy from a reputable seller. The SM57 has a few counterfeits out there that are not like the real thing.
 
arcaxis said:
If you're building amps (and I assume playing as well), I'm surprised you don't seem to have a few guitar playing friends that would have some decent recording gear.

If you do decide to go the SM57 route, buy from a reputable seller. The SM57 has a few counterfeits out there that are not like the real thing.
Click to expand...

My interest as always been the electronics, i use a couple of friends that are good playing, even do i have a pretty good ear i can only make 3 chords. Enough to make a sound and see if works.
 
The mics are still there, although fewer than there were, and I rather like the idea of using a real 57 as most people 'in the know' would be able to recognise what they capture. They do a pretty good and predictable job on guitar cabs.

On the counterfeit front - watch out for Ebay ads that say brand new, but has been unboxed or tested (new, other) status - that's a good way of passing them off. Or if they say new, but no bag - because the bags don't feel like Shures.
 
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