Need help first time recording with QuickTime

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Person12345

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Hey everyone,


I'm 15 and kinda new to this whole recording thing. I would like to record with QuickTime cause it provides both audio and video. The thing is, I've got a mic, but it starts clipping real soon. The sound is kinda quiet, or not as loud as I want it to be but when I up the input for my mic, it clips. It's a SuperLux U205E I believe, it's an USB mic. I desperately need a way to fix this, for having louder sound without the mic clipping, but in words that I understand and real clear. It's been kinda frustrating not knowing what to do so I don't want to get even more frustrated on not knowing what a lot of words mean.
I am recording no an iMac (OS X Yosimite I believe) and I've got QuickTime version 10.4.

Please, need help real bad.
Thanks in advance.
 
Anyone? I believe this is really simple for experienced people, but it´s a big deal for me.
 
Isn't Garage Band free on a Mac? Why are you using Quicktime? What are you recording? [music, voiceovers, etc]
 
He said he wants to record both audio and video. But Pinky's correct - use garageband or audacity to record the audio, combine it with the video (ther eare free programs for video editing, too), and export to quicktime format.
 
@mjbphotos
And how exactly do I do that? So I just record video with QuickTime whilst recording audio with Garageband? And then? How do combine them? I would love some detailed explanations, cause I just don´t know how to do all of that.

btw, *she ;)
 
This already is more helpful, thank you. I am listening via the speakers.
Let me just explain one more time with more details, maybe that´ll clear it up a bit better.
I am trying to record a video with me playing uke and singing via QuickTime. In my Mac´s setting I can control how loud I record my mic like so;
md1821.jpg

(This is a pic I snatched from Google Images, ofc in my menu the SuperLux would be in the list and selected)

The problem is that if I put it higher than about the 1,5 line, the audio in QuickTime will clip. If I set in on the 1,5 line or lower, it doesn´t clip but if I afterwards replay it, listen to it, it is way too low. I´d have to turn up my mac´s volume to max if I want to listen to it in normal volume, so to speak.
Now I need a simple way, cause I don´t know enough about Logic, GarageBand, Audacity, etc. to use those programs. Or I need an explanation that I understand maybe. I believe this isn´t that big of an issue, but I just can´t seem to figure it out.

Edit; Oh and yeah, I did see that manual already but the whole thing is that if I turn up the input gain; it clips.
 
You're 15? Learn to use other software. Yeah, there's a learning curve for each one, but if you can teach yourself (and there are tons of youtube videos showing you every single possible software to help you) you'll be ready for the adult world in a few years. Don't learn how to do these (simple) things and you'll be slinging hamburgers at MacDonalds and picketing to get $15/hour wage.
 
Person12345 said:
The thing is, I've got a mic, but it starts clipping real soon. The sound is kinda quiet, or not as loud as I want it to be but when I up the input for my mic, it clips.
Click to expand...

You need a reliable point of reference.
Any recorded voice will sound too low if compared to commercially released music.

The best thing you can do is get your audio into a proper audio recording suite (reaper,audacity, garageband) and see what the levels look like.

Familiarise yourself with healthy input levels and dynamic range compression

If your recording is clipping it will always sound bad no matter what you do to it.
The goal is to record audio that doesn't clip but is loud enough that any background hiss or noise isn't heard.
From there you can work the audio to get the level you want.

There's nothing wrong with recording into Quicktime if it sounds good straight off.
The problem comes when you need to manipulate. Quicktime doesn't let you do much, if anything.

For syncing clap your hands before the recording. You can use that transient on the audio track to sync to the video track.
 
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Stereotype much? Please, I just want to record a few videos with this, my dad gets back in a month or so, and he is going to teach me everything about Logic, but I want to start with something really small, cause all I want is to be able to send my dad a couple of simple videos of me singing a song, cause he misses my voice. Is it too much to ask?
 
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Okay never mind, I´ll just wait till my dad comes back and explain it to me. I don´t know how to sync up stuff, or whatever. I am a total noob, so saying just syncing it up I am like UHHH YEAH. It´s the same as giving someone who has never played ukulele before a ukulele and saying them to play an Bbm7 or whatever. They´ll go like UHHH, right.
I just need a clear explanation what to do. Like if you have a video and the audio is fine, without clipping, open in garageband then go to settings, do this, do this... etc. Like exactly what to do, cause this just gives me nothing, I still do not know how to do anything now.
I really appreciate the help, don´t get me wrong, I really do. But I just don´t understand it.
 
But the issue is that the mic starts clipping when I turn it up. Right? Or what do you mean? Is there an issue that causes that issue that I need to figure out.. or?
 
Person12345 said:
Okay never mind, I´ll just wait till my dad comes back and explain it to me. I don´t know how to sync up stuff, or whatever. I am a total noob, so saying just syncing it up I am like UHHH YEAH. It´s the same as giving someone who has never played ukulele before a ukulele and saying them to play an Bbm7 or whatever. They´ll go like UHHH, right.
I just need a clear explanation what to do. Like if you have a video and the audio is fine, without clipping, open in garageband then go to settings, do this, do this... etc. Like exactly what to do, cause this just gives me nothing, I still do not know how to do anything now.
I really appreciate the help, don´t get me wrong, I really do. But I just don´t understand it.
Click to expand...

Yea, the problem is, it isn't that simple. You are wanting a high grade audio and video with a push of a button, or at least a set of, click here, input these settings, etc. Doesn't work that way.

If you have a video and the audio is fine, then there is nothing more to do. If the audio is fine, and you just want to raise the volume, you will need to add gain.

Back to your ukulele analogy, no one would expect to just pick it up and start playing. That is what you are expecting.
 
DM60, Okay, sorry, you're right. I thought it was simpler than it probably actually is. I have just been frustrated for a while and that didn't really help my attitude, I apologize.
I don't need a high grade audio and video, the only thing I want is to up the volume of my audio, or turn up my mic without it clipping. Could you explain me how I add gain?
Btw; "This Old River" sounds real nice!
 
Person12345 said:
Stereotype much? Please, I just want to record a few videos with this, my dad gets back in a month or so, and he is going to teach me everything about Logic, but I want to start with something really small, cause all I want is to be able to send my dad a couple of simple videos of me singing a song, cause he misses my voice. Is it too much to ask?
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Two options.

1: Record in quicktime, keep it quiet, let your Dad turn it up.
2: Learn about gain staging and signal handling and, probably, dynamic range compression.

There's no in-between magic bullet though.
Personally, I'd go for #1 given your final goal.

Stereotype? I'm not sure if that's directed at me or not but I don't understand.


Person12345 said:
Could you explain me how I add gain?
Click to expand...
There are limits. If your signal is clipping you've hit them.
If you get the signal as loud as you can without clipping, that's it. You can't add gain.
You can use compression though.
 
Person12345 said:
DM60, Okay, sorry, you're right. I thought it was simpler than it probably actually is. I have just been frustrated for a while and that didn't really help my attitude, I apologize.
I don't need a high grade audio and video, the only thing I want is to up the volume of my audio, or turn up my mic without it clipping. Could you explain me how I add gain?
Btw; "This Old River" sounds real nice!
Click to expand...

Yea I kind of figured you just want to do something simple and it is frustrating. The problem with Quicktime, it doesn't have any tools to work with. What you need is something that will allow you to work with the audio. If you can separate the audio, bring it into something like Audacity, increase the recorded volume (add gain), then export it out (from end to end so it aligns), then import it back into Quicktime replace the original, you will get your desired results.

First thing, separating the audio from the video. If you have any video editing tools, you can do this pretty easy. But audio separation is what need, I don't know any tools for free for this, but I am sure the Apple OS has them. Once you have that, then you can work with the audio, get it to the level you want, then bring it back in to the video.

Thanks for the compliment on the song.

Hope this points you in the right direction. It is a simple problem if you have the tools.
 
DM60 said:
Yea I kind of figured you just want to do something simple and it is frustrating. The problem with Quicktime, it doesn't have any tools to work with. What you need is something that will allow you to work with the audio. If you can separate the audio, bring it into something like Audacity, increase the recorded volume (add gain), then export it out (from end to end so it aligns), then import it back into Quicktime replace the original, you will get your desired results.

First thing, separating the audio from the video. If you have any video editing tools, you can do this pretty easy. But audio separation is what need, I don't know any tools for free for this, but I am sure the Apple OS has them. Once you have that, then you can work with the audio, get it to the level you want, then bring it back in to the video.

Thanks for the compliment on the song.

Hope this points you in the right direction. It is a simple problem if you have the tools.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there are bound to be DAWs that'll do this.
In PT you can import a video with audio, manipulate the audio, then bounce out video+audio again.

Surely some of the cheaper or free ones can do it too?
 
Okay, so I´ll need to look for video editing tools, for seperating audio? Then import into Audacity, turn up the gain. And then? How do I like, combine the two again? I´ll have to clap at the beginning, right?
What does DAW stand for? Dope Audio Wings? Delicious Apple Waffle?

(Thank you all for being so patient with me)
(Steenamaro, not directed at you, but it was a poorly timed reply. It was directed at mjbphotos for his comment on working at McDonalds)
 
Person12345 said:
Stereotype much? Please, I just want to record a few videos with this, my dad gets back in a month or so, and he is going to teach me everything about Logic, but I want to start with something really small, cause all I want is to be able to send my dad a couple of simple videos of me singing a song, cause he misses my voice. Is it too much to ask?
Click to expand...

Sorry if you take offence, but you've got to do more than just keep asking questions on how to do something - rather than trying to learn how to do it yourself. You can google 'how to ___' as easy as anyone else.
Learning how to record music and edit video is harder than learning to play uke. If you've got a smartphone, your best bet is just to use the video camera on it.


Aside - Reaper allows video and audio editing. I've never used it for video, but I'm sure the audio can be easily edited separately from the video.
 
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