Lip sync video of pre-recorded music advice and new post 10-14-21 pg 3!

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Winfred

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Hi All!

I've had to make a tough decision. I'm not getting the audio quality I want of myself singing and playing my non-plug-in acoustic guitar with my own Zoom Q8 camera and condenser mics. I'm going to dig deep and hire a pro studio to record the audio to merge with a lip sync video. It will be $150 for my 3 min 16 sec (average length) cover song, a much lower price compared to about 5 quotes at $75 or $85 an hour and a minimum of 2 and 3 hrs. At $50/hr with a 2hr minimum, they provide one engineer. Mastering is $50 a song.

The say their bran new smaller studio has: "The gear in Studio B rivals many other studios main room. Featuring the newest Pro Tools 12 system with UAD Apollo converters, Slate Raven touch screen monitor, Dangerous summing bus and monitor controller, Neve 1073, API mic pre-amps, EQ’s and compressors and more. You can maintain the same pristine signal path as Studio A."

How does that list of equipment sound?

I should say that they haven't heard me play as it's not a case where I have a "record label". The engineer sounds nice and is enthusiastic as he even likes the choice I made of my debut YouTube cover song. (I got permission from the songwriter's publisher too.)

After a 2 hrs minimum at $50/hr I'll also have it mastered. At home with my Zoom Q8 camcorder I'll make the lip-sync still-shot video of just me, then merge the two for my final version to be posted on YouTube.

Is it where I have to use my free 60 day version of Reaper to merge the audio with my lip sync video? Is that a complex task?

I'm finding tutorials mainly for musicians that want to make their own higher quality more complex multiple location and/or angles of shots type of videos. Does anyone know where I can find a tutorial more created for one in my category, or any good keyword searches I can do, or instructions of your own on how to do it?

Is there any special requirements I should be telling the engineer at the pro studio?

I'll be using a Zoom Q8 camcorder. When I have the camcorder running do I maybe on my laptop run the audio while I'm doing the video of my lip syncing? I'm thinking then I can later in Reaper line up the audio waves from the prostudio track with the video's audio waves, delete the video audio waves thus leaving the prostudio recording waves, and then it is all in sync... meaning all will appear in sync only if I also personally move my lips well enough and move my hands in the same chord progressions, right?

Also, does this get very complex and will involve "time code"? I read some about the particular time code of a video, and of a separate audio track, must be of the right timing rate or it will be out of sync... concepts over my head.

I have a free version of Reaper. Could I easily do that in Reaper?

Will I lose the pro studio's sound quality once I post it to YouTube?

Thanks!
Winfred
 
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Equipment means very little. 150 for your song sounds fine if you can get it recorded and mixed in that time. I can't see how you can give quotes like that. What's the quality threshold? You've got a dodgy hand so are you prepared to play multiple times, or are they going to take say three takes and edit? The job I just finished took 9 attempts to record the singer's voice till she felt she was happy and then three hours to comp from these to get the end result she needed. This was with a track already produced. You have voice and guitar. How long do you think it will take to get the takes done? The studio will stop when you are happy. If it's still crap and you run out of time, you need to make a tough decision. Accept the product for what it is at that stage, or keep going and keep paying. Probably if you play and sing ok, it will be fine.

Not being funny, but you still have the problem of a one shot video don't you? Are you ok syncing up? Normally you'd have a count so you can hit the first note or guitar strum. How are you managing this? Getting the studio to put a click on the start, or something else? With your low Tec approach you have to press play on the audio machine, press record on the zoom and then hit the first note. Presumably you'll edit this out on YouTube?
 
Hi Rob!

Thanks so much for taking the time to consider my challenges. I've never put my money down like that where time is of the essence, and $50 an hour is 83 cents a minute, or counting the mastering that is definitely needed too, and say it takes 2 hrs recording time, then it's really in a way $1.25 a minute. I'm not that great being nervous in front of crowds when I played for open mics, even when there weren't a lot of people... It's like you seem to say -- it gets to be like a gambling game. Really about 3 1/2 minutes song for $150 is $42.85 a minute! I want to put my best foot forward, especially with nice quality sound, so this card game has played on and on for me.

The video part I don't want to get highly technically challenged and just have it one camera angle of myself as really I have to record by myself not really knowing anyone who would bother helping. Really I'm kind of embarrassed to tell anyone I'm doing this, yet I'm going by open mic listeners reactions for the past 2 yrs of my playing sporadically at coffeehouse open mics. If that would not have happened, I'd never be doing this as I was shocked people were liking my music. Some things have amazingly fallen into place along the way... well... but not my trying to get pro sound quality ha! I was also shocked with Sony music answering my email right away saying I could do this as it is a cover song.

My most recent hurdle, night before last for umpteen thousandth time over the years, is an old one I decided to once again face head on. It's the good old phlegm around my vocal cords hurdle. I read a recent article to use a small handheld portable nebulizer. The article I read noted that the vocal cords need to be moistened, so I'm going to try this "nebulizer", a device that atomizes moisture into a fog you breathe in. They were selling it. One also needs one time use vials of sterile saline solution, so there went $95. It just came from Amazon express delivery today, but the round clear dime size manufacturing seal was already popped up from the smooth shiny type of box and of course with a tiny black hair stuck to the sticky side of it... There were no finger prints on the device, except for maybe one spot on the very top clear plastic lid of it... The rest, after careful inspection under a good light... seemed never used... but I wonder. Other hurdles along my many months long path so far.

Am I chasing my ego, chasing stardom? I mean someone 66 yrs old literally means no sudden stardom applies ha! I guess it's something within me that doesn't want my original music to slip by never really heard other than at the recent open mics as I've always only played at home throughout my life. Do I think of selling my music on Spotify... yah, some would be nice, but I know I'm an unknown, so it goes... The other gamble is I subsist on menial Social Security to the point I'm a 100% bike commuter, so on my way to a $150 recording gamble riding my bike 32 miles round trip with my guitar strapped on my back ha! So those factors all come into play and contribute to my dodgy hand too. There's not a lot in my deck ha!

I'm hoping for top level quality sound... wouldn't nice recording equipment and a pro sound engineer make a big difference? I've given up on myself trying to achieve top quality sound with my Q8 and my condenser mics. I wonder too how I'm going to sync this up right, but I press on despite the odds.

The other thing is... if the YouTube system isn't that conducive to whatever file form I get from that studio. Sweet... maybe there's some inevitable degradation once I upload it all to YouTube. Have you heard of that? Really though, I've heard very nice quality sound with some of the YouTube videos.

I understand if you don't have time. Thanks for your cogent and lucid advice!

Kindest Regards,
Winfred
 
I think you need to take things one step at at time. If anything comes out of this recording session, it should be a recording that sounds like you. You've got a better chance of doing this if you are using another person as a reference. Make sure you get the individual tracks as well as the mixed tracks, if you are having that done.

Once you get the audio done, then you can start working on any video you want to put together. Done expect it to be a "do it in a day" project. You can take 10 different takes and stitch them together.

Your biggest gripe has been that you didn't like your guitar. Once you get a good recording, you'll have a good reference for any future work. Also, watch what he does, especially where he puts the mics. Listen to the room you're recording in, carefully. It should be a learning session as well as a recording session.
 
Hi Again TalismanRich!

So nice of you to put up with me still ha! My old guitar I started not to like? Hearing my own videos first time... I got objective with myself. I did dig deep and at noon May 27th a used guitar I bought through Reverb Nation arrived. It's kind of like a new friend arrived ha! In fact the UPS guy left it in my 131 apartment high-rise propped up in a corner of the main lobby instead of bringing it to my door! A friend saw it and personally brought it to me thank God! It's happened with other deliveries. They get probably on an insane treadmill with the pandemic increase in deliveries... however similar happened even before the virus.

I received some money I didn't know I would get and old savings and paid $1,000 for a Takamine No.10 built in 1986 classical guitar. It sounds beautiful and amazingly shows evidence of hardly being played at all in 38 years! It has a cedar top with rosewood back and sides. It also has ebony and the tuners are even gold plated... It's of the remarkable occurrences all along my pathway to getting the quality I hope for with my debut on YouTube, quite a journey so far. I keep my old $10 Salvation Army find I played since 1980. This guitar is phenomenal.

In fact I'm ordering new strings from "Strings by Mail" and just left a voice mail with them. I had that 3rd G string classical guitar problem and Strings by Mail solved that problem. So I'll concur with them and re-order as I will then have all new strings. My nebulizer I just received yesterday Amazon being similar to UPS with their delivery non-etiquette (nebulizer in case of good old phlegm around the vocal cords problem which I hope works). So when I go for my pinnacle studio moment I will so with my "new" guitar, and my latest version of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" (BSN) in my soul. What is the as you say, "individual tracks as well as the mixed tracks, if you are having that done." Do you mean the tracks before and after they do the mastering? Like you or maybe it was Rob wisely says, I don't really know how many takes I might have to do. If I had to do another hour, then $200 total wow, but if I really have to I will. Isn't 2 hrs usually a lot for about a 3 min song?

That's good advice taking each challenge as it comes. The version of "BSN" I originally posted for 3 days on YouTube was 7:33. I trimmed it down to about 5:15 and thought I was going with that, but then I even more seriously leveled with myself after receiving feedback that the reality is around 3 minutes one really has to present their song. So suddenly just last week I had an "aha" moment and suddenly found a way to trim it down to an average of 3 min 16 sec. In fact I've also slowed myself down ha! I've done that too with what will be my first original song I'll post, "Johanna" (good old unrequited love ha). So with BSN I've eased back with the meter and no fancy-dancey variation like I was doing before above the 12th fret. I loved the way I originally played it, only now it's sink or swim and gave in to the about 3 minute rule and glad I did. Being simpler has, over my latest pro studio idea, lifted a kind of weight off my shoulders too. I just added a variation (slight but significant one) that I think might add 10 seconds so a 3 min 26 sec version I'll play, actually an inevitably abridged version of Joni's song.

I can still hardly believe Sony Music responded like they did, another of the phenomenal happenings, so no copyright strikes from YouTube with me. That guitar of course I bought without ever playing it first, a kind of foolish thing to do, but something in me said "go". I swear it had the same original strings as they deceivingly looked like new but played like they were dead, and even the pro repair shop guy (has repaired for Leo Kotkke and other very pro players) was fooled and agreed. I was really down about that until I put the new D'Addario strings on it that he advised, then my "new" friend was remarkable.

I know too that I'm a variable ha! My own skill in playing. I've slowed down which also means simpler with my finger picking. I think I'm almost "there". I'll get the new strings, play until they stabilize, then call for an appointment. With me I have to admit there's no other reference person as you so wisely suggest. I'm kind of an urban hermit ha! The engineer will be the other reference person present, and that's it. I admit, not bragging, as kind of funky as I sounded with my videos I posted in the forum, I can sound better, and feel I have by slowing down, and also going by the fact I did make a lot of people happy playing at the open mics. It was strange as two open mic people, completely separately and months in between, came up to me and said I reminded them of the late Nick Drake. I never heard of him and looked him up. I was shocked as no way do I sound that good!

I think they were inclined to say that as I play in open tunings which makes it easy, IMO, to play some sort of unusual chords. Nick Drake played in some unusual tunings... The 7th fret area can get kind of pentatonic and in my 3 min version (and other versions) there's a few times I intentionally, just for a moment, dwell there, only slightly as it adds a kind of faking-it coloration, or tone or feel that I like. I mean like when just as I begin the "and still somehow" descent, and also at the end of my "and ice cream castles in the air" ascent stanza(s)... like with the other ascents... "and feathered canyons everywhere", "way you feel", "fairy-tale comes real". I better stop as I get carried away about this ha! I'm grateful for all of your patience and input!

Carpe Diem!
Winfred
 
The idea to get the vocal and the guitar finished tracks as stems for possible tweaking and editing later - if you ever make that step is a good one. You asked about quality. It is true that video people complain about the compression Vimeo and Youtube apply to their pictures and the sound folk say exactly the same thing, but in the quality stakes - it's true, but very small. Personally - the difference between uncompressed and mp3s at 320 now is very close. From time to time - I've accidentally worked with an mp3 and not noticed!

The important thing for your studio time is planning. Will you play the whole thing as a guide then overdub guitar and vocals to it, or will you record the guitar first, then sing to that?
 
rob aylestone said:
The idea to get the vocal and the guitar finished tracks as stems for possible tweaking and editing later - if you ever make that step is a good one. You asked about quality. It is true that video people complain about the compression Vimeo and Youtube apply to their pictures and the sound folk say exactly the same thing, but in the quality stakes - it's true, but very small. Personally - the difference between uncompressed and mp3s at 320 now is very close. From time to time - I've accidentally worked with an mp3 and not noticed!

The important thing for your studio time is planning. Will you play the whole thing as a guide then overdub guitar and vocals to it, or will you record the guitar first, then sing to that?
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Hi Rob!

Thanks very much for responding! I guess the way it goes is to record the audio which I'll do in that pro studio (they even recorded Leo Kotkke there before and other major musicians... but that is all in their bigger studio. I'll be in their little studio.). Are you saying I need it in Mp3 form? What file type is the best? I remember for YouTube they took my MOV/WAV file okay.

Once I record at the pro studio with better sound quality I will go home and use my Zoom Q8 camcorder for the video part. I guess what you do is play the pro sound recording in the background while you lip-sync. Then I take that video and drop it into a mastering program, which I have "Reaper", I also drop the pro audio recording there too and set them up side by side. I click and drag or line up the pro sound recording with the same track that I had running in the background while lip-syncing so it's lined up, then I delete the weaker track I was lip-syncing to and replace it with the pro sound track. At that point I will have a properly lined up end result video to post on YouTube. I think that's what I do.

So far the pro studio will cost me $100 for 2 hrs in the studio with an engineer, then they charge $50 per song to master it. So it will cost at least $150 to do my about 3 minute and 15 second song. It of course depends on how many "takes". I get nervous in front of crowds so probably will be nervous in the studio with my money on the line and all. I'm ordered new strings to come priority mail by Friday.

I just received by mail a nebulizer, a device that atomizes saline solution so I can moisten my vocal cords as I get too much phlegm around them sometimes, so I can be sure I have a clear voice. I'll be peddling my bicycle a good 16 miles to get to near downtown Minneapolis, so having a clear voice after all that peddling could be a problem. I'll try the nebulizer approach, and have my finger nail repair kit as I can break those easily. For clear picking I have, like classical guitarists, longer nails on my right hand. It makes for a much nicer sound IMO. Also bran new strings I will let stabilize for a few days before recording. Also most important my cover song will be in my soul and hopefully perform that okay.

So like you ask I will record guitar and vocals in the pro studio, then merge the sound track with a video I make at home with me lip-syncing then post it on YouTube. I'm not very tech savvy so I suppose it's easier said than done. I just hope the sound quality is preserved on YouTube and thanks for your input as I feel better about that vital part of it. I am grateful for your help and patience!

Top of the Day!
Winfred
 
The sound quality will be fine - my comment on mp3 is that it's an inferior technical quality to uncompressed formats like .aif and .wav, but the difference isn't as big as people think.I hope your session goes well. If it was me - I'd use your zoom to record the audio sessions as video - I realise you haven't got a video editor, but it would be handy if you ever got one.
 
rob aylestone said:
The sound quality will be fine - my comment on mp3 is that it's an inferior technical quality to uncompressed formats like .aif and .wav, but the difference isn't as big as people think.I hope your session goes well. If it was me - I'd use your zoom to record the audio sessions as video - I realise you haven't got a video editor, but it would be handy if you ever got one.
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Thanks again Rob!

I'm not sure what you mean by: If it was me - I'd use your zoom to record the audio sessions as video I thought the way people lip-sync is to record an in-studio audio track, then play it while lip-syncing and video camera going, then later like in Reaper take out the track you played while lip-syncing and replace it with the same in-studio recorded track so then you get the best audio. If you were me would you ask then for the final product from the pro studio to give me an MP3 and not a WAV file? This is the smaller "Studio B" where I'll be at $50 an hour and $50 for every song they master. It's within the same larger studio where Leo Kotkke recorded and some other top musicians. I see it's only the main website address, so click at the top on "Studio B". Have you heard of them? You'll see they provide a stool to sit on while recording, but I'll have to have a chair and use my little classical guitar type of foot stool I have. I'm not posting the link as maybe they might come by here and for some reason not like it that I'm writing about them etc. It looks really nice. winterland studios dot com

Top of the Evening!
Winfred

PS... wow what if I brought my tripod and my Q8 camera, pointed it at myself in the Studio B and pressed record? Then wouldn't it be easier to merge once I'm home their end product of the audio with my video? Is that the best idea? I could put my tripod in my side bag. I still have the original box I store my Q8 in... Is that a good idea? Do you think they'd charge me to do that? It would only involve me.
 
Definitely take your Zoom along to the recording session, set it on a stand and hit "RECORD" for the hour that you're there. That way you can go back and look at the setup, and also use that as a guide for your future video rerecording. Its not for the final product. Its STRICTLY for reference.

It might be a bit tricky to do BSN if you are too "free form". Once you get the final mastered version along with the original WAV files, you'll probably want to spend some time playing along so that you know when the changes are happening, and any vocal inflections that happen.

But that's in the future. For now, get the audio done and we'll work from there.

As for tensing up when you start recording... I find it's best for me to NOT think about playing, but to let it flow. When I start to think, I screw up. Take a breath, get mellow and start strumming. He may even have you do the guitar part first, then add the vocal. Have your version down pat and stick to it.
 
What I'm saying, probably badly, is that you're going to get decent audio from the studio, which you are going to use as the basis of the less good video. Less good because it will lack the time and skill put into the polished product. My thoughts are that pictures from the session would be useful like rich says, for the process, but also as the pictures sync with the audio, they would match in a video edit, giving the viewer something different to watch. Let's say you have to record the vocal second, once the backing is done. If you record both then you have as a minimum three video clips of the song. If you move the camera for the take two and the take three, even more variation.

Tell you what, assuming I don't suddenly get busy with paid work (some hope!), let me have your video clips and the completed audio file and I'll do a simple edit for you. Picking the best bits and doing some basic trimming to get rid of the stuff before the beginning and the after the end. I'll make it something you can put on YouTube happily.
 
TalismanRich said:
Definitely take your Zoom along to the recording session, set it on a stand and hit "RECORD" for the hour that you're there. That way you can go back and look at the setup, and also use that as a guide for your future video rerecording. Its not for the final product. Its STRICTLY for reference.

It might be a bit tricky to do BSN if you are too "free form". Once you get the final mastered version along with the original WAV files, you'll probably want to spend some time playing along so that you know when the changes are happening, and any vocal inflections that happen.

But that's in the future. For now, get the audio done and we'll work from there.

As for tensing up when you start recording... I find it's best for me to NOT think about playing, but to let it flow. When I start to think, I screw up. Take a breath, get mellow and start strumming. He may even have you do the guitar part first, then add the vocal. Have your version down pat and stick to it.
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Hi TalismanRich!

I have to think this through. You say, 1 hr. I'm thinking I'll tell the engineer I'll choose the best one out of 5 takes... well that's if I can play 5 full takes without error. They have a 2 hr minimum and shouldn't I maybe then bring my first original song I want to post, "Johanna", with me that I will post once BSN attracts enough hits? I do BSN with an average of 3min 16 sec. although decided to hang onto something that will add about 10 sec... so 3:26 for BSN. Also "Johanna" I have re-written in large characters (taped to cardboard as a stiff backing ha) as an abridged version, really hard to let go of some of the lyrics that made the song I think atypical, one example is the influence of Black Bellied Plovers, an amazing migratory visitor to Lake Superior in early spring and again in late summer, metaphors, though I cut them out following the hard and fast 3 min rule... it will be subsequent songs that I'll have to take the chance in breaking that rule, so for at least my cover and first original to establish listeners, well... if I even do that ha! I guess I better plan on "Johanna" too, my abridged version, and bring that too. I ordered new strings from Strings by Mail that I hope comes by Friday. I'll play the new strings for a few days, then take a deep breath and make my call to the studio.

I never imagined maybe having to do the guitar part first. I hope not as I'm not use to doing that, or I've never done that. It's strange as when I play guitar while singing it's kind of like I hear it but I'm not consciously or precisely thinking about it, it's like another singer accompanying me, if that makes sense. I do play BSN guitar only at times, I admit. It does sound somewhat like the song but in a way I play it differently solo than I do when I'm singing. I'm doing better with BSN with my trimmed down version, and not so fancy about things like I was with some of the former variations I did, one being above the 12th fret.

I can't really see what you mean about using my camera for reference, however, until this thread I never even imagined what I was staring at for so long, the fact I can actually bring my Q8 along. I just assumed a studio would not put up with that... but I was being too reserved I guess. I will maybe borrow a tripod at the studio as I'm going to be peddling my way, about 32 miles round trip. My camera can screw onto a standard type of thread I think most cameras attach with. My tripod is light, so not too bad to bring it and maybe the less I bother them about details like scaring up a camera type tripod, the better. It's 3:40 AM and leaving 9AM to peddle 36 miles round trip to Bloomington for a badly needed bike repair and also in part important as it's my bike that "gets me there" as I vowed to avoid public transportation as much as possible with the pandemic. Thanks so much for vital input from you guys!

More Anon!
Winfred
 
Hi Rob!

Wow! A magnanimous deed! I do random acts of kindness in my Senior bldg, so it goes around! Do you mean edit the video part around what the studio does with the sound track? They'll do the audio mastering and I think you mean editing the video part, wow! I have to go as I'm peddling far today and need my sleep... and "miles to go after I sleep" ha!

"East is east, and west is west and" yes only sometimes the twain shall meet ha!
Winfred
 
If you are in the studio, point the zoom at yourself singing or playing, and let me have the video file and we'll match it up with the video you shoot back at home and the studio audio file?

Be interesting!
 
I do this all the time. I Personally worry about the quality of the recording first & THEN I put it to video. Your music SHOULD come first IMO. I record on a TASCAM DP24 at home. So I can take my jolly sweet time. Even when I cut tracks in the studio, I don't necessarily want to worry about filming on STUDIO time. I'm there to cut a track, or at least a vocal. If you MUST have the camera there, just let it run if you restart your track if you make a mistake. Don't mess with the camera. You can edit later. I think you should let cameras run, so you get the studio shots you want.

Once my track is done, I will worry about VIDEO. I go back & video shots of me playing guitar, or piano, or singing. I sing or play exactly as I do on the final track with all the nuances as best I can. play the track through my computer, sometimes connected to a Blue tooth speaker, sometimes not. Now I've got 2 camera angles, because my iPhone is one angle & my SONY AX53 is another...( I would suggest you run 2 ways to capture video for diversity. Use your phone too) So I'll sing to the track, play guitar, or piano...I can edit later. I get plently of takes, so I can weed through it & find what I need.

The beauty of movies & videos is it is a false sense of reality. It is all smoke & mirrors...

I just posted my first video here.
 
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A couple of thoughts cross my mind. The first one is about that nebulizer solution container on which you saidthat the seal was broken and that you saw a hair stuck to that broken seal. In my opinion, THAT SITUATION WOULD BE A BIG "RED FLAG" IN MY MIND! That container looks OK, but how do you know for sure that no tampering has occurred. For one thing, that item from Amazon should have been a NONRETURNABLE ITEM when originally purchased from Amazon; it is obvious to me that someone else has had it before it came to you. If I were you, I'd contact Amazon on that one and arrange for a replacement of the container of solution. It simply isn't worth taking a chance with your health.
Now to get to the "meat" of our question - not that what I said above is unimpportant - OK, you could use Reaper to sync the beginning of your song with your vocal track; but here is a problem: As your song progresses, you will have, in my opinion, horindous problems with keeping EVERY NOTE in sync with EVERY LIP MOVEMENT.
Is there any way by which you could take your recording camera to the studio where you do your sound recording? If you could do that, you could have a recording of your real performance - both audio and video. Now I admit that I am biased as a totally-blind person with NO INTEREST in video; but if you are not a professional in this stuff - both sound and video presentation - I think you are setting yourself up with a horendous problem to get everything synced up properly. If you have several obvious lapses in synchronization, it will have an effect on the impression you make with whomever you decide to share your product.
If I were doing it, I'd rather either go with an audio-only recording or a video taken live as you sing and play your guitar. Remember, too, that we have spoken only about the vocal synchronization; you also have the matter of synchronization of your guitar playing sound with the guitar visible track. I hope your project works well; but I'm glad that isn't a project of mine.
 
Hi hautbois16!

Thanks very much for taking the time! I just lost about 40 minutes of careful thinking through my note to you and lost it when I wanted to look up Rob Aylestone's name and went back one page as he had made the same great suggestion as you a few days ago, to bring my Zoom Q8 camcorder to my studio session! Don't ever go back a page and think your unfinished message is still there... it erases! I would have never thought of bringing my camera if it wasn't for you guys... well if it wasn't for a lot of things! I owe a lot to all here! About bringing the camera... in fact I was this morning back and forth asking the studio if they had a tripod I could borrow as I could avoid having to carry mine on my bike. They don't have tripods so I'll be peddling 34 miles round-trip full load, but not too bad. I guess I'll also run the on-board mics so there is a sound recording with the video... but maybe not as the battery doesn't last as long on MOV/WAV and maybe I should just have it on MOV. Does that sound like a good idea, just video it without the sound? I should also say that I gave in trying to record well with my two condenser mics and decided for at least my debut cover song on YouTube I'll have the audio recorded in a pro studio. This is where I'll be going for $50 an hour, their brand new smaller "Studio B" they just finished installing... Home I feel very fortunate to be able to record there, and for less than other local studios with lower grade equipment. I have to admit I'm allowing diffidence to creep in and have been hesitant as I get closer to the reality of all of this. It's actually been months!

I'm not going to schedule with them yet, and, thanks to your input, I am returning the nebulizer to amazon. You got me looking for the original box. It's exactly as I described with that stiff kind of round dot of a factory seal tape that had the black hair stuck to it. It had popped up from the smooth glossy type of factory box since it had caught dust and that hair all of which appears through the clear plastic. On the sides of the nebulizer there were no fingerprints, but I found evidence of them on the very top of the clear plastic lift-off hinged top where you pour the saline solution in. I was fortunate the past few times my voice was clear while practicing and I had not started to use it. I all too often in life fail to the negative and wasn't going to return it, but thanks as you've were the wake-up call on this. I was reluctant to use it... but pandemic and all I'm going to right after your note make my next step to Amazon customer support. I think the limit is 30 days but maybe not with a nebulizer as it is a breathing apparatus. It will be my first return after years of doing business with them. In fact I've avoided Amazon due to reading so often in the news their worsening treatment of their employees and monopolizing etc. I don't know if I can say that here... but maybe okay as it fits with the returning experience other musicians here can know. I hope there is a 30 day return honored... but if not I lose $35 as I don't want to take the risk like you say of acquiring CoVid19 over it. I'll of course keep the 100 individual vials of saline... that was expensive too! My first Amazon purchase was in 2003!

Thanks so much for your valuable input!

Kindest Regards,
Winfred
 
Hi Steve!

Thanks for such great advice and for taking your precious time to do it! I'll write more via "edit" later as I have a long bike ride ahead of me. I commute 100% by bike, so sometimes there are delays. I just want enough daylight for my trip but so glad to find your helpful entry!!

Until Soon!
Winfred
 
Winfred said:
I guess I'll also run the on-board mics so there is a sound recording with the video... but maybe not as the battery doesn't last as long on MOV/WAV and maybe I should just have it on MOV. Does that sound like a good idea, just video it without the sound?
Click to expand...

I believe that when you set it to MOV, you do get the sound, but it's embedded in the video. When you have it set to MOV/WAV it keeps the audio separaste from the video. In anycase, for this exercise, you should not rely on the battery. Does the unit not come with a power supply?
 
gecko zzed said:
I believe that when you set it to MOV, you do get the sound, but it's embedded in the video. When you have it set to MOV/WAV it keeps the audio separaste from the video. In anycase, for this exercise, you should not rely on the battery. Does the unit not come with a power supply?
Click to expand...

Hi gecko zzed!

Very nice of you to respond! It only operates by battery, I think. I don't know where the little manual is right now as I type this, but because of it I think the reason I purchased an extra $35 battery was because they run down so quickly and do not plug into like an AC power pack. If I leave it on I think the battery lasts about one hour if I leave it on all the time. I'd have to change the battery once so I'll have the charger along. They charge slowly so maybe it would charge the battery 1/2 way, so I'd get half an hour out of it... so 2 1/2 hrs and recording my song that's a max of 3 min 26 sec. I've had some set-backs here and haven't scheduled yet. I also decided to have all new strings and give it a couple of days for the strings to stretch. It seems kind of humorous but I have an unpredictable problem of phlegm around my vocal cords that's bad sometime. I read an article that seemed convincing that if you moisten your vocal cords the problem will go away. The article linked to purchasing a "nebulizer" or portable battery operated device that you can attach either a mask to it that covers the nose and mouth, or a nozzle you stick in your mouth and breath in a mist of sterile saline solution. The nebulizer came from Amazon with the factory seal popped up from the glossy type of box it came in and dust and a piece of hair stuck to it, and the lid where you pour the saline solution in had finger prints. They were nice about it and are refunding me, only now I need to find a good nebulizer that's portable. I can't afford to get into the session at $50 an hour and have phlegm problems, so I won't go without bringing a nebulizer. I also bought a box of 100 sterile saline solution vials. It's all not cheap and came to $94 with shipping. So the next nebulizer I'm going to get at the same about $45 price. I think later today I will ride as a practice run to the studio just to see how long it takes me by bike.

Top of the Evening!
Winfred
 
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