Making Youtube Videos with Synced Audio

[DirkP]

some video software does automatic sync. like davinci for example (it is freeware). you do a pro recording and a camera mic recording and the sw compares the waveforms. even middle class dslr or ilc cameras have timecode. so you can use recorders like the sounddevices mixpres or the zoom f-series that have timecode too. i wouldnˋt use the zoom camera recorders. they have decent audio, but the video quality is worse than even budget smartphones.
budget solution: an iphone and the audio interface directly connected with the camera connection kit.
some 1“ cameras from canon and sony have excellent video for the price.
an excellent combi with nearly pro quality - besides the rolling shutter - is the sony alpha 6100 with a sigma 16 or 30 mm lense ( > 1.000,-)

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

For my videos, I use a variety of things, some of which involve syncing audio later to the video from the camera. In Final Cut pro, there's a "Sync Audio" feature that lines up the audio files to the video files. As Ukiah mentions, the audio on most cameras is usually pretty crappy, but if you aren't too far from the camera in your videos, there are a number of good shotgun mics that mount on a DSLR that can do a good job of capturing both voice and the sound of the instrument right onto the video. RØDE has several relatively inexpensive options for this.

Sometimes, even with these options, the balance between your voice and the instrument can be off, in which case it can be convenient to record one or the other or both onto an external mic and then sync later for better balance. Good luck!

 

[ElMon]

I'm going post by post and checking into this 'Brave New World' I've been ignoring for far too long.

Really appreciate this wealth of info.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Don't worry about the learning curve. My first videos were technically terrible WRT lighting and sound even as the educational material they were designed to impart was very solid. The best way to learn is one step at a time: make a video, isolate one thing you want to do better next time, experiment with that on the next video(s), and wash/rinse/repeat.

 

[ElMon]

Don't worry about the learning curve. My first videos were technically terrible WRT lighting and sound even as the educational material they were designed to impart was very solid. The best way to learn is one step at a time: make a video, isolate one thing you want to do better next time, experiment with that on the next video(s), and wash/rinse/repeat.

Good thing is I've already made the journey from 'terrible' to 'he's not that terrible' anymore on bass ... so I know it can be done!

 

[expatmuso]

I recently did a couple of bass cover videos. I used a MacBook pro (Garage band, photo booth, iMovie) and focus rite audio interface. One was a cover of Scar Tissue (Red Hot Chili Peppers). Here's what I did.

• Open Garageband
• drag MP3 file of Scar tissue into GB
• Open another track for bass
• test the eq, compression and levels of my bass against the MP3 track
• once that's ok, open photo booth
• press record video on photo booth
• press record in GB
• jam/play along with the Chilli Peppers
• drag the Photo Booth file into iMovie
• remove the audio from the video file
• drag the GB file (my bass and Chilli Peppers) into iMovie
• fiddle with the placement of the file until they are in sync
• Play around with editing feature until satisfied
• done!

 

[expatmuso]

 

[redstrand]

After the camera is rolling, clap your hands a few times in front of the lens. When you're in post, there will be three tracks: The video track, the video camera's crappy audio track (which is already synched with video), and the separately-recorded audio track that will be higher quality (either via DI or a good microphone). It's easy to synch the two audio tracks by looking for the closely spaced peaks recorded when your hands come together. Nudge the separately recorded audio track to align with the other audio track. Test by listening. Refine by zooming in closer to the peaks and align again. Should take just a few seconds to get it right. Be sure to mute the video camera's audio track before doing a final print of your video.

The challenge grows when there are multiple video cameras. Takes more time to do the alignments. Professional gear provides a time alignment feature but it costs more. Invaluable for a complex production!

That’s why there is the sharp clap sound at the beginning of a video or film before they shout action, that’s how they sync it all

 

[c-ba55]

I was just trying to figure this out. I have a macbook that has a camera, and it has iMovie and GarageBand. I have a AD converter preamp. I wanted to record direct and then process in garageband, then sync with the video. Furthermore, I wanted to shoot myself playing three different parts of a song and sync them all. In the end, that was all pretty easy to do. I did a big 1-2-3 on each bass to start, and also with my fingers on the video, so I could line everything up later. Also, I played to midi drums in garageband, so that helped a lot.
I processed the audio, then exported. As far as I could tell, iMovie can do split screen or picture-in-picture, so I did the split screen and exported that, then added the pip to that in a new project, and added the audio back in.

I'm sure there's some more efficient way to do this.

 

[ElMon]

I was just trying to figure this out. I have a macbook that has a camera, and it has iMovie and GarageBand. I have a AD converter preamp. I wanted to record direct and then process in garageband, then sync with the video. Furthermore, I wanted to shoot myself playing three different parts of a song and sync them all. In the end, that was all pretty easy to do. I did a big 1-2-3 on each bass to start, and also with my fingers on the video, so I could line everything up later. Also, I played to midi drums in garageband, so that helped a lot.
I processed the audio, then exported. As far as I could tell, iMovie can do split screen or picture-in-picture, so I did the split screen and exported that, then added the pip to that in a new project, and added the audio back in.

I'm sure there's some more efficient way to do this.

Any Stevie Wonder fan is welcomed in my world. Nice playing!

 

[DirtDog]

I was just trying to figure this out. I have a macbook that has a camera, and it has iMovie and GarageBand. I have a AD converter preamp. I wanted to record direct and then process in garageband, then sync with the video. Furthermore, I wanted to shoot myself playing three different parts of a song and sync them all. In the end, that was all pretty easy to do. I did a big 1-2-3 on each bass to start, and also with my fingers on the video, so I could line everything up later. Also, I played to midi drums in garageband, so that helped a lot.
I processed the audio, then exported. As far as I could tell, iMovie can do split screen or picture-in-picture, so I did the split screen and exported that, then added the pip to that in a new project, and added the audio back in.

I'm sure there's some more efficient way to do this.

Nice work!

 

[Krisfield]

Record video and live audio, record a direct audio as well. Sync them up in Final Cut and remove the live audio if you want. Final Cut has a tool that automatically sync's up the audio. You can do it manually by zooming in on the two audio tracks and lining up the peaks.