| Did you know you could use your computer as PC | | | | and sound. Oooo, that sounds profound, huh? Meh, all it |
| recording studio to vastly improve the professionalism | | | | means is that the further away from the mic you are, |
| of your videos? Odds are you used your video | | | | the LESS of your actual voice gets into the |
| recorder to capture both the audio and video for your | | | | microphone, and the more other, usually undesirable |
| latest internet video. How did it sound? I'm betting many | | | | stuff, gets into it instead. If you're inside, the mic will pic |
| of you will answer, "It sounded OK...pretty much like | | | | up a bunch of copies of your voice...cheap |
| most of the internet videos out there. It got my point | | | | imitations...along with your real voice. If you're outside, it |
| across. I'm just using the sound that got recorded on | | | | won't be reflected cheap imitations of your voice so |
| the camera, so you can't expect too much in the way | | | | much as it will be "the sound of the great outdoors," |
| of quality." | | | | usually wind, traffic, critters, other people, wind, rustling |
| I've heard answers like that a lot. And it's almost | | | | leaves, wind, and oh yeah...wind. |
| accurate. Yes, lots and lots of internet videos out there | | | | Alright already, so how do you solve it? You decrease |
| have audio quality on vocal narration that sounds very | | | | the distance between your voice and the mic. Try to |
| much the same. That's because so many people are | | | | get it around 12 inches from your mouth. That way, the |
| doing it the same way. They have some sort of video | | | | voice has time to "win the race" to the mic before |
| camera sitting 2 or more feet away, recording both | | | | those cheap imitations have time to even develop. |
| the video and audio. When it comes time to edit and | | | | See? Easy, right? Ahhh, but how do I do that without |
| finalize the video in the computer, they simply use the | | | | the video camera being right up my nose? You don't |
| audio track that was recorded on the camera along | | | | use the camera's mic for the final product, that's what. |
| with the video. | | | | Get another microphone, any microphone, and attach it |
| Does this describe you? If so, I just may have some | | | | to your computer a la the instructions you'll find in my |
| good news for you! Remember when I said that | | | | article, "Home Recording For Non-Engineers - It's Not |
| common answer to my question about audio quality on | | | | Hard Or Expensive on the Home Brew Audio website. |
| videos was almost accurate? What I meant was the | | | | Put that mic close to your mouth. When you start |
| statement: "I'm just using the sound that got recorded | | | | shooting video, you should also start recording audio on |
| on the camera, so you can't expect too much in the | | | | pc recording studio you just set up. |
| way of quality." Video cameras these days, even the | | | | When you transfer the video to your computer and |
| affordable hi-def ones, frequently don't have an input | | | | open it in your video editing program, make sure you |
| for an external mic. And even if they do, people think | | | | also import the extra (PC-recorded) audio you just |
| it's too complicated to deal with. And besides, the mic | | | | recorded. Place the extra audio right underneath the |
| on the camera works just fine, right? Umm, no. It's fine | | | | video camera audio on the time line. You may have to |
| if you're recording your child's birthday party or | | | | move the PC-recorded audio left or right a little to |
| capturing family fun on vacation. But if you're using | | | | sync it up with the audio from the camera. Once that's |
| your videos for any kind of business, the audio you get | | | | done, simply delete the audio from the camera. Presto! |
| from the built-in video camera mic is actually pretty | | | | You should be left with an audio track that sounds |
| bad. | | | | much better than it would have had you used the |
| So if you really want your videos to stand out from | | | | sound from the camera, mainly because the |
| the rest, you need to have better sounding audio on | | | | PC-recorded sound was much closer to your face. |
| your videos. But you won't have to spend much, if any | | | | Better audio for no extra money! Sounds good to me. |
| money on this solution! The main reason why most | | | | By the way, if you are one of the lucky people who |
| camera mics yield such crappy audio is less to do with | | | | have an external microphone hook-up on your video |
| the mic itself, and more to do with the distance | | | | camera, this will be much easier. Plug your mic into the |
| between the subject and the mic. If the speaker is | | | | camera instead of the computer, and you won't have |
| more than about 2 feet away from the camera and | | | | to do all that syncing and deleting in the computer. |
| mic, what gets recorded is mostly room sound (if | | | | Either way, you will have much better audio on your |
| recorded indoors), or wind and traffic (if recorded | | | | videos, which should crank up the professionalism a |
| outside). | | | | notch or two. Now go play! |
| There's an intimate relationship between time, distance | | | | |