recording a band with my dvx?

S

shadow_dog_dx

Active member
Hello my freinds recently made a band and they want me to record a song for them, the only thing i got is my dvx and my rode videomic.
I was wondering if i can hook up the camera directly to their amp or something using xlr? I just wanna make sure that there is no chance that if they play loud (cuz there a rock band) it will not blow up my cam or anything.
thanks alot.

(ps: i am not filming them just getting the audio).
 
Ok well if you COULD use your xlr straight into the sound deck to capture the sound then there is also the ability to plug an audio device into it to record sound. Thats probably the best option.

If your talking about direct into the AMP, wont each instrument have an individual amp?

On the loudness issue the input signal can be turned down with the switches on the camera.

P.S. Shadow Dog... not that im a spelling cop but as a fellow Aussie could you please fix Sydney on your location :P
 
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So you want the end product to be an audio recording?

Are they playing a live show somewhere? Is this a recording session to get a CD?

More info.

Jeff
 
hey njce they sed they wanna record each instrument seperately on different tracks so well do one at a time, what sort of "audio device" do you mean.
and yes JPatanaude it is just an audio recording to cd (not live).
PS: I am completely clueless as i have never done this b4, is there a better way to do it? Thanks 4 the help.
PSS:Lol ncje i fixed the sydney up
 
SO your going to record each instrument on a single audio track then mix them together?
 
To make things simple, just use an audio board. Route the instrument/instruments (get Direct Input boxes for Guitars/Bass; with a bypass so it can still goto an amp.) you want to record to the Camera, and then make mixes for the band to hear themselves so they can play together and stay in sync.

DI BOX - $35 at Musician's Friend
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-GI100-UltraG-DI-Box?sku=150934

Is there any drums, cause that might be a problem. If so how big is the set? There's no way you can record a drumset with one mic, unless you mic each drum one at a time.
 
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Here's an image done in MS Paint of an ideal recording set-up.

Definately run stereo into the camera, especialy for drums as there's so much to them you may want to mix them to one side or the other, and having stereo of guitars/bass would be nice, but not nessecary, the quickest way would be to get two guitars or a guitar and bass into the camera at once. So you mix one to the left main out and one to the right main out of the audio board, getting individual tracks on the camera. (Vocals could be done on a single out to the camera.)

You definately would want the drummer to be in another room so you don't get bleed through from the amps.

(THE GREEN LINES THAT GO TO DRUMS ARE THE (XLR)MIC INPUTS FROM THE DRUMS, DEPENDING ON THE SET YOU'D NEED 5 to 7 MICS.) Let me know the size of the set so I can let you know of a cheap Drum mic solution.

(THE BLACK LINES COMING FROM THE DI BOXES ARE XLR INPUTS TO THE BOARD.)

Then after you get all the instruments mixed you can come back and do vocals, playing back the mixed instruments. You could do vocals while your there (using the same idea as the way guitars would be recorded, only mix the vocals to the camera while everything else goes to monitors only), and get a live feel on the vocals or you could wait and do them after everything is mixed, limiting the number of times the vocalist has to do vocals.

(P.S.: Even thought I'm saying run this or that to the Camera and run everything else to the monitors, you'll still want to run whatever your running to the camera to the monitors also. This way, you get everything through the monitors and just what you want to record to the camera, on the camera.)
 

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Hello, thanks for the replies everyone.
I have never done this and am still a-bit confused as to what an audio board is. And I only have have one mic. What is bleed?. Sorry for being an idiot but i've never done this before. Thanks alot for ur help though it is much apreciated.
 
shadow_dog_dx said:
Hello, thanks for the replies everyone.
I have never done this and am still a-bit confused as to what an audio board is. And I only have have one mic. What is bleed?. Sorry for being an idiot but i've never done this before. Thanks alot for ur help though it is much apreciated.
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Bleed through is where you're recording say the drums and you pick up the guitar amp on the drum recording, which makes it harder to re-arrange things in a post-environment.

Using that unit that you found is possible but the only combined output you get is through a RCA output, if you wanted to run XLRs off of it you'd have to go to an audio board or RCA to XLR adapters (adapters degrade qaulity though.).
(You couldn't plug XLRs as inputs, into that unit, the XLRs are only single outputs. They take the 1/4" input (from an amp) and turn it into a XLR connection, so you can plug each amp right into an audio board with each amp on a single channel.).

Here is an audio board:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Yamaha-MG102-Stereo-Mixer?sku=630048

You can use the RCA outputs from the unit you found and plug into the RCA 2-Track plugs on this board. You also get 4 XLR inputs allowing you to record drums and vocals.... then run the Main Outputs of the audio board into the camera.

And the only reason I know about this stuff is because I have no life and do countless hours of film and music research. LOL.
 
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Dude,

I know what it is to be the "goto" guy when things like this pop up. But I think your friends are asking to much of you based on the gear you have.

Now the DVX has the best audio of any of the sub $5,000 cameras, that's a given. But the best you can hope to do is a stereo recording without a multitrack recorder. Software like ProTools and Logic turn a laptop or Tower Mac/PC into a recording studio. You can record 4-16 tracks simultaneously using that combination. Unfortunately, each track requires its own microphone, which in turn has to go to a board, which then goes to the Mac or PC.

Each track (Guitar, Bass, Each vocalist, and separate mic for each component of the drum kit) has to have the levels properly set to avoid the garbage in/garbage out syndrome. Not a big deal if this is what you do for a living/hobby, but not something that you can throw together at the last minute.

Unless your friends have the $$ for you to buy/rent the gear, I think you should either pass on the gig, or get two nice mics and separate them by about 7 to 12 feet in front of the bands speakers/amps and set levels on your DVX with them playing their loudest riff. Take a few takes and give them a nice stereo recording.

Good luck, I don't want to be a pessimist, but this is a tough one without prior multitrack experience.

--

Rob
 
I agree, I think they are asking to much of you (probably pissed you off when I said that, I know, pisses me off when people say it to me.); the band doesn't have any mics, audio boards, equipment what so ever? Other than instruments/amps.

If not go with dvInsight's idea of just two mics infront of the band; It wouldn't be as nice as individual tracks but......
Is this just a demo for them? or an actually recording that really needs to sound nice?

Do they ever play live shows?

dvInsight said:
Dude,

I know what it is to be the "goto" guy when things like this pop up. But I think your friends are asking to much of you based on the gear you have.

Now the DVX has the best audio of any of the sub $5,000 cameras, that's a given. But the best you can hope to do is a stereo recording without a multitrack recorder. Software like ProTools and Logic turn a laptop or Tower Mac/PC into a recording studio. You can record 4-16 tracks simultaneously using that combination. Unfortunately, each track requires its own microphone, which in turn has to go to a board, which then goes to the Mac or PC.

Each track (Guitar, Bass, Each vocalist, and separate mic for each component of the drum kit) has to have the levels properly set to avoid the garbage in/garbage out syndrome. Not a big deal if this is what you do for a living/hobby, but not something that you can throw together at the last minute.

Unless your friends have the $$ for you to buy/rent the gear, I think you should either pass on the gig, or get two nice mics and separate them by about 7 to 12 feet in front of the bands speakers/amps and set levels on your DVX with them playing their loudest riff. Take a few takes and give them a nice stereo recording.

Good luck, I don't want to be a pessimist, but this is a tough one without prior multitrack experience.

--

Rob
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don't give up yet.

what's your budget on this one? what are the specs on your comp? what do they want to use the finished product for?
 
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Yeah I agree with dont give up. Keep trying and try something. At least you will learn in the process.
 
hey thanks again, the band have done 1 live gig so far.
I am budgetless. They want it on a cd sorta as like a demo.
The reason im doing it is mainly cuz i want to for experience, cuz there not expecting it to be some perfect recording or anything.
They just showed me that at skool we've got this machine
http://www.sweetwater.com/publications/sweetnotes/sn-latesummer98/page-01.html
I havnt't had time to see it or anything but im sure they''ll let us borrow it.
Will that make the job easier?
thanks heaps.
 
The Roland would be the best choice to go with, but youll need to spend some time with it. It looks like it only has 8 mic inputs, so if you mic a 5 pcs drum kit your looking at 6 mics to sound good, and that leaves you with 2 inputs. Mic the drums and run the bass into the daw with either a di box or a line 6 pod, youll need to use headphone but youll get no bleed in the drum mics from the bass, Then dub in guitar and vocals later. I had a Korg D1200 and this is how I did it, the recording turned out ok.
 
Even using a pa, check the mix with some headphones, what youre hearing from the stage may not be what is in the mix. Guitar amps may be louder on stage and brought down in the pa mix. If this band wants a good demo and you want to get into audio production go computer based. There are alot of good programs out, Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, ect., and with these programs people are putting out demos that sound as good as some studio recordings.
 
dvInsight said:
Dude,

Software like ProTools and Logic turn a laptop or Tower Mac/PC into a recording studio. You can record 4-16 tracks simultaneously using that combination. Unfortunately, each track requires its own microphone, which in turn has to go to a board, which then goes to the Mac or PC.


Unless your friends have the $$ for you to buy/rent the gear, Take a few takes and give them a nice stereo recording.

--

Rob
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Agreed! If you don't have the equipment yourself (ProTools) Let / have your band buddies go to a studio and be recorded. Take their recording and have them "lip sync" (play along ) with the recording as you film them.
 
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