recording question

I'm trying to record some songs for video, and I'm having issues with the sound. My web-cam has a built in mic, but the sound coming from it was faint and full of background fuzz. So then I had the idea of just getting a 1/4" to 1/8" adapter and plugging my uke up to my computer straight from the pickup. I thought this way, I could use my effects pedal and I would get rid of the background fuzz. But the sound is still faint (kinda like your listening through a barrel), and there is still background fuzz.

Any thoughts? If the answer is to buy a really good mic, then how would i record my uke plugged up with the effects pedals? I don't think playing it through an amp and then picking it up through the mic would work very well

Thanks

BTW: I have a shadow active pickup if that matters

I use my video camera to catch my audio as well-- What I did was get an external mic and I use a preamp so it gets the full sound and the phantom power I needed.

sooooo...

Mic ---> preamp ---> video camera

then when I'm done I put the footage onto my computer from the camera and do whatever I was going to do with it.

Hope that helps

P.S. ART has a little cheapy tube preamp that I got and it's wonderful for my purposes. Might want to check it out.

I've used The Flip to capture vids, but the sound is really flangey and weird. What kind of video cameras are y'all using?

Before you go buying any expensive mikes or anything, check your computer's sound settings.

To me it sounds as though your problem could be solved by increasing the input volume.

If you're using a Windows machine, find your main volume setting icon onscreen. Open it up - there should be something like "Advanced Settings" that will open up a wide dialogue box with a row of sliders. You may have to hunt around in the menu to display settings for recording instead of playback. Then find whichever slider corresponds to your recording device (generally "mic in"... if it's plugged into "line in" the signal will be weaker, which affects your sound too*). Slide it up. Experiment with different settings.

^ Sorry those instructions are a bit vague, it's been months since I've had to do this. If you can't figure it out from that, try a Help search for "sound level".

If on a Mac, open System Preferences and go to the Sound part. In the Input section, select the name that matches your input (again, preferably have it plugged into "mic", not "line in" if possible*). Adjust the slider up. Try out different settings.

If you happen to be using any other operating system, the process is likely to be similar.

* If it's a USB input, ignore that stuff about mic vs line in. And if you plug in a pre-amp that happens to use a 1/8 jack, use line in. If you do plug in your uke direct (ie no mic), a decent preamp will generally make it sound heaps better as well as boost the signal.

any suggestions on a pre amp? I've never dealt with them before. How much is the ART pre amp?

The art one I use was $30. Here it is at amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/ART-Tube-Stud...8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1233903497&sr=8-1

Since it provides phantom power (or not if you don't need it), you can go from any external mic you want to your camera. It's got more features than I've tried yet, so I can't speak for all of them... I've heard it does a pretty good job of warming up your guitar before it hits a solid state amp too. I'll try that out this weekend and post back how it sounds. Anyway, check out my youtube channel if you want to hear how an ukulele sounds through it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd5EhlpNQO4&feature=channel_page

carpekd said:

any suggestions on a pre amp? I've never dealt with them before. How much is the ART pre amp?

Click to expand...

Just be aware, it is possible to fry your sound card by pre-amping into it.

You would be better off with a sound card with superior signal to noise ratio. 97db or so is actually a good target.

What I do is record with one of several hardware-based solutions. I have a Fostex 16-track hard drive recorder. I have a Zoom 4-track (MRS-4), and I have a big rack-mounted Roland that my songwriting partner and I occasionally use. The Roland kicks bootie, but it is heavy and I'd rather not mess with it.

You can get a good digital 4-track for around $200 these days.