It's brutally cold outside, too cold to do anything but mess around with stuff in the office. So I decided to try out the Go Pro and see what kind of results I could get with the audio. I was shocked. The camera is sitting about 3 feet to the right of the keyboard, however, the mic is on the back of the camera, facing away from me. I placed the camera on top of my PC printer, hit the record button, played the keyboard and sang. It is too cold for me to go the van and get my headset mic, so I used the Sennheiser E-855, fired it through the TC Heilcon and into the keyboard's line-in. The sound is what is coming from the keyboard speakers only. Now, I don't need comments about my lousy playing, and not doing any right hand riffs, I just wanted to hear what the camera could do. WOW! Just give me your opinion on what you think about the camera's abilities.



Gary

Sounds like it can compete with a lot of video sing/play efforts I've watched on You Tube.

God Bless,
Don

Surprisingly good sound. I like your hair dyed white like that.

Gary ya still got it, nice.

John C,.

Gary Nice clear picture & sound,....the only thing I noticed is the overall picture looks like it is in a "Wide Angle" curved fish eye view? I like seeing you use the standard Mic vs a headset also..
good luck with your new GoPro ..thanx for sharing.

Thanks guys. I am really amazed at what this tiny camera can do, and with just a single overhead, florescent light it will still fairly bright.

Don, you like the hair color? The dye was free - it came with aging.

Thanks again, guys,

Gary

gary FYI..How to REMOVE the FISHEYE Effect from the GoPro camera..

Gary ... nice job for an oldER guy ...

Gopro is great. And it does capture good audio too.
Although if I was recording a song or a gig I would record audio directly from a mixer a later sync it together.

Very good quality for a camera in that price range.

With the wide angle, the camera could be set up to record the player, and the audience participation at the same time. Good for promo clips

PS: I didn't notice any fish eye effect!!

LOL! I always wondered how Marty Feldman managed with those eyes. Really funny guy.

....Jerry its quitye obvious just look along the ceiling tiles in the video

Amazing little camera!! Nice job! Wish those were available during the days we skied and were trying to improve our form.

I am utterly amazed at what this camera can do, especially when I look back to the days when I worked in the WBAL news room and the camera guy lugged around a huge, Ikegami camera on a shoulder harness, and 35 pounds of batteries on his belt pac, and hoped that he could get 30 minutes of video in before the batteries dropped dead. This thing provides 4 hours and 40 minutes of video on a tiny, lithium battery the size of a pack of matches.

Donny, I just downloaded the GoPro editing program, which has lots of features, and it has been updated several times since that video, but I did find the fish eye removal feature, which takes about 10 minutes for a 500 meg video, which is the size of the one I uploaded. It's a slow process, and it does not remove all of the fish eye, but it helps. Just another learning curve for this old man to stumble through.

All the best,

Gary

Gary good to hear........but in future videos you can keep the fisheye effect feature OFF I assume? so you dont have to go thru the editing it out part later....we all learn new stuff every day...

have fun

Donny, there is no fisheye off feature on the camera. The fisheye comes from the ultra-wide angle lens, which allows you to work without a view finder. The only method of reducing this is to get very close to what you are videoing or edit it out in the software. The lens is equivalent to a 10mm camera lens. Standard wide angle lenses begin at about 28-mm. The lower the number, the wider the angle. Wide angle lenses, such as this one, allowed you to see 90 percent of my office interior. The only part you couldn't see is all the sailboat stuff, sails, radar, electronics, bags, life jackets, etc..., that were piled up to the right side of the camera. It's not a big deal, and most of the action shots you see on YouTube today are filmed with ultra-wide angle lenses, but no one seems to notice, mainly because there are very few straight lines outdoors to reference the video to.

Take a look at



All the best,

Gary

Good info Gary......I hope you get some good video of the BIG SNOW STORM Headed our way Saturday looks like a 24+" KABOOM Fiasco for us in VA, DC, MD, DE ,NJ, PA, NY, etc,...

Maryland 24+ Snow

Nice video Gary. Enjoyable.

The ultra wide angle view of the go pro has another advantage of being able to get close to the action and still stay in focus.

Being able to get closer to the subject also means a better audio from the subject as well.

The purpose of a wide angle lens is to help insure focus from up close to infinity.

They are fun I hear.

Rog L

... hmmmm ... I wonder if it could help me improve my golf swing ... who am I kidding... NOTHING could help that ... ask Mason - he knows ...

Your swing isn't bad; it's just like music, you gotta PRACTICE more than you PLAY.
You could probably beat me now because I only played three times in 2015 and so far zero times this year.
Maybe I'll get a GoPro to televise this 65 degree weather and baby blue skies we're having.

I was thinking of getting a GoPro also but when I saw the Fisheye effect that can't be shut off it kinda turned me off from buying,....and besides I got a video camera on my smartphone for the few times I would use it vs a snapshot...to each their own. enjoy...........

I have a great little video camera, Kodak Zi8, but it doesn't take pictures unless I turn it on and aim it at something.

I have one of those also in a draw somewhere takes great video and audio...

Donny, one of the advantages with the Ultra Wide Angle lens is that if you mount the camera on your keyboard and face it at the dancefloor, it would capture everyone on the dancefloor - not just a few folks in the general direction the camera is pointed, and as you can hear, the audio is exceptional. Just point, shoot and everyone except you is in the video. If you mounted it three feet behind you, both you and entire audience would be captured, along with really good audio. Can't do that with a cell phone camera, or any of the others I currently own.

Good luck,

Gary

Gary can't wait to see some GoPro creations from your gigs.. Have fun..

Gary can't wait to see some GoPro creations from your gigs.. Have fun..

...

Tony I'm in the same boat not sure how much I could have become an expert skier.


P.S. We were never extreme skiers, we had the "fear" factor of breaking legs, arms etc.


Good luck Gary and Donny looks like you guys could take a hit with that major snowfall. Tony I know you folks in RI could get hit too!

Big Snow coming here soon but nothing we haven't experienced before ...part of the beauty of North East Livin'

6+ inches around mid state closer to the shore, more further south ...



... as the saying goes 'it's in the eye of the beholder ...

... you ARE a real Southern gentleman Don ... thanks for being so kind about my golf swing ...
However, considering OUR weather forecast, you could have kept your 65 degrees and baby blue skies to yourself ...

Pouring rain today. When it gets to you it will be SNOW!

... thanks for nuttin' ...

Not exactly a beach day here in Ocala, Florida but it's 70 degrees. Tony feels like a spring day in Ri at home.

Weatherman is calling for 18 to 24 inches of snow here tomorrow, so I fired up the snow blower to make sure it still runs OK. Ran like a scalded dog! Snow is a 4 letter word.

What amazes me is that Donny says he loves the cold weather, yet he will ultimately lose thousands of dollars each year in cancellations because of winter snow and freezing rain. If I had my druthers right now, I would be in Marathon Key, Florida, 78 degrees, low humidity, playing and singing Jimmy Buffett songs (sorry Russ) to younger ladies at the Tiki Bars. OH YEAH! But, alas, I'm stuck here in the frozen north this winter. Damned I hate Maryland winters.

Shot some vids today of the place where I performed, unfortunately, most were too infirmed to dance. I'll post them in a few minutes.

Gary

Donny, here's a short video of today. I sat the camera on top of my custom console, on the left hand corner. The room measured approximately 80 feet by 40 feet and the audience was about 35 feet away from me. I was on a small stage in the corner of the room, and Bose L1 Compact (1) was situated about 5 feet to the right of the camera.

As you can readily see, the camera provided about 180 to 190 degrees of video coverage, which is amazing. The object to the right is the screen of the laptop and I positioned the camera a bit to the front of the computer. The video is quite crisp and clear, at least from what I can see on my PC, and the audio, for a tiny camera mic, is exceptional, even from 5 feet away.

This thing is definitely a great video recording tool and I wouldn't hesitate to use it for shooting promotionals for any OMB business. It captures everything you wish, and then some.

I used the anti-fish-eye program, and while it did remove some of the fish eye, it did not remove all. You could still readily see some effects on the outer edges of the video after removal.

Here ya go:

Gary

Gary, the vocals seem very indistinct. I couldn't tell what the first song was. I could tell on Leroy, but I wouldn't be happy with the sound as far as promoting myself. I much preferred what I saw and heard in the first video to this one.
I'm sure it all has to do with positioning the camera.

I agree with Don's comments. This is a great technology , but not a good fit for a OMB application.

I think a better application would be for your sailing excursions.

Regards,

Jerryghr

The GoPro is designed for action (Fixed to you ski hat, rock climbing etc.), now if Gary had played and sang while kayaking down the rapids or bungee jumping, then he would have been using the GoPro for what it is designed for.

Bill

Gary can you record direct to the camera audio in line on GoPro?

Love the Cold weather yes in fall & winter, fireplaces, etc,.., don't like to drive in snow though unless I use a big 4x4 like I used to have and miss dearly vs sweating my ass off in hot sticky summer weather yuk its like existing in a convention oven



........this cold weather is nothing compared to being stationed on the cold snowy Canadian border in the Army as a kid,....if a gig gets cancelled I simply reschedule or sit home and watch a good movie no problem,...hot weather climates ain't my bag.
Carry On........

^ Like.

Donny, there is no line in on this model, but I believe there is on the more expensive ones. DonM, I think because the room has a huge amount of natural reverb, this accounts for the distortion to some degree. In the first vid I did, the camera was much closer to the sound source. Had I moved the camera close to the Bose, I think the audio would have been much cleaner.

Gary

gary good luck with it.......stay safe in the snow

I just walked out to my shed to get the snow shovel and roof rake and a big raccoon had taken up residence in the shad. He knocked stuff all over the place trying to get out when I opened the doors - wish I would have been wearing the camera - It was really funny, though I'm not sure who was scared the most. Better check my underwear after that little episode.

Be safe up there, Donny. We're gonna get hammered here, now forecasting more than 2.5 feet of snow and very high winds.

All the best,

Gary

Hey Gary - what a GoPro was REALLY meant for .

https://gopro.com/channel/bike/kelly-mcg...m=FeaturedVideo

chas

Wow! That's scary just watching it. Think I'll video easier things with softer landings.

Thanks Chas,

Gary

Any new performance videos Gary? hope the GoPro is working out fine for ya needs I know you\ll use it sailing too..

Donny, probably have some next week. Keep in mind that being semi-retired, I'm only working a couple days a month, so the only job I have in February is next Friday at Avondell Retirement's Happy Hour in their nite club.

Might shoot some today at the boat, though.

Gary

Ok Gary look forward to it............enjoy your retirement.

OH YEAH !!! ... I did that once ...

... in a NIGHTMARE !!!

here's what I purchased the Go Pro for:



Gary

does the GoPro come with the Blue Pill too?

If you need a 'Blue Pill' with THAT, you don't need Viagra, you need a defibrillator.



chas

I'd rather play music... It lasts longer..

You're right, Chas. No doubt about it!

Donny, playing music is fun, the memories were great, but so is sailing the Florida Keys, snorkeling over those beautiful coral reefs, and sipping a cold Margaretta while watching beautiful sunsets over tropical islands.



Gary Lcool:

Honestly I'd rather be on stage myself but you enjoy retirement buddy you deserve it

Donny, don't get me wrong, I would love to be back on stage again, but that's not even a remote possibility at this stage of life. Like most OMB entertainers, I figured I would be wowing an audience until the day I died, and would likely die on stage, like some of my friends did. So I face reality, do the things I can, and live life to the fullest, taking it one day at a time. As a realist, I know there will come a time when I can no longer sail that big boat anymore, which hopefully, will not happen anytime soon, but it will happen. Maybe I'll die with my hands on the helm and a hot honey sitting in my lap like the gal in the Florda keys sailing vid - but that ain't very likely, either.

all the best,

Gary

Are you going to be a cameraman, Gary ?!? ...

I'll be the guy driving the boat and runnin the camera.

Gary

Good post, Donny, about the recording gadgets, of which there are dozens. I have just a couple, but recently ordered a pack of mixed devices from Miniinthebox . These are knock offs, and sell for a fraction of the price as the ones from GoPro. I'm amazed at all the camera attachment devices that are available for this camera.

Gary

enjoy it Gary you deserve it!! the invention of Cameras & Video is one of the greatest things that can capture past & present for eternity.

Here ya go, Donny - video shot this afternoon at Brightview Avondell Retirement. The Camera was about 8 feet from the sound system, sitting atop my custom console.



Gary

Gary nice job.... Get out there more they miss ya... Thanx for sharing..

Believe me, Donny, I truly wish I could get back into the game. My back hurt so bad today that I could barely get my gear packed up to go home after just one hour. I really miss everyone on the circuit, and they, apparently, miss me, too. Unfortunately, the mind keeps making appointments my body cannot keep.

Gary

Very nice Gary!

Gary, the last thing you need is advice from everybody (even if it's well-meaning) BUT , did you ever consider hiring and training a neighborhood kid to ride along with you and load, unload, set up, take down, load, unload (the reason I stopped gigging, BTW)? Say for $20. Under YOUR supervision, of course, but he does ALL the work. Just a thought.

chas

Chas, I live in an old, established neighborhood, the kids have all grown up and left, and those that haven't are freeloading on their parents and don't want to work. We had a couple new families move in last summer, but those kids are very young, 6 to 8 year olds. So, I guess I'll just have to suck it up and retire from being on the road, but I really do love it.

Thanks,

Gary

$20.00? I hope you mean an hour? .....these kids today ain't stupid lol......

Gary I hope your back doesn't interfere with your love of sailing....enjoy your life you only get one!!

Yeah, I hear you (about the kids) and yes, you will miss it, but keep your head AND chops in the game by practicing EVERY day, learning new songs, and staying in touch with the musical community. Then, when an opportunity arises where conditions are optimal, you'll be ready to go on a moments notice. Trust me, it'll add years to your life. That's the power and beauty of music.

chas

Chas, I wholeheartedly agree with your statements above. I fully intend to keep learning new songs every week, and continue to play, even if it's just in the office, every day of the week. Not only does it help maintain some sanity in an aging brain, but it gives me something to do when I cannot sail. When I take off this summer for months on end of sailing, my keyboard will be riding along with me on the boat.

When I made that voyage down to the Florida Keys three years ago, the PSR-3000 made it's debut in many marina tiki bars and restaurants while I was en-route. I was amazed at the number of locations along the way that had never had an arranger keyboard player for entertainment. Nearly every location had entertainment, but it was have guitar will travel guys, most of whom were not very good.

Thanks again everyone,

Gary

That is a great clip Gary. I really enjoyed it but it would have been nice to see you too as well as the dance floor. Your performance is excellent.

Thanks Nigel. Unfortunately, I'm still awaiting the tripod for the camera so I had no way of mounting it behind me. I just sat it on the console and pressed the shutter button.

Thanks again for the compliments,

Gary

Really enjoying your videos.

I think you need a drone, so you can cover the whole venue.

Jerryghr