Chas
Thank you for the well founded critique, as well as great supportive commentary. I have to be honest and say that I have a video editor but haven't gotten around to learning it. I have a bad habit of looking somber when concentrating on several things at once, but we can't always stay in our comfort zone if we choose to improve. I must say, it is easier for me, with the support of the forum, to venture forth knowing comments are constructive.

Thanks to all

Learning software is very much like learning an instrument. You don’t jump in and play a concerto to start off with!

Now might be a very good time to take a short video, maybe 30 seconds long, and then practice putting it into the computer chopping it up, editing it, trimming the beginning and ends, practice making transitions, Color correction, all that sort of stuff…

Your computer will work much faster on a very short clip, and you can familiarize yourself with the different options without the pressure of it being on something that you want to release eventually, at full length…

Scales and arpeggios first, full pieces second! Walk before you try to run…!

By the way, because arrangers have a locked in tempo, it’s pretty easy to do two or three takes from different angles and cut them together for a real pro three camera.look… 🎹😎

Diki

I was doing so well with your suggestions until the last one. lol. I guess you'll see me in the fall, as you just raised the bar.

Seriously though, thank you.

Just kicking ideas out there!

But yes, walk before you run..! But no harm in planning a light jog for after the walking part!

One of my funnest recording projects was a duo I was in with an acoustic guitarist where we played several days a week on the same pool bar on the Gulf. We brought down an eight track ADAT recorder, and basically recorded everything for about a week.

The really cool thing came about from the locked tempo of all the tracks and styles I used, so it was easy to just take several days’ takes of the same tune, stack them up on each other in a DAW, line them all up, and then I could cut and paste between takes for the best solo or the best vocal performance, but also use multiple takes for say rhythm guitar and do the old pan them apart hard left and right for that double tracked feel..! Same with harmonies, even lead vocals.

So we ended up with a quite studio sound, but everything had been recorded ‘live’…

Now imagine the same concept applied to video tracks… If there’s one thing that’s pretty easy in a video editor, it’s cutting between takes and doing cool transitions like wipes and fades, etc..

Once you get the basics down, playing around with editors is easy as long as you have that nice locked in tempo!

Not a bad first Video Bern. The audio critique by Dikie is one that I'm also guilty of. Too much volume on right hand, and not enough "umph" with the style. There are times, of course, when simulating a solo, you do want that right hand out front, but generally, getting the whole band involved sounds better. Maybe pay them better

On the video end, and I'm somewhat of a video fanatic, actually possessed you have what they call "fish-eye phenomenon". It usually occurs in the camera lens, because you are too close to the camera using wide-angle. You can try and reduce this effect, by moving away from your camera. Curious, are you using a web cam, phone, or dedicated camcorder. Fix the "fish eye" and it will look great.

Making musical videos is a fun hobby, and it's a great way to pass the time, you're off to a good start. I can tell you are a pro player, who probably was brought up on a Hammond, or similar non arranger. Good job playing. Thanks for sharing.

I’m as guilty as anyone of letting my player sounds and vocal effects creep up if unattended for long! This is why I strap a pocket digital recorder (I like my Zoom H4n) on my headphone outputs if I’m not using them, and just roll on record most of the time, whether rehearsing or performing.. I find it next to impossible to be super accurate about levels while I’m actually playing - I can get in the ballpark but to truly judge if I got it right requires me to listen critically to the playback. Then it’s a snap to hear whether any player part is too far forward or backwards, whether the effects match the backing (another common mistake) and if my voice sits in the track correctly. Play, record, listen, adjust. Rinse and repeat a couple of times or three, it gets on the money! Sure, eventually you get an ear for what’s going to be close, but ‘perfection’ (whatever THAT is!) always takes a few goes before it’s good. Digital recorders are an arranger player’s greatest asset after the keyboard itself…!

Thank you Larry and Diki,

I have no doubt every observance by both of you is spot on. Now to correct these flaws:

1. Fish Eye seems to be on top of the list, and is being worked on by changing the settings on my Zoom Q2n HD from wide angle to "tel" and moving back.

2. Audio balance to be scrutinized- no more" one take" productions.

3. Maybe changing the shoot angle, so every furtive glance I make to lyrics etc, won't be so apparent.

There are more, but I will start with these, with a continued thank you for your help.

I shall return !

A little bit of editing using VSDC Video Editor. Hope you don't mind me using your video Bernie.




You Tube Link

Nice job, Larry. That's why I was pushing Bernie from the very beginning to crack open that video editor. You brought him "out of the shadows and into the light" . However, by trimming the end of his original video, we'll now never know if he actually succeeded in turning the camera off .

chas