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MMD > Archives > March 1999 > 1999.03.21 > 04Prev  Next


Recording Pianos With Camcorder
By Gary Rasmussen

Andy asked about recording pianos with a camcorder.  I have some
experience with this in my "doing the sound" and videotaping our church
services for public access TV.

Unfortunately, almost all camcorders (and VCR's) have an automatic
recording level device in the audio circuitry.  No matter what you do,
the electronics will try to "even out" the volume for you, reducing the
volume when it is loud and raising it when it is soft, effectively des-
troying much of the expression you were trying to record.

Recently, I created a preliminary demo tape for Larry Broadmoore's
PowerRoll, mostly using my Duo-Art in my living room.  For this,
I borrowed some 'little bit better than consumer', "prosumer" video
equipment.  I did have some control over the overall audio level,
but I could not turn off the automatic recording level.  In all my
recordings, my Duo-Art (which _does_ sound nice) sounded more like
an 88 note pumper without expression.

I suspect you will need to get into some fairly high level professional
video equipment (very expensive and probably not cost effectively able
to be rented) before you get satisfactory results recording your
reproducing piano.

Gary Rasmussen
Gary@Rasmussen.org

P.S. If anyone wants a copy of the video I made for the PowerRoll, let
me know.  It is somewhat amateurish. It is on the order of what may be
done professionally, eventually.  I think does a decent job of telling
you about the PowerRoll, however.


(Message sent Sun 21 Mar 1999, 07:33:18 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Camcorder, Pianos, Recording

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