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Setting Up Your Home Recording Room

As music students and music educators alike discover new ways to showcase their talents virtually, creating virtual ensembles has played a large role in this new reality. To support students and teachers preparing for upcoming winter performances, our BMP team has put together a series of helpful steps and resources to show you how to set up your own home recording room.


Technology Needs

You will need TWO DEVICES and a pair of HEADPHONES:


Device 1 could be a computer, laptop, or cell phone with a pair of headphones to play/listen to the click tack.


Device 2 could be a cell phone, computer, or laptop with a camera and microphone to record your performance.

Steps to Record

  1. Set Device 1 to play your click track* and put headphones in one or both ears (personal preference).

  2. Have your music in a comfortable position for reading/playing

  3. If Device 2 is a phone or tablet, set it in landscape/horizontal orientation as pictured above.

  4. Press record on Device 2. (make sure to have at least 2 GB of storage)

  5. Push play on Device 1 to play the click track

  6. Play all the way through your piece and hold still for at least 3 seconds at the end. (This will help the video editor in post-production.)

  7. Listen back to Device 2 recording, and if necessary repeat steps 1-6 to make a second take.

  8. Upload video to the BMP Google Drive per teacher’s instructions.

*A click track is a series of audio cues used to synchronize sound recordings, sometimes for synchronization to a moving image.

Tips for choosing the best place to record

  • Find a quiet place

  • Avoid extra sounds: air conditioner, ceiling fans, loud neighbors, car traffic, wind, etc.

  • Larger rooms are best

  • Have good lighting facing you, not behind you


Tips for creating a professional video

  • Record in front of a neutral background

  • Dress for success

  • Raise your webcam to eye-level

  • Place your device on a flat, stable surface such as a table, desk, music stand, or tripod

  • Turn on "airplane mode" if using a phone



Application to use for preparing a click track:

  • Drone Tool

  • Soundtrap

  • BandLab

  • GarageBand - available on Apple devices

  • Smart Music - paid version has a powerful tool that your students can use to practice and play along to.

Application for post processing the audio and video:


Audio:

  • Garage Band (free on Apple devices)

  • Logic Pro X (paid)

  • Pro Tools (paid)

  • Ableton Live (paid)

  • FL Studio (paid)

Video:

  • iMovie (free on Apple devices)

    • Can do two videos at once; so limited to duets

  • Adobe Premiere Pro (paid)

  • Final Cut Pro (paid)

All-in-one Virtual Ensemble Tools:


  • Free version: Up to 30 seconds; 4 videos; compressed audio/video, watermark

  • Paid: Up to 10 minutes, 9 videos, 1080p video/higher quality audio, no or custom watermark

  • Main app offers free and paid versions for live rehearsal space

  • Free: Up to 10 projects per month; 140 users

  • Watermark can be removed for a fee

BMP Approved Video on video editing from beginning to end by Robby Burns:



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