Recommendations: Video camera for Piano Performance Recording?

[violinist]

I'm looking to record my piano playing:  practice and performance.

Anyone out there love their video camera?

How does it do with:  Dynamics?  Quality of sound?  Ability to download to the computer and then onto Youtube?

Thanks!!!

[quantum]

I don't own one, but had to operate one to make a friends audition tape.  Because it was MiniDV transfer to PC was fairly easy with Firewire. 

I recorded the audio separately with a pair of condenser mics, then dubbed the audio over in the editing software.  I did this to give improved quality audio over what a consumer vid camera can obtain.

[dan101]

I agree. Replacing the sound of the video camera with proper microphones is a good bet, especially since the sound that you are analyzing in your playing has to be of optimum quality.

[pianowolfi]

I don't own one, but had to operate one to make a friends audition tape.  Because it was MiniDV transfer to PC was fairly easy with Firewire. 

I recorded the audio separately with a pair of condenser mics, then dubbed the audio over in the editing software.  I did this to give improved quality audio over what a consumer vid camera can obtain.

Which editing software do you use? I tried with Windows movie maker but I couldn't figure out how to dub the audio over.

[dan101]

Camtesia allows a bit more independence, as you can view and edit the sound track as a separate channel. That's the route that I take.

[quantum]

Which editing software do you use? I tried with Windows movie maker but I couldn't figure out how to dub the audio over.

I used Vegas

[jazz-piano]

I use a Canon MiniDv camera.
I transfer the videos to PC by a firewire cable.
Sometimes I record the audio with a better microphone (with a good sound card) and I add it to the video track in a video editing software.
However, if you want just upload your performance to youtube you can also record your videos with a simple photo camera that has a good resolutions (800 X 600 pixel or less too).

[suzymac]

Hi - as a music student I post on youtube to help with performance feedback etc.  I have a pretty old digital camera (7 years infact!) but it's easy to transfer to pc with firewire. 

If you want to check out the sound quality you can view me at www.youtube.com/suzyandmac

I have previously tried recording audio on my mobile & on a digital dictophone but to be honest the playback was terrible!

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