Record the video while narrating (but not recording, i.e. don’t use a mic). Then import the video into Cubase and re-narrate the video with a microphone and your audio interface. You’ll note only be able to focus more on each aspect of what you’re doing, but the audio should be sufficiently high quality that you can use the Audio > Advanced > Detect Silence function to kill the stuff in between.
If you want to really get fancy, go find some downloaded cinematic tracks and incorporate those into yet another audio track in the Cubase project so that you have some good background music.
I would only use my own incidental music thanks because it would seem (to me, being a musician) a bit tragic to be using someone else’s material if you know what I mean.
Record the video while narrating (but not recording, i.e. don’t use a mic).
Do you mean just talk into thin air (ie. not into a mic) while I am filming all the screenshot material and system audio (in Camtasia)? And then Import the MP4 into Cubase, plug in a mic and record the narration over the top of the video as a separate instance (in Cubase)?
Do you think many people do it that way round?
I don’t even know if Cubase Artist has the facility to Import MP4? It may well do (I will check), as it is not something I have actually ever thought about before.
I’ve done it this way with spectacular results. The only reason why you speak without the mic is to ensure that your timings are correct in terms of syncing with the video.
As far as getting the video in a format that will be supported by Cubase, it depends (I suppose) on the version of Cubase you are running. You’ll find good video format converters for free on the web. I forgot what program I use - not at home for the next week or so - but it allows me to convert to the “standard” QuickTime format, which I know Cubase supports.
I guess doing it that way means you need to be a little more planned (so you may choose to draw up a quick flowchart of the aspects you are going to cover etc). Whereas the way I have been doing it, I have jumped around ad-hoc from page to page. Both methods seem equally popular though as I say, the former might be best for your suggestion of videoing.
Does Cubase only accept Quick Time format do you know please? I am still on the Camtasia trial package but I think there is a multitude of Export formats available.
Cubase uses Quicktime player for its video playback so if Quicktime can play it Cubase will play it.
Quicktime plays back these.
No idea how recent that is but it should give you a good indication.
It depends on the specific options that you use during export. Cubase may use the QT Player, but it is very picky about the codecs, etc. that are allowed when the video was exported.
I made 2 x quick videos in Camtasia of just me playing the DX21 synth (ie. NO narration). It has 8 x bars with Click, followed by 8 x bars without Click. Then I Imported it into Cubase Artist 7.5.
But for me to add the narration (as you suggested) over the top of the video, I obviously need to be able to watch this pre-recording. At the moment (as you can see in the video) I have an Audio Track (DX21 synth) and Video Track (the creation on the aforementioned), but I do not know how I am able to watch this within Cubase and so add the narration (in sync)?
Thanks a lot man and I really appreciate your help.
Paul
(btw - the music is just a random S/H LFO and sounds terrible, I know, so please try and cope with it !!) lol
You need to use the Replace Audio in Video function (I believe it’s in the File menu). Then you press the F8 key, I think, to display the video window. That will be in sync with the transport. Then you record as normal on a new audio track.
There was no need to select “Replace Audio In Video File” because I want to keep it (the DX Synth recorded Audio). So I created another Audio Track and recorded my narration there (whilst monitoring the pre-recorded video capture via the F8 command, in the small window box). I think that it what you mean so far?
Now, do I then EXPORT the whole thing in Cubase as an MP4 ? I could not see this option anywhere, though it could be an Artist limitation ?
Or, do I VIDEO RECORD the whole thing again in Camtasia (ie. press Record in Camtasia and Play in Cubase) ?
Sorry for all the questions !! I have spent a lot of time on this and found it quite complicated. Nobody I know seems to have any knowledge in this particular area.
If this is the window I will ultimately be posting as the final version, then I am concerned because the quality does not seem to be as good as I had hoped ?
What you do is you export the audio from the video AND the narration as a single audio file and THEN use replace audio in video to put that audio track in your video file.
Cubase (no version) doesn’t export video so that’s your best option.
If you are comfortable doing this post-recording narration than that’s fine but I would personally much prefer doing the narration and video recording live at the same time. The problem was that you couldn’t record your external instruments while using the mic because you don’t have enough inputs correct? There might be a way around that now that you have a USB mic. With some luck you can use ASIO4all to use your mic over USB and your regular audio interface simultaneously. You’ll have to see how this performs latency-wise, but if latency isn’t crucial during a narration I would definitely give that a shot!
The video quality looked fine to me by the way, could’ve been a bit sharper but I could clearly read everything in your user interface so I guess it’s sufficient. Don’t forget to set your youtube player to HD when viewing. The default quality is 240p which DOES look terrible .
I meant to do so this evening but I was very preoccupied with a ‘Groove Agent 3’ issue which has been driving me mad for a couple of months now (posted in another thread) ! So I ended up getting side tracked.
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