Need help with recording iSight vid + 2 audio streams live...

[bassthumpa]

I should have thought to post this here sooner... hope you all can help!

After some time of wanting to add a mac to my collection, I picked up a macbook used via craigslist and I'm quite pleased with it. There's a particular task that I'm trying to accomplish though, and I'm hoping you guys can help me get it done or recommend the software I need to do it.

I'm part of a music form (particularly, the bass section of that forum) that occasionally shares videos to help each other learn new stuff, usually play-along type vids. That way we can hear and see each others techniques, learn, share pointers and constructive criticism.

Back story aside, I want to find a way to create these types of videos without relying on my speaker cab and a camcorder. I'm sitting in a hotel room with my bass, macbook, and the necessary cables.

I've been able to figure out how to use GarageBand to mix the line in with an MP3, but I want to be able to add the video stream to it too using the iSight cam to produce a video instead. I've been digging around and haven't been able to find a way to do it, unless I've overlooked something or didn't search with the right keywords.

Can anyone direct me on how to get this done or what software I might need to do it?

 

[xStep]

You don't say how you are getting the audio in. I'll have to assume some mic device that does stereo through the line-in. So...

I'd use iMovie to do the recording. To get the line-in audio, I think you'll have to open the System Preferences, click on the Sound preference icon, click on the input tab, choose the 'Audio line-in port' and make appropriate adjustments.

After making the above changes, start iMovie (assuming 08 or 09) and click on the camera symbol to the left to get to the recording box. You can figure out the rest from there.

 

[bassthumpa]

You don't say how you are getting the audio in. I'll have to assume some mic device that does stereo through the line-in. So...

I'd use iMovie to do the recording. To get the line-in audio, I think you'll have to open the System Preferences, click on the Sound preference icon, click on the input tab, choose the 'Audio line-in port' and make appropriate adjustments.

After making the above changes, start iMovie (assuming 08 or 09) and click on the camera symbol to the left to get to the recording box. You can figure out the rest from there.

THe bass would be plugged into the line in, but my audio track is an MP3. I wasn't sure that I'd be able to load the track i iMovie and still record with the line in feed as well.

I might have another solution though. I'm trying to find a super cheap mixer, that way I could have the bass and my iPhone mixed together and send that to the line in on that macbook. That might be my best bet.

 

[xStep]

I'm still not clear on what you are trying to do. I think you have some audio on your iPhone that you want to play to and import both that iPhone audio and your live performance. Yes, a mixer would work.

You might also try another idea. Since the iPhone audio is an MP3 I have to wonder if it came from a computer. I'd listen to the iPhone via the earphones and record the bass into your Mac. I'd then try combining the MP3 with the bass recording. The trick is getting the alignment right.

You can record a video using iMovie at the same time Garage band is recording your bass. If stereo isn't important, just use the audio that gets recorded from the iSight into your iMovie recording.

 

[bassthumpa]

I'm still not clear on what you are trying to do. I think you have some audio on your iPhone that you want to play to and import both that iPhone audio and your live performance. Yes, a mixer would work.

You might also try another idea. Since the iPhone audio is an MP3 I have to wonder if it came from a computer. I'd listen to the iPhone via the earphones and record the bass into your Mac. I'd then try combining the MP3 with the bass recording. The trick is getting the alignment right.

You can record a video using iMovie at the same time Garage band is recording your bass. If stereo isn't important, just use the audio that gets recorded from the iSight into your iMovie recording.

Not necessarily from the iPhone... I've been trying to do it from the computer. Here's the whole layout: I want to make a play-along video. There will be a track playing, say via iTunes. There will be me playing my bass over that track, via the line in jack. I also want video of it via the iSight cam. All recording to one video file.