Probably I´m not the only one who plays along to music as the main form of practice. Lately Youtube has provided quite a lot of background, but one thing annoys me: when I copy a Youtube file (I have to download it and put it on an USB in order to move it to my record player in my practising room) quite often what I then hear upon playing it is really weak in volume. I mean really weak.
I use Vidtomp3, and find that relatively simple -- but perhaps there are better ways?
Without knowing your set-up and software it's hard to figure why the volume is low. What I do is record the sound via my Creative Player recorder as a WAV file. Edit it in Creative Wave Studio then convert it to mp3 with a Free converter program. Maybe that can help?
@tookatooka: You mean you record it directly from YT with the Creative stuff? And, as laurent2015, says, that could also be done with Audacity? (Hmm, meaning I´ll have to learn another feature of Audacity: it was bloody difficult getting it to record sound/backing tracks, but I´m getting nearer there now.) You guys are on a much higher tech-level than me, but I´ll try to wrap my head around this. (Actually, the other day I managed to convert a War album in FLAC from my HD to mp3 via Audacity. Allowed me to take it to my practice room. Felt satisfying.)
@laurent: What you "absolutely need" is a tricky thing to answer. Now that I´ve got a record player with an USB-gate, well, it´s kinda tempting to make use of YT stuff -- but what you absolutely need is just a harmonica. (Sometimes not even that, if you practice in the head.) So I guess I could say "no", I don´t absolutely need YT.
@Martin. Yes I just get YouTube playing and click record on my Creative Player/recorder and it records whatever else happens to be playing on the computer. Thankfully, computers can do more than just one thing at a time.
@tookatooka: Thanks. But maybe I´ve got it. I dragged my files into Audacity and clicked "amplify". It changed things, i.e. the graphic frequencies. Not too hard when you´ve seen a Youtube clip on how to do it ... Sounds promising so far, a bit more punch to the track, but unless I wanna get evicted (it´s late) I can´t test it to the hilt just yet.
I get alot backing tracks from YT. I use the Downloadhelper add on in Firefox to download the video, then open it in audacity and export it mp3. Then I can trash the vid if I want too. Works good for me and and I dont have the volume issues that I used to have when I just "recorded" it with audacity. Plus I dont have to worry about the whole recording process. Anyway hope that helps.
Last Edited by norrin_radd on Feb 14, 2013 6:49 AM
@norrin radd: Now that was really interesting! Thanks a lot for the tip.
I immediately downloaded Downloadhelper, then went to YT and downloaded a video. Worked like a charm. However, it turns out this video automatically came in .flv format, and .flv wasn´t recognized by Audacity ...
I think you have to have the FFmpeg Import/Export plugin for Audacity. Been so long since I've done it I forgot about that part. I always try to get the mp4's but I think it works with the flv files too. Glad it helped.
"So I guess I could say "no", I don´t absolutely need YT."
Martin, I meant...I also use YT but only the sound, not the videos. I thought maybe your sound level problems came from your software, that's why I talked about Audacity.
I just use some of the free online converters to convert the videos to mp3. Works like a champ for me. Easy, fast and have never had any problems with volume. Don't have to worry about downloading the videos, converting or anything else. You just download the mp3. If you did have problems with the volume you could use you program of choice to increase the volume. I do this all the time to grab songs that are hard to find/buy on the net to put on my ipad and play them at work.
I use Audacity & it works perfectly. Recordings are done direct ie internally with no loss of quality, volume is good, & once in Audacity you can play around with the track ie slow tempo or change key. The only draw back is that recording although direct is done in real time however once in Audacity it is easy to convert it to MP3. For years I used to record it into Audacity using a mic positioned in front of the computer speakers until I discovered that it wasn't necessary. Similarly anything that is in/on the computer eg itunes stuff can easily be copied in real time internally into Audacity. The latter I only do with my own purchases & for my own use in wanting to learn a tune &/or put together a backing track via Band in A Box. ---------- HARPOLDIE’S YOUTUBE
@laurent2015: No no, the images are unimportant, I´m only in it for the sound. And I´m trying to learn more and more about Audacity -- but can it be the least user friendly program ever made? A tough contest there, of course, but it always fascinates me when a simple thing, such as saving a file, is turned into a real challenge. "Saving" ... in Audacity you "Export". Of course! Obviously!
@shbamac. Yes, i also use a video converter (Vidtomp3)-- but the volume comes out terribly low, thatwas the problem. However, I think I´ve found a way with ... -- Audacity!
@Aussisucker: You are a technology marvel in yourself, that much I´ve understood from an earlier thread, and you live in another (possibly parallell) universe than I. But occasionally I catch glimpses of you and I´m always greatful for your input. I´m gonna have to return and read what you wrote many many times, bottle of wine and a pack of ciggies at hand, and then maybe ... just maybe, will I be able to approximate an understanding.
A) set the input mic setting in the tool bar on Audacity to Realtek Hi Def. Shrink the Audacity screen to half size.
B) Open Youtube or itunes or whatever on the other half of the split screen.
C) Hit record in Audacity & hit play in youtube. No need for computers speakers to be on however they enable you to monitor start & end.
Actually I'm a technical twit! It works and that is all I figure I need to know. My generation is akin to stone age when it comes to playing with this space age technology.
..."Saving" ... in Audacity you "Export". Of course! Obviously!
Martin, this is not really important, but actually, you "export" in mp3; if you "save", you just copy the wave file, I think. There's another soft called "Wavosaur", maybe more recent than Audacity and it works pretty good with VST effects, interesting when you record yourself playing.
@Aussiesucker: Thank you very much -- but OF COURSE it is not that easy. It never is, never was. First you gotta know it, then it´s easy. (It´s a bit like asking people "What do you do for work?" and you´ll find that you very seldom get a concrete reply, even upon prompting: "I analyze sales statistics in order to enable companies to reduce their VAT ..." and bla. "No no, I asked you WHAT DO YOU DO?" "Eh?" Many people find this strangely hard to answer, probably something to do with our "culture".)
"A)set the input mic setting in the tool bar on Audacity to Realtek Hi Def."
That is a sentence that contains a critical amount of presupposed knowledge. Knowlege that I simply don´t have, and that I´ve spent about an hour trying to get. Failed.
I do not know what the "input mic setting" is; I know what the "toolbar" is; but I haven´t a clue what "Realtek Hi Def" is. And I cannot find it in Audacity, not in the manual, nor on the net (in this connection at least). So you lost me already at "A". You´re maybe a technical twit but you have mastered this, possibly with quite a bit of work I don´t know, but you are already THERE -- and immediately you can sound like, well, a computer programs manual author. No mean feat for you, that I admit, but I´m still here on the ground
After watching a few YT videos with instructions and reading a website purporting to tell you how to go about in recording from YT with Audacity I gave that up: they introduced things that A) isn´t in the program (my edition of it, the latest) or B) used unspecified terms that demanded that you already knew what you were seeking the answer to.
I took a shot at it anyway, nothing to loose, started a YT video and put Audacity on rec. What followed was the most tremendous attack of static that I´ve heard since TV in the 60´s. And it increased! Directly painful. No music whatsoever. Then I gave up.
In all fairness I should say that your B) and C) points appear to be pretty straightforward -- but useless if you don´t get A.
Thanks anyway and let me say that I´m impressed by your knowledge. However, letting others partake of what one knows knowledge is a fairly complicated process -- I´ve spent quite a bit of my life trying to teach people things and I´m aware of some pitfalls there when it comes to assumptions. And as for contemporary tech stuff, the standards of what can pass for "instruction" or "manual" are downright appaling, but I´ve already complained aboout that in another thread so I´ll leave it.
Anyway, many thanks to you for your effort.
@laurent: Thank you, I´ll check "Wavosaur" out, but I have scant hope in terms of user friendliness. You´re right, "Export" is for ... exporting in mp3, "saving a file in mp3 format", that was a bit sloppy of me.
@tookatooka: Thank you kindly, Sir -- and that would be a real treat. I´m in downtown Gothenburg, just a skip over the North Sea, aim for west of Sweden. Drinks are on the table when you arrive, that´s a promise. (Hell, I´ll even cook up a dinner!)
If you can´t make it, I fear I have to get in touch with a local guru. Costs a bit, of course (yeah, food and various beverages are expected -- and he´s something of a wine guy) but there´s great value in the hands-on type of learning.
@aussisucker: Thanks but no, sorry, seen that one. Different Audacity, different Windows (I´m on XP). It won´t show up that way -- and the same goes for his other Audacity video: I can´t "float" the microphone toolbar. I´ll either skip Audacity completely (I´ve just about had it to here with this crap by now!) or get help.
Meanwhile, for YT stuff, I´ll just have to accept things the way they are. My real hopes for Audacity (as per another thread) was to be able to use it for recording, and I´ve not given up there. Yet. But isn´t it a great irony in this: a -- probably excellent -- program is sitting on my computer, but I can´t use it ´cause it too hard to understand.
Sorry can't come to Sweden Martin. The annoying thing is it would be easy to show you what to do but I'm sure you are aware of how time consuming it is to give hand-holding instructions over the forum. Good luck with your quest though.
Thanks tookatooka, I quite understand the hardships involved both in coming to Sweden (a crummy place) and written hand-holding instructions (if that´s not an oxymoron?). All the best, /M
