echo mikes comments (as usual). good advice.

i would beg to differ on the h/d's though. certainly two in pc; one for system / programs, the other for capture/edit.

the other drives he mentions - capture and edit i would combine on an external hd. (less strain on pc's power / cooling), and easier to store complete 'programs' on off-line.

that said, it probably all depends on how many / duration of recitals you're looking at....

leslie

Fantastic! Thanks very much for the replies. I have an older computer that I can rebuild so, I understand the quad core aspect. As for budget on a camera,I would say $500-$1000 usd.

Thanks again for the very helpful advice.


luces

not much help re camera - do you want hd or sd?

if sd i can tell you now that a good used sony pd150 / 170 is a great work horse that also gives you pro audio. for hd i don't know enough about the lower budget cameras, but if you're looking for good audio, pay careful attention to the advice given in this forum....

leslie

Thanks ushere. You actually bring up a point that I should address. I am planning to do audio seperately from the camera audio. In other words I will probably use something like a Firepod or other firewire audio device and possibly multi track. Can I do this? I mean, will I be able to select my audio inputs apart from the camera audio in Vegas? Also,will there be a possible sync problem with audio/video in post production if I chose to work this way?

Thanks again,
luces

To the best of my knowledge no, you cannot 'double head' into Vegas.
You can record multitrack audio, pretty much unlimited tracks of audio depending on your hardware but not vision at the same time.
Also Vegas can only record from one camera at a time. There is only one system that I know of that can record from multiple cameras at once, even does realtime vision switching. It's from Newtech: http://www.newtek.com/tricaster/

Bob.

hmmmm. bummer.

Check the thread in this forum on seperatly recording your sound. It isn't all that hard to sync it with the video. I do it all the time.

I usually record my audio on an Edirol R-09 digital recorder and import that file into the timeline. It's just a file (mp3 or wav) and, unlike the video capture, does not take 'real time' (ie. does not take 30 min for a 30 min long file)

Hello luces,
you've picked the right software package, and you've also come to the right place for help ... you'll get sound advice from experienced videographers using Vegas - not me, incidentally, I'm a relative noobie myself.
* * *
There are a few good buys for cameras with the capability of doing both HD and SD when required ... Canon makes one in the $700 range ... look up HV-30 - with miniDV tape capability ... Sony also makes one of its own.
* * *
As far as the single camera restriction, bummer, as you put it, just make sure your other cameras record to tape. You can import all the video after the event ... it is going to take a bit of editing, so I can't imagine the imperative to record all three "live" ... is there?
* * *
In reality, almost any mid-range laptop with a Firewire (IEEE-1394) input should work well enough to record live video... with a big enough hard drive - video requires much storage. I'd capture to tape even when recording live to create a tape backup in the event the laptop balks.
* * *
Shhh ... come closer ... I'm telling you an ancient Chinese secret that isn't widely known, so don't share it with anyone... I believe you can actually hook up a decent still camera with an IEEE-1394 output and record through a still camera. Give it a try and see what you think . . . I've used it with other editing suites and believe it will work in Vegas as well. I hope others can confirm or refute this technique. You can set it up and take the wide angle from there. . . no reason to zoom or traverse ... use your video camera to get the "money" shots. You can lean back now ... if you're like me, you actually did lean in when I said come closer. . . lol
* * *
If you have the ability to record sound to an independent source, do it. Bring it into the project after the event and tweak it. It isn't hard to synchronize audio tracks - especially if you have the camera audio to use as a guide. Once synched, mute the camera audio and let the better source come through . . . piece of cake (wink) I normally break at the end of each number - routine for our dance video - and synch each piece. It is easier to do and with less drift, it makes it easier. Using different audio methods, you'll always have drift - sometimes a little and other times, a lot. If you can hook up to the sound board and get the sound you want right on the tape - it'll be there when you need it. using the feed from the sound board is the best method; otherwise the two source technique is the best alternative.
* * *
You've opened a door that brings you to a whole new world of excitement, enjoyment, along with a few pleasurable problems as well . . . no need to close the door behind you, you'll get the chance to help others through yourself before too long . . .

Until that time. . . Earl J.

THANKS AGAIN EVERYBODY!!! Especially you Earl J. The enthusiasm is infectious! :-)


luces

Not that I want to intentionally hijack a thread but I'm having an issue capturing directly from the cam to my PC.
Here's my issue > echo and what sounds like mic feedback.
Cam: XH A1
Capture type: HDV via Firewire / no tape inserted
Everything hooks up fine and is recognized.
Go into Vegas > File > Capture - the interface comes up and I power up the camera, it loads and I get the preview of the camera's image. I press record on the interface and all seems well until I speak or make any kind of audible noise/sound. Once that happens the echo kicks in. As the echo gets more and more quiet the mic feedback sound on the other hand is getting louder and louder. I've tried moving the cam further away from the PC and 2 different lengths of firewire cable [3ft / 6ft] but with the same result. It also happens in both versions 8.0c and 8.1.

You are capturing live video and the normal delay of the connection you get echoes.
The camera audio level control then tries to boost the gain making it worse.

If you plug headphones into your computer's audio out jack does the echo go away?
Also, does the background noise, such as hiss, increase? If, so can you turn the
function off and get cleaner audio?

Thanks RC -
I familiar with the delay when recording due to the processing and what have you.
I'll see what happens when I plug in a pair of headphones.