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My recording setup has been the same for 30 years: Rode NT4 mic into Fostex FR2LE hard disk recorder. I used this method because my laptop's fan liked to get in on the act when recording. So, I'd wait until the recording was finished before turning on the laptop.
20 minutes ago my Fostex died. All forms of resuscitation were applied, to no avail.
That machine helped me record over 650 videos, soundfiles for 26 Mel Bay books, four or five CDs, and probably some other things I've forgotten about. It will be much missed.
Prior to that, my laptop died, and with it the software I'd used for all those recordings and videos. My method was relatively old fashioned, but it worked well, and listeners liked the sound we produced.
So, at a loss, I bought an Apple Mini Mac and an Apple Studio Display...it's all new to me...and now my Fostex died. So, I'm at a loss, and might be too set in my old ways to learn anything new. So, be gentle with me...
I still have the Rode NT4 stereo mic. I want to record video with the camera on the studio display, and simultaneously somehow record the guitar with the NT4. Once the sound file is uploaded I want a simple way to do basic edits and add a little reverb to the point where you can't hear it, but feel it...and then match it up with the video. All the things I used to be able to do with (almost) my eyes closed. See, I'm still talking about recording the sound into a box, then uploading. That's probably Stone-Age practice, so please school me on what to do today. Something simple but of decent quality that I can do repetitively for the next 30 years!
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03-12-2026 02:02 PM
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I was just messing around with iMovie (which comes free with your mac), and I noticed that you can record video into it using the built in camera. iMovie is nice because it's dead simple to use!
Record video into iMovie on Mac - Apple Support
For the Rode, you'll need an audio interface with two XLR inputs. I'm not an expert, but I've heard good things about the Focusrite Scarlett being both cheap and good sounding.
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Thanks. I’ve tried iMovie and hated it! LOL. Compared to Vegas Lite - long out of production - well, there’s no comparison. I’ll try to read up on video making, but it’s all so complicated now. I’m getting old and stupid!
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Depending on the complexity you could use Da Vinci Resolve, Final cut pro, or you can do basic video editing as well as advanced audio editing directly from the Reaper DAW.
Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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Resolve and Final Cut are expensive, I imagine. But I’ll look into them, Reaper too. Thanks.
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You can try Reaper for free, really depends on your video needs. Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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Record your video to Quicktime (included in the mac) and edit/assemble in reaper.. Originally Posted by SOLR
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Thanks, SOLR.
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DaVinci Resolve is free, as long as you don't work 4k resolution (which is much higher than I need). Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
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FWIW, I’ve used OBS for years to record video and Lightworks to edit and convert. Both are free and have excellent audio and video. Your favorite movies were probably edited in Lightworks (the pro edition, which is more comprehensive but no better in quality).
You can edit audio in Lightworks. But for best control and to use plugins, I record simultaneously in Audacity. Then I do whatever needs doing in Audacity before copying the wav and pasting it into the audio track of the video in Lightworks.
The one caveat is that you shouldn’t trim any leader from the audio or video file until you’ve pasted the final audio into the video. If you record them simultaneously, it’s easy to paste the audio with starts aligned so it’s perfectly synchronized with the video. Once you trim anything from either, it takes some effort to synch them. Trim the white space from the final video.
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Thanks, David. I’ll look into those.
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For interface box: Scarlett is dead simple on Mac. I just use GarageBand for audio.
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That might be the way to go. Thanks.
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"For interface box: Scarlett is dead simple on Mac. I just use GarageBand for audio."
Yes to that - simple, and will provide decent quality. Garageband is grossly under-rated by some - you wouldn't want to record an orchestra on it, but for small scale recordings, it's fully as good as its big brother LogicPro.
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Thank you! Good to hear this. I spent some time trying to get around the more complicated Logic, but returned to Garage Band.
it is obviously a much more reduced in production facilities, but you are going to get the same sound quality from your guitar and a basic backing track.
This is correct isn’t it? No reduction in the sample rate etc ——?Last edited by SeanSeb; 03-14-2026 at 08:31 AM.
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By the way what amp models are recommended by experienced GarageBand users? (For a jazz sound of Ed Bickert, Jim Hall, and maybe Pat Martino world)?
… I know ‘jazz tone’ immediately brings up the usual debate !
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GarageBand is limited to 44.1khz 16bit. Originally Posted by SeanSeb
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That’s good enough for videos, but not albums. Thanks for the info.
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Very interesting thread - especially. for us newbies to Internetting videos and audio content.
I am starting to record, I have a Tascam DP 03 SD with 8 tracks and can be used as a DAW or I can upload mixed and finished tracks to my MAC, which I will do.
Not interested in videos, I would use still photographs to upload to YouTube or FB.
My Mac is of a certain age and won't work with iMovie although it works wit many other apps. I have GarageBand.
My question is: what to use (that's free or inexpensive) to combine photos with audio and get them onto YT and FB ??
Maybe something already mentioned above.... but which one?
Producing videos would probably for me be harder than recording my music tracks!
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Some products mentioned in previous posts are free Reaper and Da vinci (basic) Originally Posted by Jimmy Mack
But VLC would do that for you too as would Quicktime .
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VLC ??? Sorry if I missed what that is.
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A world class "Universal Media Player" Official download of VLC media player, the best Open Source player - VideoLAN Originally Posted by Jimmy Mack
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Rob, how many channels audio do you need for recording?
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Just one. No overdubs. No fellow conspirators.
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In my experience fan noise is not really audible on the recordings. For a while i used an external fan mounted on a self made construction under the laptop, never could hear it on the recordings. Now I'm using a commercial fan-system not audible either.
The NT4 is a cardioid stereo mic, if you place yourself so that the mic's back faces the laptop I bet there would be no audible fan-noise leak. Also: if you'd record two channels you even could take advantage of the stereo feature.
Focusrite interfaces are cheap and work well, they sell a one channel and a two channel version of the Scarlett which is easy to handle. Plenty of free DAW software available with ist.
Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen – Switzerland
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen – Switzerland
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