Playing with backing track

[The Danish Piper]

Hello everyone

What are you advices for recording a video, were you play along with a backing-track?

I was thinking about playing the backing on a separate loudspeaker and adjust the volume to my whistle.
But I am not quite sure, that I am happy with that result.
I think the quality is not as good as having two separate tracks going into somekind of mixer, but I dont know much about that kint of recording.

Are someone having some good experiences and advices?

[Sirchronique]

I’m sure there are several ways to do this, but I can explain how I’d do this with the things I have on hand, if I were wanting to do so.

I have an EQ pedal with an Aux-in port and headphone port. This makes it very simple. Microphone goes into mic-preamp, and mic preamp goes into the pedal, and the pedal can go into the recording interface or the audio input of whatever you are recording to. Depending on what type of mic you are using, you might not need the mic preamp for your purposes.

You can then plug the source of your backing track into the aux-in of the pedal. You can also plug headphones into it. This way, you are hearing yourself, and the backing track, and the backing track is being recorded at a good quality along with what you’re playing because it isn’t losing quality by coming out of a speaker and then through the mic.

I don’t actually record with backing tracks, but I use this just as a way to play music with myself by running in a recording of me playing the same thing on a different instrument. It can be a fun thing to do from time to time. It’s like having a pseudo-session with clones of myself playing different instruments from the comfort of my own bed. However, one could certainly record such things with this method or use other tracks from other people instead of recordings of yourself.


However, you could probably make it much more simple than what I’ve described above. Any recording interface with an aux-in port and headphone port on it should be able to allow for the same thing with fewer steps. You just plug whatever is playing the backing track into the Aux in. This way you are hearing the backing track as you’re playing, and the backing track you are hearing is being recorded along with your instrument you are playing. What you hear in your headphones (yourself+backing track) is what’s being recorded.


You didn’t mention what you are recording with, but I’m assuming a regular microphone and a PC. Depending on the mic and device, the options may be different.

Of course there are many ways to accomplish what I’ve mentioned with software, but what I’ve mentioned doesn’t require fiddling with any of that, and accomplishes it all with hardware.

[The Danish Piper]

I’m sure there are several ways to do this, but I can explain how I’d do this with the things I have on hand, if I were wanting to do so.
...
You didn’t mention what you are recording with, but I’m assuming a regular microphone and a PC. Depending on the mic and device, the options may be different.
...
Of course there are many ways to accomplish what I’ve mentioned with software, but what I’ve mentioned doesn’t require fiddling with any of that, and accomplishes it all with hardware.

Hi Sirchronique
Thanks for the reply.
I will get some of that recording gear you mention and try to get things to work.

When making recordings today, I use a Zoom recorder. When I want a recording with video, I just use my smartphone and use the Zoom as an external microphone.
That works very well.
But when wanting to play along with a backing track, I can hear the track, but no sound is comming on the video.

Maby in this case, using a smartphone for videorecording, is not the best option.

[Sirchronique]

Does the zoom recorder have an aux-in port? If so, just plugging the source of the backing track into that should do it.

Alternatively, for smartphone recording you could get something like an iRig. Some of their models have that port. You can plug your zoom recorder into that along with your backing track, if you get the model that allows for it. That would be a very simple solution and doesn’t require all the things I mentioned.

[The Danish Piper]

My zoom recorder has an in-put where I can use two large Jacks going into it, and one small in the other end.
This may be a "beginners question" but is that the same as an aux-in port?
It also has a mode where I can use 4 channels at one time.

The irig you mention seems like a good connection for getting this to work along with Phone recording.
Do you know, if irig is something only for iPhones.
(I currently use Android-system)

[Sirchronique]

My zoom recorder has an in-put where I can use two large Jacks going into it, and one small in the other end.
This may be a "beginners question" but is that the same as an aux-in port?
It also has a mode where I can use 4 channels at one time.

The irig you mention seems like a good connection for getting this to work along with Phone recording.
Do you know, if irig is something only for iPhones.
(I currently use Android-system)

You’ll have to check the specs, but I think iRig can still work.

I don’t know what kind of inputs your device has. An aux-in port is about like a headphone input sized hole (the little hole on yours could be for headphones instead, I don’t know). It usually says “aux” right next to the hole. Do you have a link to the device you are using?

If the two larger inputs you mentioned are 1/4” slots, then you could probably get that to work with whatever you are playing the backing music from, too; with the right adapters. For example, converting from a headphone/speaker out to 1/4” and plugging it in.

[The Danish Piper]

You’ll have to check the specs, but I think iRig can still work.

I don’t know what kind of inputs your device has. An aux-in port is about like a headphone input sized hole (the little hole on yours could be for headphones instead, I don’t know). It usually says “aux” right next to the hole. Do you have a link to the device you are using?

If the two larger inputs you mentioned are 1/4” slots, then you could probably get that to work with whatever you are playing the backing music from, too; with the right adapters. For example, converting from a headphone/speaker out to 1/4” and plugging it in.

I am using this recorder:
https://zoomcorp.com/en/us/handheld-rec ... s/h4n-pro/

It works really great.
I have earlier made recordings with it, with backing tracks. Just musictracks - No video.

I just can't seem to get it to work, when I want to connect it to video via my Phone. When doing this, only the sound of microphone is getting on the video.
I can hear the backing, but it is not comming on the video.

[Sirchronique]

Okay, it looks like it only has a headphone port.


In that case, you should be able to play your backing track on a device, and then plug the headphone/speaker output of that device into the second 1/4” input on your recording device.

I believe an inexpensive adapter should be all you need.

[The Danish Piper]

Thanks Sirchronique
Your input will help me to get along with this.

[Tremendouz]

Personally, I would record the video with whatever camera you have access to. Don't worry about sound quality since we'll not be using that audio.

For the audio part, I'd use a DAW (digital audio workstation) such as REAPER on a computer to both play back the backing track to your headphones, and to record the sound with a microphone or any kind of recorder that's plugged into the computer (or if you have a proper recording setup, an audio interface).

Then I would simply align the recorded audio (including the backing track) with the recorded video in a video editor, and mute the video track so that we only hear the high quality audio, not the camera/phone microphone.

This will of course mean that the microphone and headphones / earbuds are visible in the video but if you don't mind that, this is a good way to get a recording with good audio quality that the listeners who care about that aspect will appreciate.

Zoom H1N would be a decent choice for this since it has the capability to record audio, but also act as an audio interface when plugged into a computer. Also, you can plug headphones directly into it. All in all, more convenient than lugging around an audio interface, mic and mic stand if the setup needs to be portable.