Tips for Self-recording

Performers will need to record their performances at some point in their lives. A good video can be a precious archive of one’s music career or be submitted for an audition, etc. Although many recording studios or engineers can help with recording, self-recording is a good way to save money and time. In this blog I will share a few tips I discovered while self-recording.

1. Be familiar with the equipment

Because the recording time runs really fast, no matter what equipment you use, you must be familiar with its functions and operating procedures to be more efficient. Especially when recording music videos, some devices need to be additionally set to music/concert mode, so that the sound will keep balanced as well as reduce noise. When I first recorded, I forgot to switch it to the special mode, resulting in a lot of noises in the video, and the music notes in the higher register had popping and buzzing sounds. Too bad I had to record it again. After that, I paid more attention to this detail every time, and I also brought headphones to listen to several tryout clips, playing passages with both loud and soft dynamics, before officially starting recording to see the sound quality, so as not to waste time recording in vain again. In addition, before recording, making sure that there is enough power supply and memory space is also important.

2. Set goals

Setting goals for each recording session is essential for self-recording to motivate yourself. Of course, the goal should not be too lofty, otherwise too much pressure will affect the mood and also lead to failure. After several recordings, my conclusion is that for one session (about two to three hours), it is more effective to record two pieces, each two to three times, and finally select the best performance from all files. Not setting a clear goal often ends up in nothing but disappointment.

3. Getting enough rest

Only by staying physically healthy and getting good rest can you produce quality work. Many people know this, but very few people do it. My so-called “rest” is not only the night before the recording, but also the period from the preparation to the actual recording. Keeping good hours and exercising regularly are good ways for me to promote body strength. Besides, on the recording day, adequate breaks like doing some simple hand exercises are necessary in between each piece's recording. Continuous video recordings will simply wear out the hands, body, and mind, which will eventually lead to poor quality.

Finally, I wish everyone well in getting their performance videos recorded!


Chin-Hsuan Sharon Cheng

關於自己錄影...

演奏家一生中應該都會需要錄影自己的演奏。一個好的錄影檔案，可以當成自己學音樂過程的珍貴典藏或是以後提交試鏡諸如此類。雖然很多音樂工作室或錄音師可以幫忙錄影，但自己錄影也不失是個省錢省事的好方法。在這篇文章我將分享幾個我自己錄影時發現的小要點。

1.熟悉攝影器材
因為錄影場地和時間寶貴，所以無論自己用什麼器材，都要對它的功能和操作流程很熟悉，以節省當場研究的時間。尤其錄音樂影片時，有些設備還需要額外設定成音樂/音樂會模式，聲音才會更平衡且避免錄進很多雜音。我第一次錄的時候就是忘了設置成特別的模式，所以演奏時錄進了很多雜音，而且高音有爆破、震動聲，只好再重新錄一次。之後每次錄我都會留意這個細節，也準備了耳機，正式開始錄之前先試幾個片段，大聲小聲的都試，聽看看效果，以免再次做白工浪費時間。另外，錄影前確保器材有電或是有接上電源、記憶卡有足夠空間，這些也是需要注意的細節。

2. 設定目標
為每次的錄影設定目標也是自己錄影很重要的環節，能讓人比較有動力完成錄影，當然，目標不能過於高遠，否則壓力太大會影響心情，容易失敗。經過幾次錄影，我的總結是一次錄影（大概兩到三小時）設定目標錄好兩首曲子會比較有效率，然後一首曲子大概錄個兩到三次，最後再從所有檔案裡選出表現最好的影片。如果沒有設定清楚當天錄影的目標，常常會毫無頭緒亂錄，最後一事無成，失望收場。


3.充分的休息
養好體力才能有好成品，很多人都知道這個道理，但卻很少人能夠做到。我所謂的休息不只有錄影前一天晚上，更是開始準備錄影到實際錄影的那段期間，早睡早起和規律運動都是我養好精力的好方法。另外，在錄影當天，每首曲子錄影的間隔也是得適當休息，可以做一些簡易的甩手操或健身操，一直無間斷地錄影只會讓手、身體、頭腦更加疲勞，導致接下來的狀態不佳。

最後，希望大家都能順利錄好自己的演奏影片!


Chin-Hsuan Sharon Cheng​