So you've written a sweet song, and like a true rock star you want to record your work. Luckily for you, even you don't have much cash, you can still make a decent recording using your computer. One of the most important things needed for good recording is a good microphone. There are many great microphones out there for recording, including some specialized for computer recording. Even on a budget, there is a plethora of options to get musicians on the path to making a great recording. However, there are some basic questions you need to consider before making your mic purchase.

What will you be recording?

Recordings could be as simple as a solo keyboard or electric guitar or as complicated as a full band. If you are planning on recording an instrument like acoustic guitar or vocals, you will likely need to invest in a decent microphone. There are different types of microphone, mainly categorized as either dynamic or condenser. For things like voice or acoustic guitar, condenser mics are much preferred because they capture more of the complete sound of a room. However, dynamic microphones may be more versatile and don't require phantom power to operate. Phantom power is a voltage that needs to be supplied by a pre-amp for some microphones to work.

USB Microphones

However, for those who want to invest for far superior quality, there are several options. Firstly, there are microphones specialized for computer recording that plug right into your computer's usb port. Before buying these, it's important to check their compatibility with whatever recording program you're using. A list of available usb microphones is available through a great online music store called Musician's Friend.  From experience, I will vouch for the MXL 990 usb microphone as a great relatively inexpensive usb condenser microphone, at $99.95. The great thing about this mic is that it come with a little stand and a sturdy case. The sound quality is great, and from my experience it's pretty reliable. The MXL 990 can be purchased from Musician's Friend. If you're on a tight budget, Nady makes a usb mic that only costs $31.95. It too can be purchased from Musician's Friend.

Dynamic Mics

If you need your microphone to be very versatile, you may want to invest in a dynamic microphone.  These can be great for micing things like guitar amps or drums. A great, fairly cheap dynamic mic is the Shure SM57. It is considered to be "the industry standard" and is a great general-use workhorse microphone. They cost about $99 new, but they are so popular that it is fairly easy to find a used one for cheaper. Another great feature of the Shure SM57 is it's solid build. It's a very sturdy mic that can survive a few drops or kicks. If you want a cheaper option, Behringer makes some incredibly inexpensive microphones that only cost about $25 each. These might be good if you are on a tight budget but your project requires lots of microphones. Quality wise, they are not up to par with Shure, and are built with more questionable quality.

Condensers

Condenser mics as previously mentioned are great for recording things like vocals and acoustic guitar, and can really capture the richness of sound you experience when you're playing live. Condenser mics can run up over $8000, but there are several affordable options as well. For an affordable option, MXL makes a version of the 990 (as previously mentioned) without usb capability. This mic only costs $70, making it a great coice for someone on a budget. For a step up in quality, Studio Projects makes a fantastic condenser mic called the B3. It retails for under $150 and sounds very good. More info on tis quality mic can be found at Studio Project's website.

Built-in Computer Mics

Some computers come with basic microphones, but generally the quality of these is very poor and they are apt to clip or distort easily when you are recording. If you're really desperate and just want to use the little mic that came with your computer, you can cover it with a sock. As strange as this sounds, it prevents some of the clipping problems that are commonly found when recording with these mics. With this method you can get some rough recordings down.

Lastly, it's important to make sure the mic you buy will work with your recording set-up. Condenser mics will likely also require a pre-amp with phantom power, so it's important to consider these costs as well when purchasing a mic. Good luck and enjoy your next recording project!

The video-sharing phenomenon, youtube, has made its mark on computer screens around the world. Now everyday people are getting in on the filmmaking action posting videos of varying quality. A random look at a recent day’s most-viewed videos on youtube includes topics ranging from “A Sloppy Drunk” and “A Guy Goes Shopping with a Stocking on His Head” to “Healthy, Quick, and Easy Recipes” and “An Interview with Bruce Willis”. 

Whether users are after their fifteen minutes of fame or are using the site to share videos with family and friends, youtube does have a variety of uses that go beyond mere entertainment. For example, one often overlooked use of youtube is in conjunction with eBay or other online marketplaces.

For example, if you are selling an item online such as a car, RV, or boat, consider posting a video of it on youtube and providing a link in your online description. This gives buyers the opportunity to fall in love with your item by seeing it in much greater detail than mere photos can provide.

Another youtube use is for sharing videos of the family with grandparents. This offers immediate gratification of seeing the little ones in action without the need for shipping off tapes or DVDs. You can even make your videos private by going into the My Videos section and choosing the Edit Video Info button. Simply find the broadcast section and click the option that says Private.

Use youtube when planning a family reunion. Ask family members from around the globe to post short videos showing a little bit about their lifestyle before the reunion. This allows everyone to get reacquainted beforehand and makes a terrific icebreaker. It also allows family members to show off their homes and hobbies as well as reveal a little about themselves that otherwise might not get shared.

Get creative and dream up new uses for video-sharing on youtube. You too can youtube.

When shopping for your wedding videographer, you’ll be faced with a variety of packages to choose from including the basic single camera shoot to elaborate choices featuring extensive editing and multiple cameras. One option that is well worth the extra money is the "Highlights" video.

As much as you and your guests enjoyed the day, how realistic is that anyone is going to sit through a two-hour video of your wedding? The two-hour version is for you, your future children, and posterity. A shorter version of the highlights is the one you’ll watch over and over with family and friends. In fact, you’ll likely enjoy this version even more than the longer one because it cuts to the chase and shows the main points.

Work with your videographer to discuss how much of the ceremony you want to include. You may want to choose one classical song and condense the seating of the important family members such as elderly grandparents. Instead of showing their entire slow approach, the editor can use techniques such as dissolves to condense this and show them as they approach the camera and take their seats. You may want to skip this altogether and begin with the procession, move quickly through to the vows and kiss, and then cover the reception highlights including the entrance, cake-cutting, toasts, first dance, and so on.

The key to making your wedding highlights video exactly what you want is communication with your videographer or the person who is going to edit the video. Ask to see a few samples of their previous highlight videos and select one whose style matches what you expect out of yours. Discuss music, length, whether you want certain readings or speeches included, and how much reception dancing footage to include and then back off and let the editor make your dreams come true.

What’s an ideal length to shoot for? It depends on how elaborate the wedding was to start with but an average target length should be between fifteen to twenty minutes. You want it to be short enough so that you will actually want to share it and your friends will actually want to watch it. Music sequences and good editing will keep it moving - both in pacing as well as emotionally.

Be sure to order multiple copies because this is the version you’ll want to send to family and friends who were not able to attend the wedding. Save the longer versions for immediate family and grandparents.

And now for an example of a great wedding video called the JK Wedding Entrance Dance. This shows how creativity and video can go hand in hand in making your day a lasting memory for video. Almost makes you wanna try it out!

Its the Great VideoCelt Contest!

VideoCelt.com is currently holding a contest in celebration of our newly released upgrades and enhancements to our site. Help celebrate with us by adding videos to our site and you can win prizes, cash and become famous. Well, maybe not famous - but atleast famous on VideoCelt.com!

The key to this contest is to suggest the most videos from now until November 30, 2009. The top prize is a $50 cash payment - now that will be help with Christmas just around the corner! Here is the full breakdown of all of the prizes available for this contest:

1) $50 + Premium Upgrade
2) $25 + Premium Upgrade
3) $10 + Premium Upgrade
4) Premium Upgrade
5) Premium Upgrade
6) Premium Upgrade
7) CD & Celtic Radio Bumper Sticker
8) CD & Celtic Radio Bumper Sticker
9) CD & Celtic Radio Bumper Sticker
10) CD & Celtic Radio Bumper Sticker 

The premium upgrade refers to a Celtic Radio Premium upgrade for 1 year which is a $20 value.

Rules of the Contest

- Videos must be approved to count.
- No amature "live" video recordings.
- Must be a video, not a slideshow or song.
- Cash prizes will be paid through paypal.
- Cash prize does not include paypal fee.
- Prizes must be claimed within 30 days.

Track the results here: http://www.videocelt.com/contest.php

Be sure to send this link on to all of your friends and family so we can make VideoCelt the #1 Celtic Video site!

To Suggest a Video, Visit this Link:

http://www.videocelt.com/suggest.html

Have fun and looking forward to all of the new videos!

It's pretty obvious that one of the reasons cell phone cameras are so popular is they're so convenient. Many people carry their phones everywhere. Few carry their cameras everywhere.

The same is true for video cameras. It's easy to shoot a quick video clip with your cell phone camera; it's not so easy to haul around tons of equipment.

But while cell phone camera technology is constantly improving, cell phone videos are often short, grainy and blurry, discouraging many people from using their "video" setting very often.

It doesn't have to be this way. Here are eight tips to shoot better cell phone videos.

Before you start shooting:

Make sure you're using the highest resolution.
Check your options or settings menu when you're in video camera mode. My Samsung Sync offers two choices: 176 pixels by 144 pixels, or 128 pixels by 96 pixels. Other phones give you a choice between 320-by-240, or 640-by-480. Pick the highest numbers your camera offers. Higher resolution videos eat up more memory, but it's worth it.

Make sure your phone is not set to end the clip automatically after a set period of time.
The Sync offers choices such as 10 seconds, 30 seconds or full memory. If your phone has a full memory option, or something that appears similar, pick that. It will keep the camera recording as long as you want or until the phone's memory fills up. You can always edit it down later.

Check the memory on your phone to make sure you have enough. If you need more, get more.
I had a Nokia 6102i that had a nice camera but had only a few megabytes of memory. I could only record a little more than a minute of video. Many newer phones today have much larger internal memory capacities and are expandable via MicroSD or other cards. If you're a serious cell phone video enthusiast, you can carry several cards and swap them out as needed. That means your phone memory is limited only by your budget and how many cards you can physically carry. If you're not sure whether your phone's memory is expandable, check your manual.

Make sure the lens area is clean.
It's easy to get a fingerprint smudge on the plastic in front of your camera phone lens. You don't want that showing up during your videos, so make sure you wipe the plastic area clean before you begin.

Once you're shooting:

Lighting, lighting, lighting.
It takes a lot of light to produce a good cell phone video picture. You'll find your best shots typically come outdoors on sunny days. Inside, you'll need well-lit rooms with lots of sunshine or bright lamps. It's possible to shoot at night or in dark rooms, but your videos will be much grainier and blurrier.

Get up close and personal with your subjects. Don't use the zoom.
Whether you end up watching your video on your phone or on a computer, the picture is going to be small. Try to avoid making the subjects inside the frame small as well. If you're shooting someone who is talking, hold the phone up fairly close to him or her. Your subject might think it's weird at first, but most people get used to it pretty quickly. The same goes for objects, like cars or buildings. Get up close and fill the frame with your subject. Try to avoid using the camera zoom lens; zooming is usually choppy on a camera phone.

Move the camera as little as possible. If you have to move it, do it slowly.
Once you've started shooting, keep the camera as still as possible to reduce blur. If you do need to pan or move around somehow, do it slowly to reduce blurriness and jerkiness (unless you're moving simply to line up another shot, and you plan on cutting out the movement later during the editing process; then, it doesn't really matter). To keep the camera steady while shooting, try resting your hand or elbow on a flat surface for stability, or leaning against a wall or doorway.

Most importantly, have fun.
Let's be honest. If you're using a cell phone to shoot a video, it's probably not something too terribly serious or important (although there are notable exceptions, such as a car accident or other disaster). So why not have fun? Don't worry too much about things turning out perfectly - it's a camera in a phone, after all. Just enjoy yourself and try your best to make a video that you and your friends will like to watch.