Recording video with an iPad mini and TC Helicon Play Acoustic - Believer

[@lowellirish]

VERY IMPRESSIVE!! Smooth vocals! You hit those notes perfectly. Big props ..👏👏👏👏👏

[@pvsamorgan9803]

Wow! Loved it! Was looking for the TC Helicon review and came across your video. You are a wonderful singer!

[@Jeff_May]

Thanks! I should be practising more :^)

[@erikthomas7766]

This was phenomenal! Great example of what talent and awesome tech can accomplish together!

[@Jeff_May]

Wow - thanks!

[@theshedmusician6403]

Amazing just bought me the pedal… looking forward to trying it out x

[@rhymeskill]

WOW mind blown! I didn't expect that at all, that was incredible! Amazing job!

[@kingfisher34]

Thanks Jeff, the best and easist way to record your own singing!

[@justinburnettemusic]

Sounds great!

[@metalcikiz2779]

Dudeere that was sooo gooood!

[@JesseChoupique]

So cool.

[@woodcarvermusic]

Noice work man. Thats really cool!

[@aritrogold84]

Just awesome! You gave me a 100 new ideas!

[@miggs.countrymusic]

Awesome work man. Heck of a job!!!! What is the TC helicon the only pedal you used for this setup?

[@Jeff_May]

Thanks! Yep, the TCHPA is pretty much all in one looper/effects/voice harmonizer/eq I'd owned a straight looping pedal before, but without any processing. I found it kinda cringy hearing my own guitar and voice without any processing, and I recoiled from using it. The TCHPA sound was the opposite - it encouraged me to keep trying new tunes and arrangements.

[@GeriWardMusic]

Hello Jeff, that was fantastic. I’ve just purchased the TC helicon play acoustic 2nd hand and still very much getting to grips with the basics and I did wonder how I would go about recording my stuff exactly as you have, or indeed if it was possible. As all research has proved futile. Your video is great. Thank you. I wondered if there’s any possibility you could do a video showing how you actually set it up??? Please and thank you. I look forward to hearing so much more from you. You have a lovely voice! Thanks again Sir 🤓🤟🏻

[@Jeff_May]

I would really like to do just that - something more instructional for others to build off of. Time is tight these days, but if I have a chance in upcoming weeks, I'll give it a try!

[@lewchaney2138]

Wow, I'm late to the performance but that was amazing...

[@DavidBryanSmithmusic]

Damn dude. 24th take was the charm. 😎😉

[@Gramrye]

good info and great recording Jeff

[@jessicadelriomusic]

could you tell me how you connect the tc helicon to the ipad? Thanks!

[@Jeff_May]

You'll need a Lightning to Mini USB cable that is rated for data - (MFi certified is probably a good idea too). The one I used is no longer on Amazon.ca - I'll see if I can locate another...

[@realboltfan]

Great song

[@christophermillar395]

hi there thanks for this video been trying to do this for ages, i have been having trouble i have been hooking my guitar and mic into the helicon then into a roland mixer go then into the ipad. good to see i can do away with the roland mixer, as both it and the helicon have pre amps and it hard to set up without it cliping. great video not many explaining this on youtube

[@Stevesoffthecouch]

chris's acoustic covers hey Chris I was just looking for info on play acoustic videos for saving custom vocal settings and came across this.Then I saw you on the comment section. Small world you tube is!

[@ibrahimacisse2165]

Nice review, i've just got mine and still wondering how i can connect it to a dslr and which equipments i should use

[@LAIRAMOS7]

Hello amazing 👏 😍 💛

[@lowellirish]

Jeff...You need to be a REP for TC Helicon!! You'd do awesome at NAMI !!

[@Jeff_May]

Hah! Those reps are living, breathing wizards at what they do! I have a lot of work to do before I could show my face at an open mic, let alone NAMI :^)

[@lowellirish]

@@Jeff_May yeah, Not IMO

[@joelpotts563]

Nice job! I just did this setup for the first time tonight and it sounded great, but I thought the usb output to be a little low. I have it pegged in that section that allows you to adjust it (mix or setup - can’t remember which), so I’m wondering if you’re encountering this as well, or perhaps I’m missing another setting.

[@Jeff_May]

I agree with you - the levels are a little too low. I have an idea that there's an iPad "Audio Bus" app that MIGHT let us push the audio through Garage Band. That could let us boost gain, and add a little EQ or compression. The idea is to keep it simple, but if it can all be done on an iPad (or iPhone) I think that it could be a game changer!

[@BarbershopBeatbox]

Nice! Did you just have overdub on for the first part and kept recording over? I know you mentioned that it took you several takes to get this down but do you feel like with practice this would be able to consistently replicate in a live setting? Sounds great btw!

[@Jeff_May]

Yup - pretty much! I think it might actually be easier to replicate live - if you miss a lyric or squawk a note live, you just gotta play through it. This recording session was under rehearsed, and I brute-forced my way around the mistakes by restarting too many times. It was good exercise though!

[@firetoung]

2:50 nice

[@Mj-bg2uj]

Hey Jeff , great video .. I’m trying to do this and connect to my iPhone .. I see the specs for play acoustic says USB-B cable .. but that looks too big for some reason.. do I need the USB-B mini to lightning ?

[@Jeff_May]

Yup - a USB mini to lightning (data) cable should do it. Get a regular mini cable AND a lightning to USB adapter to make it easy and cheap. They both need to support data. I think that I'd tried a couple of solutions before I found the right combination. Something like the ones found in these amazon links: www.amazon.ca/Charging-Compatible-Digital-Camera-Controller/dp/B08JY8D1SX www.amazon.ca/Certified-Lightning-Adapter-Compatible-Keyboard/dp/B08YX9RF3V

[@Mj-bg2uj]

@@Jeff_May thank you ! I just ordered something very similar.. I tried the first setup I had and I don’t think it worked .. just went back and read the description and it wasn’t rated for data so I hope that was the issue .. thanks again for the help ! Once I get the cables are there any settings I have to change in the play acoustic itself to record via usb or just setup the cable , attach it to the phone and it should work ?

[@Jeff_May]

I was able to just send the USB signal into the iPad mini, and it behaved like a USB microphone for IOS. Let me know how it works for you!

[@eosterhout4078]

So the odd thing is, when I record this straight to my iPad mini 6 from the TCH Play Acoustic, it sounds great played back while the USB is still connected to the TCHPA, but when I just play it disconnected from the TCHPA, straight out of the iPad mini, it's somewhat quiet. In the Mix settings, I have the Out Level on the TCHPA maxed out, and TCHPA Output to Stereo. Is there something I am missing?

[@garyjamieson9104]

Just confirming Jeff - is the Play Acoustic recorded directly into the iPad as the videos audio source or are you having to bring the audio and video together via editing in iMovie or similar? Any help greatly appreciated. Looking for the simplest solution:) 😊

[@Jeff_May]

The Play Acoustic was plugged directly into the iPad Mini with the USB cable using a Mini to Lightning adapter at the iPad's end. The video was shot straight from the iPad's camera recorder without editing. It was the simplest of setups, and everything seemed to be in sync!

[@garyjamieson9104]

@@Jeff_May Thank you. I am going to give this a try. Simple (but still maintaining quality of the Play Acoustic) is what I am after. Will let you know how I go :)

[@garyjamieson9104]

It worked going straight into my iPhone😀 thank you!

[@n0w.1j]

How are you recording the audio from TC? GarageBand? Or is it replacing the camera audio automatically when you have it connected?

[@Jeff_May]

The TCHPA just automatically replaced the iPads other input audio as the video was recorded. The video file was then uploaded directly to KZbin - no postproduction - VERY simple!

[@gforcex64]

Couldn't you also use the Apple Camera adapter as well which, will allow you to charge the iPad as well?

Hola, excelente sonido. Podría compartir su configuración? Gain guitar Gain microphone USB Out Mix

[@Jeff_May]

I didn't pay too much attention to the settings at the time, so I don't know what specific levels they were dialed in to. If I can put another one of these together, I'll try to have a second camera record the configuration and setup better!

[@Alemski]

did you just plug tc into Kabel into lighting and start iPad mini camera? thanks

[@Jeff_May]

Yup - it was shockingly easy!

[@16666bruno]

Great! Did you record audio and video at the same time?

[@Jeff_May]

YES! That made things considerably easier, although I didn't have any chance to EQ the audio - the only processing is on the TCHPA pedal. Will have to tweak it to see if it can punch up the bass a bit more

[@WizSings]

Can you put audio true the pedal Aswell like for using backingtracks?

[@firetoung]

Does it still works with ios devices!?? I want to setup one budget recording setup

[@NOA_musician]

Hi Jeff, can I use camera Nikon for this?) Not ipad

[@Jeff_May]

You should try! The point of this session was to keep production as simple as possible. I've recorded Nikon DSLR videos before, but you'd have to figure out how to record the audio from the effects pedal, then sync it in post production. It gets done all the time, but you need the hardware and software to do all that. I liked having just an iPad merge the audio and video together with very little hassle, and no post production.

[@bernard_cfam7591]

what were the settings you selected for vocal and guitar? i have a play acoustic but still trying to figure out what setting should i use for the effects

[@Jeff_May]

I believe it was TCH Play Acoustic "WKIN ON THE SUN" that matched fairly well. The tempo of the echo matched well too!

[@kaywoodparsons1874]

So good dude! Is there an app on the ipad as well?

[@Jeff_May]

Nope - just the regular camera

[@SteveSingerFowkes]

Need to show what your actual set up is rather than just the performance

[@Jeff_May]

That's a really good thought - I wish the same when I watch someone like Kawehi's videos. I think I'll try to get back into it and make something more instructive.

[@SteveSingerFowkes]

Sounds great!

[@jeffharrison9185]

Amazing ...come to the Keys ... you could work 7 days a week!

[@Jeff_May]

That'd be a great goal to aspire to! It would be great to be able to develop a solid few sets of tunes and commit the lyrics to memory. I'm thinking that the looping should be used sparingly. It might get a bit gimmicky if overplayed.

[@Freddy0631]

😂

[@firetoung]

now we all know this can connect to ios