Geoff from geoffmobile.com reviews the Sony ICD-SX712 recorder device, which is an amazing, tiny audio recorder that is ideal for recording live music, concerts, location audio / ambient sounds for films, dialog for film, lectures, meetings, making podcasts and personal voice notes.

It has two built in mics that can fold out to a wide stereo pattern (for great stereo imaging for a live band, for example) or fold in for a single direction (for recording an interview for example). It also has an external mic jack (stereo miniplug, powered) that can accommodate a mono lapel mic or a stereo mic. It has MP3 recording mode good for lectures or meetings. Also, for recording music or film work it has excellent uncompressed linear 44.1khz 16 bit wav recording mode, as well as manual recording gain, level monitoring, and headphone jack for monitoring a live recording or playback. Mastering these WAV files has given me excellent results!

Like other Sony devices, the sx712 has a “hold” lock switch that prevents the buttons from being activated while the unit is in your pocket. This is a really handy feature, and guarantees that once you start the unit recording and activate the lock, you won’t accidentally stop the recording by hitting a button.

The device can record on to its internal memory, or a micro SD card (slot on the side). i currently have an 8GB micro SD card on my unit, and this is more than enough for pretty much anyone!

My only issue with the unit (which is not that serious) is that the headphone gain does not go extremely loud at its maximum volume, which is fine for listening to mastered audio (as it also functions as an MP3 player), but for monitoring a live recording in manual gain mode, this makes it a bit harder to notice problems in the audio. Possibly this problem could be worked around with a headphone gain booster device.

Technical notes:
The audio of my voice for this video was recorded using the Sony ICD-SX712 using an external lapel mic. The audio was compressed (dynamic compression, not size compression) using a 2:1 compression ratio in Audacity and synced with the video using Pluraleyes from Singular Software. The camera used is a Canon EOS T2i (550d) using the kit lens 18-55 IS, manual white balance, Magic Lantern, Technicolor Cinestyle picture style. For this vlog, the EOS Utility was used to show the live view on my computer monitor from the camera so I could get focus. Edited with Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 (legally licensed version, actually 5.5.2). In Premiere I applied RGB Curves to add contrast, and Three-way Color Corrector to add some blue tones to the shadows.

Thanks for watching!
See you next time,
Geoff

geoffmobile.com

Song For Mom (Composed by Joel Frahm)

www.joelfrahm.com/

Performed by jazz duo:

Neil Peters (alto saxophone)
Geoff Peters (piano)

My dad, Neil Peters, learned this song from his amazing and incredible awesome saxophone / jazz combo instructor Joel Frahm when he attended the Centrum Jazz Workshop in Port Townsend Washington this past July 2011.

From what I heard from my dad, and the recordings from the camp, I highly recommend the Centrum Jazz Workshop in Port Townsend. Top world class faculty, an amazing jazz immersion experience and a focus on real musicianship and creativity. Maybe I’ll go sometime!!

www.centrum.org/jazz/

The piano I played in this video is a beautiful Steinway Grand that has been passed down through my family. It was purchased by my grandparents in the 1960′s and is in excellent working condition. I love this piano!!

Recorded on a Sony ICD-SX712 (ICDSX712B) Digital Voice Recorder using the on-board stereo microphones that come with the unit. This is a fantastic recording unit that is perfect for recording live music. It records in professional uncompressed 16bit WAV format which is ideal for mastering.

How to buy this recorder:

store.sony.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=20153&catalogId=100803&langId=200&productId=8198552921666290102

I mastered this audio using the free software called Audacity, which is available for both Windows and Mac.

audacity.sourceforge.net/

My mastering consisted of applying some dynamics compression using the “Dynamic Range Compressor” effect in Audacity. I used the following settings:
Threshold: -14 db
Noise Floor: -80 db
Ratio: 3:1
Attack Time: 0.2 secs
Decay Time: 1.0 secs
(Make up gain unchecked)
Then used the Amplify Effect to -0.2 db.
Trimmed beginning and end of track, and added fade out.

My dad, Neil Peters, has been passionate about the saxophone for the last 15 years. I really love playing music with him. Thank you so much Dad for sharing your beautiful music with me and everyone!!

My jazz band’s website (where you can hear more music from me) is at:

www.gpeters.com

We’re also on iTunes. The album is called Quiet Night and it’s by the Geoff Peters Trio.

Thanks a lot for watching, and please subscribe, like, and comment this video!!

All the best,
Geoff Peters
Vancouver BC Canada

gpeters.com

Video notes:
Recorded with a Sony Cybershot DSC-HX7V with manual white balance set.
Edited using Adobe Premiere CS 5.5 on a Dell computer running Windows 7.

Some adjustments were made to the color and tones in this video using the Fast Color Corrector. Some of the shadows were darkened and the midtones decreased in brightness, to give a more natural look.

Free MP3 download:
The Mp3 of this video performance is available for free at:

www.gpeters.com/tracks/2011/

as featured on www.dineouthere.com

Benkei Ramen
545 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC, Canada
phone: (604) 568-6178

This is one of my favorite Japanese Ramen restaurants in Vancouver. Service is prompt and friendly, the menu is easy to decide from and the food comes out quickly! And it tastes great, not too oily.

www.benkeiramen.com

Shown in video:
-interior of Benkei Ramen
-Curry Ramen soup
-Onigiri (sticky rice balls wrapped with seaweed)
-Beef Curry with Rice

Filmed with a Sony Cybershot DSC-HX7V in full 1080i HD.
Edited in Windows Live Movie Maker.

This has been another “mmm very nice” restaurant video from geoffmobile.com

See you next time!
Geoff

www.geoffmobile.com

Deer Garden Signatures
2015-8580 Alexandra Road
Richmond, BC, Canada

www.deergarden.ca

as featured on www.dineouthere.com

This restaurant is a popular place to get bowls of custom-made soups. Pick a broth, the ingredients, and a drink, and enjoy a huge bowl of authentic delicious Chinese soup. Richmond BC Canada is a suburb of Vancouver BC Canada.

Shown in video:
-interior of restaurant
-soup menu
-fish soup
-Laksa soup
-Fish puffs
-eating the soup!!

Thanks very much.

This has been another “mmm” video from geoffmobile.com

Filmed on a Sony Cybershot DSC-HX7V in full 1080i HD.
See you next time!

-Geoff

Update, June 14th 2011
The idea has now been implemented (thanks to Sai!) and is available at instantmashup.com

main screen:
-ask two questions:
1) What do you want in the video? (e.g. kittens, obama, football)
2) What kind of music do you want in the video? (e.g. rock music, jazz, Beatles, Bieber, death metal, etc).

Click the “Go” button and then it creates an instant mashup with a video containing the first search term, e.g. some cute kittens, and mashes it up with the music from the second search term, e.g. death metal.

Examples:
1)
video: kittens
music: death metal

2)
video: obama
music: harpsichord

3)
video: bieber
music: Beethoven Symphony No. 3

instantmashup.com/instant.php?q=Bieber+and+Mozart

How does it work?
-The website is coded in Javascript using JQuery.
-It accesses the free Youtube Javascript API to execute the Search terms, finds the video for the picture and the sound, and then uses the Javascript API to play both videos at the same time.
-It sets the volume of the first video to 0 (off) and hides the second video from the screen, so only its audio plays.

Extensions on the idea, to develop further:
-allow the mashups to be saved and shared with others
-create a rating system for mashups, build a community around sharing mashups
-Integrate with Tumblr and wordpress.
-Monetization using Google Adsense

Please do not patent this idea. it deserves to belong to everyone, not a specific corporation. This video serves as proof that I invented the idea on May 22nd 2011, so please take it and develop the idea for yourself, and please share it with the world!

Thanks a lot.
Geoff

useful links:
Youtube Javascript API:

code.google.com/apis/youtube/js_api_reference.html

JQuery:

jquery.com/

(this video was filmed on a Sony Cybershot DSC HX7V and edited in Windows Live Movie Maker. All background music in this video was created by Geoff Peters and/or Marcus Emmanuel Barnes, used with permission).

www.dineouthere.com

The Chef’s Special at Deserts on Commercial Drive is really fantastic. For around $7 or $8 you get a heaping plate of delicious vegetarian curries, a true satisfying delight! Vegan options are also available.

Deserts the Falafel Oasis
905 Commercial Drive
Vancouver, BC, Canada
(604) 568-0776

Filmed with a Sony Cybershot DSC-HX7V and edited in Windows Live Movie Maker.

Rae K. (tenor sax) and Geoff P. (piano) perform an improvised version of You and the Night and the Music, composed by Arthur Schwartz and lyrics by Howard Dietz.

Rae’s Blog:

raekang.wordpress.com/

Geoff’s Band Website (free MP3 downloads):

www.gpeters.com

Audio recorded with: Sony Minidisc MZ-NH700 and a Sony ECM-MS907 condenser microphone

Video recorded with: Sony DSC-HX7V

For a free MP3 download of this performance, please visit:

www.gpeters.com/tracks/youtube7/

Here is my video review of the Graduate, a play by the Arts Club Theatre Company being shown at the Granville Island Stage, April 14th to May 14th 2011.

Based on the story in the classic 1967 film The Graduate and the 1963 novel by Charles Webb. This is a wonderful piece of theatre that really showcases the amazing talents for the arts and the stage that Vancouver has to offer. I highly recommend seeing it.

Directed by Lois Anderson, starring Camille Mitchell and Kayvon Khoshkam.

Visit the Arts Club Theatre Company’s web page:

www.artsclub.com/

Video review by GeoffMobile:

www.geoffmobile.com

Great Chinese restaurant in Richmond, BC, Canada.

“No. 9 Restaurant” – that’s the restaurant’s name.
5300 No 3 Road (Lansdowne Centre)
Richmond, BC V6X 2X9
(604) 278-7700

Shown in video:

Restaurant patrons.
Restaurant table with tea, plates, bowls, and chopsticks.
Seafood Chow Mein with crispy noodles.
Seafood Congee
Fried spicy tofu.

Open 24 hours! Great for a late night meal. Food comes out really fast and it tastes super good.

as featured on www.dineouthere.com

In this video I review my new favorite album, Gabriel Santiago. Check out Gabriel Santiago on iTunes!