My group is looking into eventually recording our sessions, but probably not live streaming. We’re online right now but will be in person in the fall. What are the best platforms/softwares for recording online sessions that don’t necessarily mean streaming? And what methods would you use for in-person sessions? Would it be plausible/worthwhile to get cameras for all the players at the table, or would microphones suffice?
I dunno about in person but... If you are trying to record outputs of several different softwares (discord and Roll 20 or something), IMO, the best bang for your buck (since it is FREE), is OBS (Open Broadcasting Software) -- https://obsproject.com/.
It takes a little trial and error but you can easily record multiple streams. Those professional ones you see when they have say all the player videos in small boxes down one side, the DM's on the other, and a map or something in the middle, were probably done via OBS. It's very good at that kind of thing and gives you tons of control. Again... takes some playing around to get it to work.
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WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
There's a bunch of different options depending on how much money you want to spend and how much time you want to put into things! I'll talk about audio in specific, as that's my jam.
For audio the most important thing is a good quality microphone and a little bit of time spent playing with the settings to get you to best quality for your room, either in person or online. From simple headset mics to Snowballs, to Blue Yeti, to super professional set ups, all are going to have quirks and will react to different rooms in different ways. In general I suggest keeping your gain as low as possible and the mic as close as possible to the person talking. This will help eliminate a lot of room noise and get as clear a sound from the person talking as possible. Also try to put up things on the walls that can collect sound to reduce echo...blankets and pillows are a great, easy, inexpensive option to throw around and dampen noise.
For in person sessions all the same applies. If you don't have the money for everyone to have their own mic, I suggest investing in one really good mic that does omni-directional (like a Blue Yeti) and trying to get everyone as close to the mic as possible.
Also even the free audio software out there, like Audacity, has Noise Removal options for post processing. They are your friend.
If you have any other specific questions feel free to ask, I'm happy to help!
Thank you for the insight! I'll be sure to pass along your advice to my players, so we can improve conditions. Right now, I'm just teaching a few new players the ropes of the game, so we can play well when we meet in college. We are using anything from built-in microphones to headsets, for audio. In college, I do plan to get us a quality microphone, so thank you for the brand suggestions! I'll make sure we muffle the room with every blanket we can muster, when we play "professionally."
Here is another question: Given the option, what program would you use for recording specifically online sessions and uploading them to, say, YouTube? And if we don't use video in college, would our sessions still be immersive enough as a podcast? We're using Facebook Messenger for our session calls, at the moment.
Thanks! I checked out OBS, and you're right: it certainly looks like it has a learning curve. I will see what my group thinks, but we may keep looking for something simpler and more intuitive. But again, thank you for the suggestion!!
As for IRL tabletop recording, you might want to look into a 360 camera like the GoPro MAX mounted near the center of the table. That way you can film -everything- at the table, and then decide your framing in post.
Thank you for the insight! I'll be sure to pass along your advice to my players, so we can improve conditions. Right now, I'm just teaching a few new players the ropes of the game, so we can play well when we meet in college. We are using anything from built-in microphones to headsets, for audio. In college, I do plan to get us a quality microphone, so thank you for the brand suggestions! I'll make sure we muffle the room with every blanket we can muster, when we play "professionally."
Here is another question: Given the option, what program would you use for recording specifically online sessions and uploading them to, say, YouTube? And if we don't use video in college, would our sessions still be immersive enough as a podcast? We're using Facebook Messenger for our session calls, at the moment.
I'm not an expert in the video side, though I know a lot of video call software let's you record your sessions. Zoom, for example, let's you record your video and audio if you want.
For podcasts, immersive is a question of content IMHO, though audio quality helps a LOT. At this point it depends on why you're looking to record your sessions. Are you doing it for fun, just really for you and your friends? Or do you want to put it out as a podcast for others to enjoy? There's no reason to be worried about a lot of this if you just want a recording for you and your friends to enjoy later. Do what sounds fun! But if you want to release it as public content, be warned that there will be a LOT of editing involved. It's super fun and rewarding to put out the game you love as a show that others enjoy, but once you travel down the podcast route, forever will it dominate your free time.
Trust me, as the editor of Beyond Heroes, Silver and Steel, and Dungeon Drunks, I do a LOT of audio editing every week. :D
Thank you again so much! I will have to look into Zoom and how much it would cost. The plan was to create a podcast/show of our sessions and publish them for others to enjoy, most specifically other students of the college. I will heed your warning and take editing time into the cost-benefit account. Perhaps we will start small and record our sessions for personal reflection and enjoyment, then we can begin considering larger endeavors as they present themselves. By the way, you do an excellent job editing the shows! I enjoy watching them, and Beyond Heroes has been a large inspiration for considering a podcast/show with my own group. :D
Thank you! I'm a longtime D&D podcast fan, and the Beyond Heroes/Silver and Steel podcasts are literal labors of love for me. I can't do as much editing with them as I'd like because of the way we record the audio for those shows. It's super gratifying to know you've enjoyed our games!
Hopefully others can come along and help with the video side of things more than I can! That I am still a novice at best.
I was wondering, since i have no mic, can one use the built in recording device on a lap-top that is used for making videos; but for online dnd gaming ?
I was wondering, since i have no mic, can one use the built in recording device on a lap-top that is used for making videos; but for online dnd gaming ?
Yeah, you can use a free program like OBS to record screen and/or audio.
I was wondering, since i have no mic, can one use the built in recording device on a lap-top that is used for making videos; but for online dnd gaming ?
You can, though I'd expect relatively poor quality. Depending on the purpose of the recording, it might be worth it to invest in even just an average mic or headset.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
My group is looking into eventually recording our sessions, but probably not live streaming. We’re online right now but will be in person in the fall. What are the best platforms/softwares for recording online sessions that don’t necessarily mean streaming? And what methods would you use for in-person sessions? Would it be plausible/worthwhile to get cameras for all the players at the table, or would microphones suffice?
I dunno about in person but... If you are trying to record outputs of several different softwares (discord and Roll 20 or something), IMO, the best bang for your buck (since it is FREE), is OBS (Open Broadcasting Software) -- https://obsproject.com/.
It takes a little trial and error but you can easily record multiple streams. Those professional ones you see when they have say all the player videos in small boxes down one side, the DM's on the other, and a map or something in the middle, were probably done via OBS. It's very good at that kind of thing and gives you tons of control. Again... takes some playing around to get it to work.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
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InsiderThere's a bunch of different options depending on how much money you want to spend and how much time you want to put into things! I'll talk about audio in specific, as that's my jam.
For audio the most important thing is a good quality microphone and a little bit of time spent playing with the settings to get you to best quality for your room, either in person or online. From simple headset mics to Snowballs, to Blue Yeti, to super professional set ups, all are going to have quirks and will react to different rooms in different ways. In general I suggest keeping your gain as low as possible and the mic as close as possible to the person talking. This will help eliminate a lot of room noise and get as clear a sound from the person talking as possible. Also try to put up things on the walls that can collect sound to reduce echo...blankets and pillows are a great, easy, inexpensive option to throw around and dampen noise.
For in person sessions all the same applies. If you don't have the money for everyone to have their own mic, I suggest investing in one really good mic that does omni-directional (like a Blue Yeti) and trying to get everyone as close to the mic as possible.
Also even the free audio software out there, like Audacity, has Noise Removal options for post processing. They are your friend.
If you have any other specific questions feel free to ask, I'm happy to help!
Find me on Twitter: @OboeLauren
Thank you for the insight! I'll be sure to pass along your advice to my players, so we can improve conditions. Right now, I'm just teaching a few new players the ropes of the game, so we can play well when we meet in college. We are using anything from built-in microphones to headsets, for audio. In college, I do plan to get us a quality microphone, so thank you for the brand suggestions! I'll make sure we muffle the room with every blanket we can muster, when we play "professionally."
Here is another question: Given the option, what program would you use for recording specifically online sessions and uploading them to, say, YouTube? And if we don't use video in college, would our sessions still be immersive enough as a podcast? We're using Facebook Messenger for our session calls, at the moment.
Thanks! I checked out OBS, and you're right: it certainly looks like it has a learning curve. I will see what my group thinks, but we may keep looking for something simpler and more intuitive. But again, thank you for the suggestion!!
As for IRL tabletop recording, you might want to look into a 360 camera like the GoPro MAX mounted near the center of the table. That way you can film -everything- at the table, and then decide your framing in post.
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InsiderI'm not an expert in the video side, though I know a lot of video call software let's you record your sessions. Zoom, for example, let's you record your video and audio if you want.
For podcasts, immersive is a question of content IMHO, though audio quality helps a LOT. At this point it depends on why you're looking to record your sessions. Are you doing it for fun, just really for you and your friends? Or do you want to put it out as a podcast for others to enjoy? There's no reason to be worried about a lot of this if you just want a recording for you and your friends to enjoy later. Do what sounds fun! But if you want to release it as public content, be warned that there will be a LOT of editing involved. It's super fun and rewarding to put out the game you love as a show that others enjoy, but once you travel down the podcast route, forever will it dominate your free time.
Trust me, as the editor of Beyond Heroes, Silver and Steel, and Dungeon Drunks, I do a LOT of audio editing every week. :D
Find me on Twitter: @OboeLauren
Thank you again so much! I will have to look into Zoom and how much it would cost. The plan was to create a podcast/show of our sessions and publish them for others to enjoy, most specifically other students of the college. I will heed your warning and take editing time into the cost-benefit account. Perhaps we will start small and record our sessions for personal reflection and enjoyment, then we can begin considering larger endeavors as they present themselves. By the way, you do an excellent job editing the shows! I enjoy watching them, and Beyond Heroes has been a large inspiration for considering a podcast/show with my own group. :D
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InsiderThank you! I'm a longtime D&D podcast fan, and the Beyond Heroes/Silver and Steel podcasts are literal labors of love for me. I can't do as much editing with them as I'd like because of the way we record the audio for those shows. It's super gratifying to know you've enjoyed our games!
Hopefully others can come along and help with the video side of things more than I can! That I am still a novice at best.
Find me on Twitter: @OboeLauren
Hi folks, can someone help me
I was wondering, since i have no mic, can one use the built in recording device on a lap-top that is used for making videos; but for online dnd gaming ?
Yeah, you can use a free program like OBS to record screen and/or audio.
You can, though I'd expect relatively poor quality. Depending on the purpose of the recording, it might be worth it to invest in even just an average mic or headset.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
Thanks guys I appreciate your help :)
I mean to simply interact with players on a match on this site by the way
I don't know if you misunderstood or if i'm asking "stupid questions"
I'm not very familiar with computers in general
If you're not intending to record, the built-in mic from a laptop will do. It won't be great, but it will do.
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].