Jump to content


Please note: You can easily log in to MPN using your Facebook account!

Semi OT: teaching via Skype, some tech questions


Recommended Posts

I"m starting to look into Skype or FaceTime lessons - giving, not getting them. I want to be able to offer high quality audio and video and I"m not afraid to dive into the tech needed to do that, unless from a student"s standpoint the software or connection quality renders my efforts moot. I"m not sure about that (which is one reason I"m posting now) â but I think I should shoot for more than simply using my laptop"s built-in camera and microphone. I"m curious if there are others here who might have gone that extra mile or know some sources of information that could help me achieve this. So far, googling has not been much help except to clue me in on latency issues and advising that a wired connection is preferable to wifi.

 

What I"d like to do, if possible, is a 'multicam' setup; use my laptop"s camera for an overall (long) shot of myself & my keyboard, but also incorporate a small AVCHD memory card camcorder I have (Canon Vixia HF R500). It has both an HDMI output and an 'A/V'miniplug (presumably analog) output, along with a stereo microphone which I assume would sound better than my laptop"s built in mic. I would focus this camera directly on the piano or keyboard"s keys, probably from above. It would be great to be able to stream a PIP image of both these video feeds simultaneously. I believe there is software that can do this, however I have no idea if it will interface with Skype or FaceTime. I"m assuming I"ll need some kind of box like this to get the camera"s input into my computer (my MacBook pro is a late 2013 with Thunderbolt 2 and USB3. If there"s anything cheaper or a different solution I"m overlooking, I"m all ears). Another potential complicating factor: my upload speed at home is only 5 mbps â so maybe I"ll need to spring for a higher tier. Any other pearls of wisdom for getting this off the ground are very much appreciated. Thanks!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Replies 13
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Skype is used where I work all day long every day for video interviews. It's pretty powerfull, but yes you will need to greatly improve your internet speed. JA and dazzjazz both give Skype lessons, or have in the past anyway. You might want to PM them and see what words of wisdom they have for you, Rob
:nopity:
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't give Skype lessons but have taken many both my past guitar teacher and my current piano teacher are in NYC, I was also for a few years part of an Skype conference call with a big name sax player with people Skyping in from all over the globe. I'm in the California desert so a good internet high speed internet connection is required.

 

Using my laptop, iMac, and now iPad for student side of Skype is okay, but on piano sometimes my setup doesn't show enough of the keyboard, so instructor will ask me to drop down and octave so he can see my hands better. I have a good USB microphone on my iMac so sound quality is very good. I used to use ECAMM to record my Skype sessions, but Skype has since added recording and it works well. Only gotcha is they only store the recorded video in their cloud for 30 days, but it is very easy to download video to your computer. The only thing I miss about ECAMM is the recording it made you could say show only one side of the call so I could duck myself out of the video and watch my instructor full screen.

 

I have to checkout that OBS software because I would like a overhead view, or get a taller stand for my iPad to try to capture more of the keyboard. The first person I was going to take Skype lessons from also puts some of his lessons on YT (he makes sure not to say student's name and mainly only see the teacher and his piano. His setup looks interesting appears he has an overhead boom stand with a iPhone holder he puts his iPhone in. That points down so you see the top of the teachers head and can clearly see the piano. On top of his piano he has his MacBook and you sometimes can see the teachers view of the Skype session. Sometime when he's talking only he'll just look up at the overhead iPhone camera so you can see him. I think this setup looks good everything easy to see from student perspective using only his iPhone and MacBook. He's a working pro musician and well even do lessons from dressing room before or after a show so it's also a very portable setup. My guitar teacher lived in NYC but taught at Berklee a few days a week, she would just use her MacBook for lessons at home, Berklee, or even when she would be in Europe gigging, but guitar is easy to get into view of a single camera.

 

So hope there is something of help in there about Skype from the student side. I think the iPhone on an overhead boom combined MacBook is a simple setup that give a good view of piano and teacher as necessary.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Dave & Docbop, good stuff. I'm just starting down this road so there's obviously a lot to learn. It does look like I'll need to spend around $80 to $100 to use my camcorder. There are very cheap VHS quality A-to-D's that capture an analog video signal but I think it's not worth messing with those. I do have a tripod mount for my iPhone and have used an app that streams video to my MacBook Pro so that might be another possible source to use. Of course I need to get my lesson plans together also. I have some work ahead of me!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I give Skype lessons. I have a few students who want to learn composition and how to arrange things like the arrangement I just posted in the songwriter forum. So I have a camera so that they can see my hands on the piano for some things, but I mostly use the share applications function. That way they can clearly see a sibelius file or a pdf that's on my desktop. I can write notation and they see/hear it in real time and we can discuss how it was done, how'd you come up with that intro(?), how to voice chords, etc. It's a pretty simple setup and it works fine for me.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I"ve found Skype, Facetime etc. to be lacking in latency - they aren"t timing critical so it"s not a pleasant experience attempting to play along with a student, as accompaniment or in duet situation.

 

https://www.jamkazam.com/ was significantly better in this regard when meeting up with students within about an hours drive away. I"m not sure yet how it would stack up to another state or across the country.

 

If you"re using a camera or iPad or what have you. It"s really important to have good stands and mounts to be able to place the camera where you want it so your student can best see you demonstrate. It"s also helpful if they have similar ability so you can clearly see their hands. The bigger the monitor the better for both of you.

 

The latency for me is really the most annoying thing. Playing back and forth rather than at the same time - or not being able to count off tempo or clap or stomp foot for beat. Annoying. But you find ways to work around it. Hopefully as more people have access to higher speeds it improves.

 

 

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Linwood & Elmer. Sharing an app window was something I definitely had in mind, probably doing it for the same reasons as you, Linwood - notation files. I didn't mention it in my op since I didn't want to overload with a lot of questions. Good to know Skype lets you do this (I've used Skype very little so I'm not aware of all its features).

 

I looked at jamkazam and it does sound very cool â but it's audio only, unless I'm not understanding correctly. Right now I don't anticipate playing along with a student, I think it would be more like me demonstrating things for them, then evaluating what they're doing. Of course I could be entirely wrong about this, but that's how it's looking to me right now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

I've been using Zoom for convenience - students all seem to have it and know how to use it because of their online school with the Covid-19 situation. The latency sucks, but connection is pretty stable using WiFi and laptops on both ends.

 

I place my MacBook on a Manhasset music stand and put it next to me at the piano bench. I can tile the stand to talk face to face, or swivel and tilt the stand ot the MacBook's screen/camera to show my hands at the piano. We play call and answer. If I need them to have a chart or sheet music I send it as a PDF to their mail and they print it right away. If I need them to play with me, I make a quick recording to my iPhone and text or email it to them right away and I can hear them play against the track.

 

There are better solutions like JamKazam or SoundJack - and I might do this with an adult student. But having to explain to parents or kids about needing a low latency interface and a decent mic, install this other software, make an account on this website, get a long ethernet cable to run to your router instead of WiFi - it's a pain in the ass. Some PCs have lousy mics and few laptops reproduce low end very well (teaching bass over laptop must suck). But at least I've got a few students now.

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My whole studio is online right now. I use FaceTime for almost everyone, with one exception, whom I teach via skype. There are pluses and minuses to all the options. I use Zoom for college lectures but not for one-on-one lessons, mostly because I have been either too lazy or too cheap to get the paid version, which you need if you intend to go more than 45 minutes.

 

One dark horse is Google Meet. It's free now and has most of the features people like about Zoom, including screen sharing. No time limit. Good sound. And the very fun bonus of being able to add subtitles, which is hours of entertainment as the program takes its best guesses at what was actually said.

Now out! "Mind the Gap," a 24-song album of new material.
www.joshweinstein.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started online lessons due to the virus using Messenger, but latency sucked. Switched to Zoom and was better. Some students stopped lessons who just want in person lessons. The ones who continued though it's a different experience, continue to get better. Usually, we do a yearly recital which obviously not doing this year. So instead I thought of a group Zoom recital, but I decided against that for any latency or sound problems. Instead, I told them to video tape themselves, send it to me and I'll put together a movie of it they can watch and the sound quality will be better.

It's been a learning thing for them recording themselves with chances to redo them and to see how many takes it took for them to be 'satisfied'. The one student who drags his feet learning stuff actually got better after realizing this won't be over in a couple minutes at live recital but a record of his ability this moment in time. So students overall were challenged and the parents thanked me for doing it.

They're all bored out of their minds anyway with this virus. Still waiting for a couple files to put together. I'm on Windows 10 which uses Photo. But doesn't seem to let you overlap clips or subtitles. So looking for free video editing software to be a little creative hopefully.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...