First Steps in Recording With AudioBox USB 96

We learn during our whole life, we never stop. At least, we should not. The world-famous cellist Pablo Casals practised his instrument even when he was more than 90 years old. According to his words, it was because he was feeling the improvement that comes from practising. Learning and practising lead to improvements, it is so simple. So, why was I waiting so much time to start to learn this thing? This audio interface recording thing? Insecurity maybe?

I remember, about 20 years ago we recorded the sound on cassettes. I recorded my sessions of practising at home so that I could later listen and hear where I need to correct, whether I have a good rhythm, balance between left and right hand, whether it is stylistically correct and of course the mistakes. I was buying TDK
D90 tape audio cassettes... a lot of them. Imagine now the quality of those recordings, lol, but it was ok for the purpose. It was a help in my learning process.

I didn't need any of those home recordings to be done from then. I don't count the performances, where my playing was recorded. It was not my job to do it. Others recorded, I played. However, times changed. Currently, I record how I play, at home with a phone. I know, I know, not the best option, but when I started a few months ago it was the only thing I could do. That was the first step, to start to record and publish, and I think it was relatively ok. But it is the time now to move further, to improve a little bit.

I sold my old electric piano as it started to give some problems. It was a Casio Celviano, served me perfectly for 9 years but I overplayed it. Then I bought that beautiful Yamaha Clavinova you can see on my videos from a Dutch guy who never played on it. From the money of the sold Casio I wanted to buy an audio interface, but somehow that money just disappeared, some electricity bills made the magic, and not a cent left.

My thinking about recording the sound with an interface would perfectly finish there, and everything would be fine. I would continue to make the videos in the same way, so no problems would occur. But, one of my adult students bought me an audio interface! I was speechless. Why? How? He said it was a late Christmas gift for me. I made one photo of the moment he was giving it to me.

It was in January, by the way. Don't ask me why I waited so much time to start to learn to use it. This AudioBox USB96 audio interface works with Mac and Windows audio-recording software and it comes with a free license for PreSonus’ Studio One. Here comes another small problem, we use just Linux, but for the HiveFest, at my request, my husband installed on one laptop Windows. I could register my free licence for Presonus Studio One, but we couldn't manage to work everything. But the very first step is done. Two days ago I recorded one short thing, that was the first try. Yesterday I made two more shore recordings, and I put everything in one same video you can watch in 3speak video.

So, in the first song, I see that I didn't match perfectly the sound with the picture. I was sure I did it well, but after video editing, it turned out to be seen with a lag. On the second try, with a short Beethoven piece, I feel it that it is good. And the third short part of one Ludovico Einaudi seems that have not enough sound power. I turned down a little bit the volume of the piano, but it was too much, I think.

I need your critique and if there is any advice for the next steps. So these are my baby steps, I am still lost in the topic.
I would need a better camera maybe? I don't have space in the apartment to put the piano in another place, so the environment will probably be the same...Do you know how difficult is to match the angle of recording not to cut my head, but the piano has to be seen, and my hands. And the light is not the best in that room, it faces north, and we have sun all day in the south part.
How do you hear the sound? Is it even better than my recording with the phone? I mean, it takes a lot more time with the whole process of connecting the laptop, interface, piano, headphones... record the sound, record the image, put together in video editor to match exactly. Not to mention the xy times of attempts when I have some mistake and start from the beginning.

So that is for now. I still didn't manage even to explore the PreSonus software, that probably can give me thousands of effects and possibilities, but it just doesn't want to recognize the MIDI port!! I don't know what is the problem.

Thanks to gulia.peito and andrewmusic who were the trigger to remind me that it is the time to start to use that audio interface! Thank guys and any advice, critique is very welcome.