Basic phone audio question

1

Be gentle with me, please. I just finally ditched my flip-phone a couple of years ago :roll_eyes:

My question is whether there’s an easy way to get output of Cantabile on a Windows laptop (which is using a VST to render MIDI from a keyboard) as USB audio input to a Pixel phone so I can record audio synchronized with video and not have to combine the tracks later.

The laptop is connected to a Scarlett 4i4 that brings MIDI from the keyboard to the laptop and sends analog audio from Cantabile back to analog line inputs on the keyboard.

So how can I connect my phone into this mess to use the Cantabile audio while recording?

Thanks for any hand-holding !

2

If this device has an audio input, why not using a cable from the Scarlett 4i4 to the phone?

Try googling “3.5mm TRS to USB-C Connector” or the so

3

I agree with Clap to start with a USB C to 3.5mm female TRS (Tip-Ring-Sleeve) audio adapter. This is the standard adapter people use with wired headphones on Pixel phones. Instead of plugging headphones in, plug in a 3.5mm TRS male cable to dual 1/4 TS for left and right channel ouputs. Then in the video app you can choose external microphone. That should pick up the audio from the Scarlett. Here is a video on this: Connect Audio Mixer to Phone - Both Ways Round! (Android and iPhone)

4

I have a different approach. I capture the performance with the phone video and audio. I also record the performance in Cantabile (MIDI and audio stereo pair). Then I import the video from the phone into Vegas video editing software, followed by importing the audio recording made by Cantabile. I then align the audio by sliding it forward or back in time until the transients visually line up - (a single hit of some sort at the beginning helps). DaVinci Resolve is a good free video editor for this type of work.

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5

Thanks for the comments, guys.
@Clap - I had seen USB adapters of various sorts. I have one for my iPad that’s out only for headphones (I think?). And many that are sold are TRRS for headsets with a mono mic.
But I found this one on Amazon that actually works for stereo line-level in. Thanks for the suggestion. Amazon.com: Saramonic SR-C2003 Female 3.5mm TRS to USB-C Stereo or Mono Microphone & Audio Adapter Cable to Record into iPhone 15, Android Mobile Devices, Computers, new iPad & more : Electronics

@dsteinschneider I think what you do would give a lot better control over audio levels and quality. I have tried that using Reaper, but found its video rendering a bit of a challenge.
I think if I’m going to do this I should probably learn the rudiments of DaVinci Resolve. It’s just that my day job is computers, so what little time I have to fool around on the piano I’d rather be playing than diddling with software…LOL..

Again, thank you both.

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With DaVinci Resolve, you have the option of autimatically aligning audio - I typically use this to align captures made from the mixing desk with the videos shot at gigs with a mobile phone camera. Works very nicely, without all the fiddly manual sliding.

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Openshot is another free video editor to test, but I don’t know if it’s able to align audio and video automatically

BTW, some time ago I tried to overdub with my Samsung phone, n-Track Pro app, and a mini Soundblaster USB audio-card, but I found the system unreliable

I ended using my very old VXI USB translator + USB-C to USB-A adaptor + the Sennheiser ME-2 and the trick worked very well

I hope it will not be the case with your Pixel Phone, because Android is not very suitable for audio things IMHO