<p>So, I should probably post this in the Music forum but I don’t know anyone over there, and you all are family so I’m asking here.</p>
<p>For those of you who have submitted for Popular Voice in addition to MT, the instructions are different than for MT. For MT it specifically states that you are to just use the microphone on the camera. But for Popular Voice it says, "Use a good quality microphone and check for balance and blend. Make sure the level of your piano accompaniment doesn’t overpower your voice on the tape."</p>
<p>So, without going into a recording studio, how have you all done that? Do you just borrow a microphone and plug it into the video camera, or do you set up speakers, or what? Or do you all just do it in a recording studio? Any advice is greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>My daughter entered both too but did not use a mic for popular voice either, just the mic on the video camera. We looked into the recording studio option but it began to get too complicated (would she be comfortable doing take after take until she was happy with her performance in front of someone she was just meeting, ect.) and expensive (doesn’t everything). We also noticed that at least one of last year’s finalists is using a stand-up microphone in her MT audition. But many of the winners are from performing arts schools where they have the facilities to make professional quality tapes. Here’s hoping!</p>
<p>Not sure if this will help (only submitted in MT last year), but our D found that the trick to getting a well-balanced recording was less about the mic than about using a recording of her accompanist, rather than having him play live with her. When he played live, the piano was too loud on the finished recording. Using the pre-recorded accompaniment enabled her to get the balance she wanted without needing a special mic.</p>