As I was coming with a setup for online taiko lessons, there were 4 criteria that I considered.

1. Image Quality – Does the image look sharp and professional?  Can the camera be mounted in a way that captures the view that I want?
2. Audio Quality – Can the student hear me clearly both when I’m talking and when I’m playing the drums?  Setting the mic to talking volume will be too loud when playing the drums, while setting the mic to playing volume will be too soft when talking.
3. Playing to backing tracks – I want to play backing tracks at close to their original quality.  I also want my microphones to be in sync with the backing track so that I can play along or cue students with my voice.
4. Reliability and Ease of Use – The setup needs to work 100% of the time without any glitches.  Since I’ll be doing everything myself, it needs to be easy to set up and break down.

Equipment used in the video

2010 MacBook Pro Built-in Camera

GoPro Hero 5

Canon EOS M50

ZOOM LiveTrak L-8 audio interface with Shure SM57 microphone

Whirlwind MicMute

Shure SE215 In-ear Monitors

To Fellow Taiko Instructors

If you’re a taiko instructor and you’re thinking of offering online taiko lessons, let’s connect!  If you need help with your setup, please feel free to reach out!  Hopefully I can save you some time and headaches.

To Taiko Students

If you might want to learn taiko online, please hit me up.  I offer private lessons and workshops online via Zoom, and private lessons at my studio in North Hollywood.  Please reach out if you think I might be able to help you with your goals.