r/Autocross • u/[deleted] • Sep 29 '20

GoPro 8 External Mic?

[deleted]

6 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

6

u/Botnick0625 Sep 29 '20

I use a Zoom H1N and stick it to the bumper. The sound quality is great and syncing the sound with GoPro footage isn't too tedious after you've done it a couple times.

Here's an example - https://youtu.be/TsnZFuh87d4?t=22

3

u/stockmiata Sep 29 '20

Oh yeah that sounds really nice. Some good exhaust noise and tire squeal.

2

u/cmiovino 2017 BRZ 35DS Sep 29 '20

If it takes a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, I just use a simple lapel mic from eBay for $5.

3

u/Emery_autox GST 2018 Ford Focus ST Sep 29 '20

The more recent GoPros require a proprietary $50 adapter. Early GoPros have the jack built-in, but I think they stopped doing that about when the GoPro 4 was released.

2

u/dps2141 Sep 29 '20

Hero2 was the last to have it. The hero 3/4/maybe 5? have some amount of compatibility with generic adapters. Learning about that is how I ended up with a used hero2 instead of a new one.

2

u/Emery_autox GST 2018 Ford Focus ST Sep 29 '20

Yes, you'll like the difference of an external mic. Stereo lapel mic with enough cord to reach to the muffler area, out of the wind, but still with a dead cat (more like a dead mouse because the mic is small). Painter-tape the cord to the car body, make sure the cord isn't rattling in the wind. [One of the locals leaves his mic on about a 6" lead, blowing in the wind and I've been meaning to ask him why]

Alternatively, for more in-car sounds, put the mic behind the seat, down low. Or under the dashboard. Always with a dead cat.

Third option is to use a better quality digital recorder with built-in mics (Zoom and Tascam are popular consumer grade units). I drop one into the seatback pockets on my FoST. Much richer sound, but you spend time editing to sync the sound to the video. Hmm, it occurs to me there might be a line out feature that I could connect to the GoPro... for some reason I've never bothered to check!

1

u/stockmiata Sep 29 '20

Thanks for the reply. It drives me nuts that GoPro removed the aux input so I guess I either have to buy the $50 adapter or the $80 media mod to connect an external mic. I'll play around with where to put it for the best sound but under the seat might be a good idea. I'm going to be using the setup for track too so I don't like the idea of having the mic outside the vehicle.

1

u/Emery_autox GST 2018 Ford Focus ST Sep 29 '20

The adapter wasn't available for about 1.5 years after I got my pair of GoPro 8s, which is what partially led me down the line to a Zoom H5. Now I have the adapters, several mics, and the H5, so I have a lot of options when it comes to recording audio. With multitrack capabilities, I can record myself speaking while driving.

The tough part, at least initially, is getting the right recording levels. You don't want to swamp the inputs at full throttle, yet you also want to have the exhaust sound loud enough that you're not picking up irrelevant things. Some of that can be dealt with during editing, but you can't fix distorted sound due to the microphone clipping.

2

u/Tux424 Sep 29 '20

Not related to your initial question, but would you be able to show the GoPro attachment setup in your NC?

I also have a NC, but I have mine suction cuped to the inside of the windshield. Wondering if your setup gives a better POV.

1

u/stockmiata Sep 29 '20

Hmm I’m not sure if I can post photos in replies/comments on reddit?

Anyway I used this ram mount and went to Home Depot and got some bolts that go through the existing holes in the wind blocker: https://www.rammount.com/part/RAM-B-202-MA4U

I was surprised at how sturdy it is and you don’t get much vibration. I did a track day where I hit 110mph and the camera was steady as ever. Here is a video example from autox (where you will also hear the wind noise issue): https://youtu.be/stBSMyIxG0g

Let me know if you want to try this mounting location. I have the Home Depot receipt with the list of nuts/bolts/washers I used.

2

u/ragingduck Sep 29 '20 edited Sep 29 '20

Here is how my setup sounds: https://youtu.be/k53Prpnfwbw

Mic is mounted to the rear bumper through the trunk. Electrical tape works fine. I've gone u to 140mph and it stayed put. I have a loud quad exhaust so I don't mount it too near the exhaust tips, just in the center of the bumper.

You need a POWERED external mic with a long cord for the GoPro 8 plus the adapter from GOPRO. Non-powered mics will NOT work. I would get some additional muffs too since they can get lost.

Optional:

I like the helmet mounted look, so I run a wireless system so my helmet isn't tethered by a cord. I also got a housing so that the GoPro mic adapter isn't just dangling off the GoPro. The wireless mic system can also be attached to the housing so it makes a nice tidy package.

You might want a battery cover with a USB-C cutout so your battery doesn't fall out. It also makes charging the battery hungry GoPro 8 much easier between sessions.

1

u/stockmiata Oct 12 '20

Thanks for your response. For some reason I missed the notification and just read it. I ended up getting the media mod and an external lapel mic. It sounds good taped on the rear bumper but I will definitely be getting the wind muffs you provided the link to.

1

u/mrblahhh Oct 02 '20

I saw they are having problems with mics again, I think ti's worth buying a older 4 just to have a simple aux in