There is a lot of chatter in GoPro forums about resolution, frame rate, and other visible attributes of video, but correspondingly little about audio.
Oh you get the occasional question about it, but I don’t believe the importance of audio is understood enough, and how best to get decent audio out of a GoPro.
First off though, let’s work out why audio IS so important.
Example 1: If you have a TV on and occasionally the picture stutters, gets interference or drops a frame or two, we tend to live with it. However, if the audio is bad or out of sync, it generally becomes unwatchable and frustration rapidly sets in and we turn it off.
Example 2: If you want to prove how important audio is, at 7pm turn on the ABC News on TV and then turn OFF the sound. Straight away, you lose a majority of information of just what the story is about.
Example 3: Audio, especially music, can impart a huge part of the emotion of a scene. What would the StarWars “Imperial March” scenes be like without it, or the landing scene of Saving Private Ryan without the sound of the ricocheting bullets? Or indeed, the silence that plays such an important role in 2001: A Space Odyssey?
With a GoPro, there are a number of ways to get good audio, and a lot depends on what you are recording and how you are recording it.
The easiest is of course just to use the built in mic and be done with it. For recording ambient sound while shooting scenery for example, this will probably be fine in a lot of cases. But if you want a speaking voice or music to be recorded at the same time, there are far better options.
The first of these is to use the AUD$79.95 mic adaptor GoPro makes, that plugs into the USB-C port. This will then let you connect an external mic that has a 3.5mm connector.
The problem here is that you need to have the access door open for this which is not ideal in many cases. The solution to that is to get a GoPro ‘pass through’ door that replaces the existing door and has a slot through which the USB-C connector passes. That will set you back another AUD$29.95.
But do bear in mind, then you will NOT have a waterproof GoPro – it will be water resistant at best, and that probably only means a splash rather even a light rain shower.
In my opinion, a better option is to get the AUD$129.95 GoPro MediaMod if you have a model from Hero 8 upwards. The MediaMod is a cage that the camera slots into (again you have to remove the door) and the USB-C slot on the camera marries up with a socket inside the MediaMod.
As well as having a built-in mic with a wind dampener on it, the MediaMod also adds an external USB-C port, HDMI port and a 3.5mm mic socket allowing you to add a better external mic than the MediaMod itself offers. You also get top and side mounted cold shoes to mount accessories such as a mic to the MediaMod / camera setup.
So the question is, which mic?
Which Mic Type?
Reading through the various forums it appears to me that a lot of people think all mics are equal. Trust me, they are not. There are different types of mics designed for different purposes, and just throwing any old mic onto a camera to get audio will result in a lot of frustration potentially when you come to edit your video.
For example, for vlogging, you want a directional mic that will only pickup your voice and not add the sound of the rubbish truck unloading the bins outside your driveway. Conversely, if you are recording birdsong, you’ll want a mic with a wider range.
You might even need a wireless mic system if you are doing interviews, or your subject is speaking from a distance away.
Mics can vary in price quite a lot depending on the type and the quality. It is safe to say that if you spend the extra to get a brand name (I use Sennheiser, but there are others such as RØDE for example), and they are well worth the quality (and warranty) you’ll get as a result.
Suggestions
For a directional mic (vlogging, interviews etc) I’d recommend the Sennheiser MKE200 which retails for around the AUD$129 mark. It has built in wind protection and shock absorption. It works very well eliminating any noises you don’t want in your video, such as background noise, has a tiny form factor ideal for the MediaMod and only weighs 48g. It connects via a 3.5mm TRS or TRSS plug (it comes with both) and doesn’t need a battery to power it.
If you want to record more ambient sounds or music, the Sennheiser MKE 440 is the one to look for. Still relatively small, the stereo MKE 440 is actually two aligned and matched mics designed specifically for this purpose. Again, it will sit on the cold shoe of the MediaMod and plug into the 3.5mm socket via TRS or TTRS supplied cables. It costs around AUD$279.
When it comes to wireless mics, there is quite a range available these days. My main go to model is the Sennheiser XSW Digital, but at AUD$379, this may be a tad expensive unless you also plan to use it on a digital SLR or mirrorless as well.
Other options are the AUD$380 DJI Mic (the DJI Mic 2 was announced today), the similarly priced RØDE Go, or at a more budget friendly price, the AUD$149 Hollyland Lark M1 (and there is an M2 coming later this month) or AUD$189 RØDE ME (with a new twin system arriving later this year).
With radio mics, the things you need to look for are obviously the maximum distance between the transmitter and receiver, how small and unobtrusive is the mic and ease of attaching it to a person, and of course audio quality.
Finally, the latest GoPro 12 now has the ability to record directly from various Bluetooth devices such as Apple AirPods, a Jabra Elite, Pixel Buds, Samsung Galaxy Buds, Sony LinkBuds and more.
I haven’t tried to do this yet, but would suggest that while convenient, you won’t get really pristine audio from these devices due to the nature of the technology. They are in effect designed as mics for a phone, but sure, give it a try and if it suits your needs, then they are doing their job.
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