Should I bother with an external GoPro mic?

[dparm]

I've got the GoPro Hero 3+ Silver. Was probably going to just do a sunroof or rear window mount with the suction cup at the track (maybe helmet).

When you add up the cost of the mic, skeleton case, adapter, windscren, etc, it's almost a hundred bucks...just to hear the stock exhaust instead of the glorious S65.

Is an external mic really necessary? Is the built-in one really terrible for capturing in-car sound? Will the wind noise in the cabin make it impossible to hear anything (sedan)? I've only used it a few times and it seemed fine. I have track time next weekend and have no clue if the camera by itself will be sufficient.

[radiantm3]

Originally Posted by dparm

I've got the GoPro Hero 3+ Silver. Was probably going to just do a sunroof or rear window mount with the suction cup at the track (maybe helmet).

When you add up the cost of the mic, skeleton case, adapter, windscren, etc, it's almost a hundred bucks...just to hear the stock exhaust instead of the glorious S65.

Is an external mic really necessary? Is the built-in one really terrible for capturing in-car sound? Will the wind noise in the cabin make it impossible to hear anything (sedan)? I've only used it a few times and it seemed fine. I have track time next weekend and have no clue if the camera by itself will be sufficient.

If you want to really hear the sound of your exhaust/motor, yes.

[SYT_Shadow]

I've run several years with stock mike setup.
It sucks. So much wind noise that you can barely hear the S65.

This year I went all out and got the whole caboodle so I can capture the sexy sounds this wonderful engine makes

[dparm]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

I've run several years with stock mike setup.
It sucks. So much wind noise that you can barely hear the S65.

This year I went all out and got the whole caboodle so I can capture the sexy sounds this wonderful engine makes

Thanks. Is the wind noise really bad even with the camera in the car? Some quick tests I ran with it stuck to the inside of the sunroof or the rear window didn't seem too bad.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by dparm

Thanks. Is the wind noise really bad even with the camera in the car? Some quick tests I ran with it stuck to the inside of the sunroof or the rear window didn't seem too bad.

At track speeds it is horrible because both windows are down and you're going fast

Besides, later you watch your vids and they seem very crummy without proper audio

[FTS]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

At track speeds it is horrible because both windows are down and you're going fast

Besides, later you watch your vids and they seem very crummy without proper audio

What mic do you have and where do you attach it? I have a great Sena BT mic, it really captures external sounds with high quality, but that has not translated into good exhaust sound capture and I haven't found a good place to attach it yet Any tips?

[s14_kev]

I used to run my Hero 2 with no mic and I regretted it every time I watched the videos. It didn't matter where I mounted it (inside, outside, front bumper, etc.), I could not hear the engine at all (I have a sedan too) Windows down on the track really kills it.

I bought the Audio Technica ATR-3350 for under $30 to use with my GoPro Hero 4 Silver and it made a huge difference. I can actually hear my car! It's also nice to be able to tell when you're at WOT, half throttle, shifted too soon/late, etc. You can't do that without the audio, so it really is a good tool for learning too

[dparm]

Originally Posted by kevin///mlee

I used to run my Hero 2 with no mic and I regretted it every time I watched the videos. It didn't matter where I mounted it (inside, outside, front bumper, etc.), I could not hear the engine at all (I have a sedan too) Windows down on the track really kills it.

I bought the Audio Technica ATR-3350 for under $30 to use with my GoPro Hero 4 Silver and it made a huge difference. I can actually hear my car! It's also nice to be able to tell when you're at WOT, half throttle, shifted too soon/late, etc. You can't do that without the audio, so it really is a good tool for learning too

The ATR-3350 is exactly the one I looked at. Thanks.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by FTS

What mic do you have and where do you attach it? I have a great Sena BT mic, it really captures external sounds with high quality, but that has not translated into good exhaust sound capture and I haven't found a good place to attach it yet Any tips?

I got the ATR which is popular in the forum world. People use a suction mount to attach to the rear bumper and point it at the exhaust.

My first track day is in a week and hopefully I'll have time to set it up. I'm thinking inside the engine bay but we'll see

[JD3]

I bought the ATR for my hero 3 and couldn't get it to work. The mic worked, just not when plugged into the Gopro. Gopro support said the cable was too long???

[dparm]

Originally Posted by JD3

I bought the ATR for my hero 3 and couldn't get it to work. The mic worked, just not when plugged into the Gopro. Gopro support said the cable was too long???

That doesn't seem very likely. The mic has batteries so it's not like there's a massive voltage drop across the wire or something...?

[s14_kev]

Three of my buddies and I all bought the ATR at the same time and went to the track. Nobody had issues with hero 3 or 4. Maybe you got a defective mic?

[roastbeef]

i always thought it would be cool to zip-tie an external mic to the intake vent on top of the hood... imagine the sounds!

[jphughan]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

i always thought it would be cool to zip-tie an external mic to the intake vent on top of the hood... imagine the sounds!

Well what are you waiting for??

[dparm]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

i always thought it would be cool to zip-tie an external mic to the intake vent on top of the hood... imagine the sounds!

There are YouTube videos of guys who did similar things. The one that comes to mind right away is a 370Z with the mic mounted right near the intake. Very interesting soundtrack -- you can also hear a lot of other unusual mechanical noises under there. I can't decide if it's distracting or not.

[ibimmer954]

I just started using a Hero 4 Silver. I have my camera mounted on a rollbar in the middle of the car. Without an external Mic, the only sound I hear is wind noise and very little engine sound. I tried a couple different external Mic locations. The best location on my E46 M3 I found was taping the Mic to the side of the rear light assembly just outside the trunk lid seal but behind the trunk body panel. I tried about 6 other locations, but all other locations produced too much wind noise.

[M3 Number 86]

Part of the fun for me at the track is listening to the noises: so it must be captured.

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by jphughan

Well what are you waiting for??

i borrowed my buddy's hero3+ last track day. i need to pick one up for myself and get a mic, then i would just be waiting for the next track day.

i mounted it on the windshield, but extended about 4" towards the intake duct last time and it sounded pretty good in the lower speed stuff. lots of tasty engine noise.

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

i borrowed my buddy's hero3+ last track day. i need to pick one up for myself and get a mic, then i would just be waiting for the next track day.

i mounted it on the windshield, but extended about 4" towards the intake duct last time and it sounded pretty good in the lower speed stuff. lots of tasty engine noise.

I need my own setup too soon but here are some tasty ///M3 noises I follow on youtube:

[dparm]

Finally received the mic and experimented a bit around town. It is a completely different sound with it taped to the rear bumper, that's for sure. I'll be at the track tomorrow and will see how things go. I think for autocross stuff I'll just use the built-in mic since it's low-speed.

[M3lbournE92]

Originally Posted by dparm

Finally received the mic and experimented a bit around town. It is a completely different sound with it taped to the rear bumper, that's for sure. I'll be at the track tomorrow and will see how things go. I think for autocross stuff I'll just use the built-in mic since it's low-speed.

I just went to an auto x and put two gopros on the car. One inside and one on the roof. I didn't exceed past 50 mph and all I had was wind noise, however the built in mic inside the car was perfect and sounded great.

I also have an external mic and it's amazing how much better it is.

[dparm]

Originally Posted by M3lbournE92

I also have an external mic and it's amazing how much better it is.

Sounds good. Where'd you mount it?

I tried various locations on the rear bumper and there wasn't much difference. It sounded great and about the same everywhere.