GoPro Video Question about poor audio.

[n80]

Good to know. Thanks.

[Stoopalini]

I've never heard of an issue with suction cup mounts, although I have seen issues with DE1 students not being allowed to have devices in the vehicle for fear of distraction.

[n80]

I could see how that might be a problem. I'll be DE 1 one more time at cmp. But I pretty much plan to turn the camera on on the grid and the off when I pull off track.

[n80]

Just for my own peace of mind I found a very easy tether solution. I found a high test fishing leader shaped like this: >----------< at a sporting goods store. Each of the Y's on the end has a metal loop on one branch and a snap swivel on the other. Put one end around the camera mount and clip the other end onto whatever. The leader is not made of wire so it won't mar paint flapping around in the wind. They come in various lengths. For two of the positions I want to use, a 12" leader works great.

 

I would like to try a roof mount but there is nowhere to use a tether of any sort with the camera mounted on the roof with the suction cup mount.

 

I won't need a tether for the grill mount since it will be strapped to the grill.

[n80]

Well I got a cheap lavalier mic to go with my GoPro. It has a 20' cable for positioning. I've played around with it and it is a big improvement over just the mic on the GoPro camera primarily in that you can position it where it does not get wind noise.....which is what makes most videos sound so bad. However, anywhere inside the car the (stock) exhaust note (which is the main thing I want to hear) is still pretty muffled. Mounting it outside the rear hatch picks up the exhaust sound much better but there is a little wind noise. But it is not too intrusive.

 

So for now that's what I'm going to go with. Regardless of where I put the camera the mic will stay outside near the exhaust.

 

I have not tried putting it in the engine bay, but that would be tricky. I tried mounting it down by the firewall but that doesn't improve anything.

 

I use iMovie to edit and it has next to nothing in terms of sound editing. No base, treble, pitch or equalizer. I'm not sure if you can get the sound track into Garage Band for editing. Wish there was a cheap way to edit the sound track but I'm already deeper into this than I intended to go so I'll be sticking with iMovie for now.

[getfast]

Have you tried snaking it back into the trunk?

 

This demonstrates the effectiveness of a lavalier mic in the trunk, vs. the Hero2 internal mic. Of course the camera on the harness bar, near the driver's right shoulder looking forward, is the one plugged into the mic:

 

[n80]

That sounds great. My Z is a hatchback so no trunk. I have not tested it with all the carpets, spare tire and all that removed. I will try it that way soon.

[getfast]

I should've specified "trunk type area"

 

That Mustang is pretty gutted so I easily ran the lavalier mic cable back to the right rear and zip-tied it to whatever I could find. Pointed backward, even with all the air through those windows at 140+ mph on the straights, little to no wind noise but exhaust and tire noise for sure. The car isn't loud at all, pretty quiet for a racecar, which is what made me think of it for your situation. Worth a try anyhow, maybe down in the spare tire well, if your car has that?

[n80]

Worth a try anyhow, maybe down in the spare tire well, if your car has that?

 

Definitely. There isn't much sound deadening stuff in the rear of a 350Z so with the spare and all that out it might be a good place.

[n80]

Here is a video I shot yesterday at CMP. GoPro camera mounted behind driver window. You can see the mic cord and the tether (fishing leader). I ran the mic through the car and out the hatch and taped it right between the exhaust tips. It picks up the exhaust very well but there is still a lot of wind noise. You can even hear a little tire squeal at times. I had planned to put it in the spare tire well but you know how things get at the track and I did not get a chance. Overall I think the sound is okay. I don't think there is any way to eliminate wind noise with the mic outside.

 

(I think the stock exhaust on the Z sounds pretty good!)

 

 

[n80]

Here is another followup. The sound with the mic outside between the exhaust tips was okay but still a lot of wind interference. In the hatch area you still get wind noise and not much exhaust sound. So I finally managed to snake it into the engine bay, high on the firewall. This is the best sound I've been able to get and there is almost not wind noise. However, you do get a lot of valve noise which I do not like....sounds like an industrial sewing machine. I will experiment with different positions in the engine bay. Lower down and farther forward might help. Anyway, the video is below....and, for your added entertainment, it features me....and another Z....getting smoked by a Ford Focus. If nothing else, track days can keep your self esteem at appropriate levels.