Microphone setups and auxillary voice recording

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whichplanetisthis

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OK, so I have been doing this vlogging thing for a while... not getting many youtube views, but I'm really doing it for fun as much as anything else so don't mind that so much.

What I do mind though is my audio quality. It's not good - lots of clipping etc. I tried a few experiments with noise cancelling mic setups, this doesn't really help because there is insufficient discrimination between the talker's voice and ambient noise (which, as we all know, is considerable on the bike at times). Also I modded my Contour cam to have an external mic and there is quite a bit of clipping / dropping out etc. I don't think the contour is great for audio, although the video is OK.

So, questions questions (possibly asked before).. what if any external recorders are recommended etc., anyone here have any experience at all? What about synchronisation and so on, how's that done, any clever setups anywhere? Does anyone here get great audio with just the camera mic, if so, what camera are you using??? Looking for any info or feedback I can get!
 
Im using the Drift HD camera with the Mic which i run through the helmet and it sits just the other side of my left cheek pad, seems to work ok
 
This may help
MIC SETUP:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDHj6kYzQqs[/youtube]

CLIPPING FIX:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LR4Dm8kyEEg[/youtube]
 
OK thanks guys, possibly of help (@bitofginger: have seen these vids b4 on your site, but good of course!).

Thinking: might get an external voice recorder AND reposition my mic... I have a flip front at the moment so not too easy to put in an 'ideal' place.

However I am thinking about getting a reevu - saw (and tried) one at the bike show on Sunday, pretty cool!
 
If you're looking for handheld voice/memo recorders pay attention to their sensitivity ratings, and what the reviews say about their mic sensitivity. You'll want to avoid the ones that are extremely sensitive. If the review says it can pick up every voice in a room then you'll want to look for something else. It's also a -very- good idea to find one that has adjustable mic sensitivity, which really should be all of them.

A decent mic helps, but it's not as critical as you may think. Common mic placements are under the cheek pad, but if you have a noisy helmet then the mic will end up picking up a fair bit of that noise, even if it's not necessarily caused by air hitting the mic directly.

I've got the sensitivity on my setup so low that while you can hear my voice clear as day the camera barely picks up the bike exhaust. My mufflers are cut down D&Ds, very close to just straight pipes, so the exhaust is quite noisy..
 
Yeah, I think that is the main problem. The helmet I'm using is a Nolan N90 flip front, and in general I don't believe it to be too loud, but then I have never found anything really quiet to compare it against.

The general problems seem to be clipping, and drop out (presumably due to being over saturated). I haven't tried turning the mic down below half way yet on the gain so maybe I should try that... it would mean that I would have to amplify the audio but that's straightforward enough. Not that I feel like doing much talking at the moment - it's too damn cold...!

If I do in fact start looking for external audio devices, I will bear all these points in mind before choosing.
 
whichplanetisthis said:
I haven't tried turning the mic down below half way yet on the gain so maybe I should try that... it would mean that I would have to amplify the audio but that's straightforward enough.
Click to expand...

The attenuator I use makes everything sound real tinny, it cuts out more bass than anything. I just have a preset audio FX thing in Vegas that boosts the bass back to where I think it should be, and cuts out some of the treble. Works great, and only takes seconds to fix.
 
What camera are you using OP?

Maybe check your microphone position and place it under your mouth. If wind is too much get some foam to wrap it in.

For example all my videos are with the mic under my mouth so my voice generally over-powers the outside noise.

EDIT- Just checked out your channel and saw the camera in description. Still check mic position as above ^^
 
for GoPro HD hero 1's some people just cut a hole through the case to the mic then fit a peice of clear vinyl tubing sealing it against the case on one side, then fixing a piece of foam to the other side that you talk into. The ones I have heard didn't sound bad at all but can get a little noisy at highway speed unless you ride a bike with a large windshield. Good low-cost solution.
 
That's a good idea and I think if it were done well it would work brilliantly. I tried to do that myself, but the contour doesn't lend itself to this very well. Shame - no warranties would be voided in that case. I did see a hint that there was a commercial version of this idea some time ago as well, although I never actually tracked it down.
 
I just got my Drift HD Ghost today, so I haven't had any road time with it. I have done a few voice check tests through the helmet.

I can only imagine what the wind noise is going to do to it though.

I routed an Ebay microphone ($3) into the right cheek pad. With the mic sens at 1 it sounds great chin bar up, down and visor all around.

just my 2 pennies
 
I use a Caberg Konda flip helmet. U got an Olympus DS-55 off eBay for £10 and a £3 boom mic. My first placement was in the left cheek pad... far too much wind noise. Then I pulled it out front so it now sticks out front of the left pad - which when then helmet is closed sits just inside the chin bar. Tested to day and the wind noise is acceptable for now... Audio Test vid to watch on my YouTube.
 
I didn't want to drill a hole into my hero 3 casing, so i opted for separate audio recording. currently using my iphone. using a lapel mic i ordered from the UK (i ard £7) but it was way too sensitive and my voice keeps clipping out. so i ordered a 25dbm in-line attenuator (ard £10 i think) also from ebay and it was great! wrapped some foam around the mic and had to boost the audio slightly during editing, but otherwise work awesome. my voice still clear even at over 130km/h. currently considering buying a cheap dictaphone from ebay to replace my iphone. wouldn't want a call to come in during my recording, or running battery down for that matter.

will try and find some time to do a video of my setup. :)
 
adiknaim said:
so i ordered a 25dbm in-line attenuator (ard £10 i think) also from ebay and it was great! wrapped some foam around the mic and had to boost the audio slightly during editing, but otherwise work awesome.
Click to expand...
Link please! The only inline attenuator I have been able to find that doesn't utilize a huge audio cable is no longer made. People ask me surprisingly often where to get one that will work for us. I don't care if the auction is expired, if it even is an auction..
 
Thanks, looks pretty sweet. I love how clear mine makes my audio, unfortunately it tunes out almost all of the exhaust, which is kind of impressive..
 
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