The Great GoPro Hero3 Audio Test

Chadfish

Chadfish

Veteran
OK, most of us turn our noses up at the audio from a simple sports camera, but the new Hero3 has surprisingly good audio now, compared to the older Hero2 and HeroHD. This series of tests is designed to find out just how great the GoPro Hero3's audio capabilities are. You'll hear the Hero3 in every possible audio situation from using the built in microphones to plugging external microphones in, and even a wireless setup.

Just thought I'd throw this out there.

Chadfish

 
Thanks omnikron! I figured someone might want to get some audio into these little wonder cameras, and finally the audio isn't totally lame. I think my favorite was the Que Audio Mini Shotgun Pro at +10db. There's a sweet spot where the audio coming is is above the noise level, but not pushing the AGC to over-modulate the signal. However, I was right on the mic (15" away) so a mic w/20db boost might be cool with people further away. I stopped testing because the video was already getting pretty long. I didn't try any preamps, or AGC defeating stuff because most preamps are bigger than the camera. This is supposed to be for simple plug & play.
 
This is actually fascinating stuff! Personally, I've never considered recording audio on a GoPro, but it's good to know it's possible to get a decent recording. I know a guy that wanted to produce low-budget commercials shot only on a GoPro. I advised against it (and still do). It's good to know it's not entirely impossible.
 
Thank you very much, Chad! Excellent service to the community.

Assuming the mic adapter cable doesn't provide "plug-in power"? It sounds like all the mics you were using were self-powered.

That noise from the "frame" was truly bizarre! If you hold your ear up to the camera is it actually making any acoustic noise itself?
Isn't it solid-state? Isn't it inert? Was that the battery out-gassing from overcharging or something? :)
Same conditions otherwise? Assuming you weren't using the LCD viewfinder, etc?

I was very surprised at the sound quality inside the clear box (but with the cutaway back). It was actually better than just the "frame". How can that be?

I was also very surprised at the minimal artifacts from the camera AGC. Assuming you didn't do any post-production "sweetening", it was quite good!

I liked the test conditions: normal, loud, soft, and silence (to hear the noise floor). Good practice for us all to use in future tests.
 
Thanks Richard. Yes "The Frame" audio was odd. Whilst recording this video I did have the LCD bacback on, but before the official recording I did an informal test with the smaller frame and no bacbacks on. ("The Frame" package comes with 2 frames - one the size of the camera and a larger one that fits over the camera w/ bacpacks). The sound was exactly the same. Perhaps the mesh over the mic holes is metal, and picked up something in my office? Must check in another room, or outside. As for post sweetening, I did NOTHING to the audio. I didn't even level match in post. I wanted you to hear the exact level the camera recorded these mics at. And FYI, the camera/USB audio adapter DO provide plug-in power! That's why my lavs worked plugged in direct, and why they were louder than I expected. I thought they would be as quiet as the mini shotguns at 0db gain, but they were louder than the minis at +10db gain. I feel my Sennheiser Wireless was a tad too hot. I should have lowered the AF out to maybe +12, rather than +18 or +15, but it was getting late, and I had already done a lot of one-off tests where I recorded one segment at a setting, then captured and reviewed to see if it was OK. So it was a long process. I also did a bit with the JuicedLink DS-214, but it does not provide plug-in power, and would have made my video way too long. Anyway, a preamp defeats my point of having a simple solution. Preamps are larger than the camera!
 
Chad, I'm impressed with the GoPro audio... and of course your video. Excellent job. This convinced me I need to replace my Hero2s with Hero3s more then anything else I've seen (heard).
 
Thanks Matt! I'm impressed with the little camera. Shooting in 2.7k is nice, but I use 1080p60 for my aerial videos. The sound is great as long as you dont push the AGC too hard, but I'm confused with the sound when using The Frame. There was this odd noise that makes no sense. It's just a piece of plastic around the camera with holes for the mics, and the holes have this mesh over them. I thought it might be some type of RF in my studio, so I tried it outside and it sounded the same. It would be nice to wear the camera in the fame on my head and narrate as I do something with my hands, but the frame audio ain't happenin'. That's what lavs are for!
 
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Dude. This is really fantastic. Having made my own product videos, I know how much work it takes to put something like this together. Thanks for taking the time to do this. I'm getting some Hero 3 cameras from GoPro soon and I usually use one as a "b" cam in my product videos and run some sort of audio into it just to have it there. I know GoPro uses the Sennheiser mini shotgun mic, but I actually liked the sound of the Que audio mini shotgun the best. I'm going to send them this video so they can hear the tests you did. Again, thanks for making this excellent video.
 
Thanks Dave! I actually did this twice. Once informally to know what worked and what didn't, then again with lights and more focus. I liked the Que at +10db the most. The next day I lost my gopro, unprotected by a case, in a river for 2 hours as I dredged with a stick. I crashed my quadcopter making this aerial video. The camera lived! I put it in rice for 2 days to dry it out. Battery on the quad malfunctioned and I went in the drink. Thr file with the crash cuts out 15 seconds before it happens, so no underwater shot... Anyway, the camera sounds great compared to the Hero2. I wish they'd give me a spare Hero3 for the audio test that will definitely sell them some units! I'm bound to destroy the one I have.
 
Wow. That aerial video is really cool. Too bad about your quad copter, dude. That's a real bummer. You have gotten some great footage with that. Once it is up and running you should bring it down to LA and fly it above the freeways.
 
Or have your boss hire me to fly around the K-Tek campus and make promotional videos for you! I could fly around the manufacturing area! I will be coming to LA in the first half of 2013 to shoot some aerial jobs.
 
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Campus! What are we, Apple? Honestly, we don't really let people take video or pictures of our facility. It's a secret lab with lots of new things in development. Seriously. We have prototypes all over the place that we have to hide when people stop by.
We are down in north San Diego county if you have time to come down. I'd be happy to give you a tour.
 
What do you mean by "frame" and "case"? Could you explain as to someone who has no experience with this camera. Why would you need a "frame" and "case" around the camera anyway? Thanks!
 
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ramkuma said:
What do you mean by "frame" and "case"? Could you explain as to someone who has no experience with this camera. Why would you need a "frame" and "case" around the camera anyway? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Go to the GoPro website and search "the Frame". It's a product that I showed in the video, and I thought I explained what it is. The case may better be referred to as "housing". That's the clear plastic protective housing the camera comes with. The frame is a bare bones way of mounting the camera with access to the USB port, and it's lighter, but offers no real protection against bangs or drops.
 
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