External Mic Location

Armagreggon85 · 4 Oct 2017

I'm off for a trackday at the Nurburgring next week in the trusty C2 and, along with the usual track preparations, I'm looking to improve on last years GoPro footage by using an external microphone.

Does anyone have any recommendations where is best to position the mic for the best soundtrack?

Would it be best in the engine bay or behind the bumper for more exhaust noise? The car is running pse boxes, ebay headers and airbox resonator delete so hoping to capture some good sound.

Also wondered if there is a stealthy routing for the mic cable from the engine bay into the car interior? The gopro will probably be in the windshield and i dont fancy having to tape wires down the side of the car and in through the door...

Kimbo · 5 Oct 2017

What make of mic are you using and where's it going to.

infrasilver · 5 Oct 2017

I tried all sorts of locations and using various wind blockers and I got the best results inside the engine bay, tucked in the left, back corner, the exhaust note easily over powers any engine running noises.

Satch · 5 Oct 2017

Try and mount it a foot away from the exhaust. Wrap the mic in a dead cat. And also wrap a cloth around it. The idea is to reduce wind noise but still pick up the exhaust sound. You can also try wrapping the mc in cling film.

It will still pick up the tones you want but cancel out the wind noise. I've made plenty YouTube vids doing thing.

I'm no expert but this is what works best for me. Trial and error everything before you set off for the track though.

Armagreggon85 · 30 Oct 2017

Finally gotten round to an update on this.....

Didn't get much chance for trial and error as I was borrowing a mates gopro and only tried it the night before. I ended up mounting the mic next to the engine lid catch. It had 2 x foam covers on the mic and i also wrapped it in a sock.

Getting it into the engine bay from the cabin was tricky. Had a good search round but with my limited time I had to run it out of the sunroof, taped it down the side of the rear screen and into the engine bay at the top of the lid. A few cable ties kept it tidy in the engine bay.

Pretty happy with the sound, a little bit metallic but lots of lovely induction noise and it still picked up some exhaust and tyre squeal.

1100 miles over 3 days taking the odo just over 132k. Car performed perfectly the whole weekend (except for the manifold to cat bolts dropping out halfway through the track day. This was probably my fault for not tightening them properly last time the exhaust was off. Easily fixed with a trip to Nico Leider in Adenau for bolts, even let me use his ramp to fit them). Oil change to millers nanodrive 10w50 before hand, normally get blue smoke on startup morning after a track day but this time i didnt get any.

Video footage of best lap on youtube.... https://youtu.be/6DGll4EcAdo

Also had a little moment on the last lap of the day.. https://youtu.be/A198bsY6Frc

Also bumped in to fellow 911uk member Noisse? Who did the trackday in his gt3 cs

All in all a great success!

Armagreggon85 · 30 Oct 2017

I forgot to mention, the mic was a cheap stereo mic off ebay, it cost £9 and came with the adaptor for the gopro. I also bought a 3.5mm extebsion cable and the gopro combo cable so i could charge the gopro while using the mic. Cheapest was from route one for £18.

Mic.. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/222644435549

infrasilver · 31 Oct 2017

What length 3.5mm jack extension did you use to get from windscreen to engine bay?

Mac996t · 31 Oct 2017

That sounds very good for the price

I do a bit of GoPro filming and only get good sounds with the built in mic when the camera is mounted on the engine cover, if inside on the screen or on the front of the bonnet you can't really hear the engine so this would make them miles better.

Have you got a link to the charging adaptor you used?

PS Well done on that save, most ring vids with a slide like that don't end well!!

Mac

Mac996t · 31 Oct 2017

In fact watching it again that was a brilliant save, you must of ***** your pants!!

Armagreggon85 · 31 Oct 2017

I got a cheap 5m long 3.5mm jack extension off ebay...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5m-3-5mm...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

It was £1.79 so very reasonable indeed. Route One was the cheapest place I found for the combo cable at £19... however this only works on the hero 2/3 I think, the same with the mircro USB adapter included with the Ebay mic.

https://www.routeone.co.uk/brands/gopro/gopro-combo-cable.htm

It's weird, I didn't s**t myself until after it had all happened, I was pretty calm, I thought it was going to go round in the middle of the road but I would've been luck not to hit anything with barriers right next to the track there. It all happened so fast that after I gathered it up then I was flustered! The guy in the clio was having a right old laugh

911TEL · 31 Oct 2017

Yeah , good save on the 'moment'.....could have ended up a lot worse ...........I bet the lad you had just passed had a wee chuckle at your ' moment' though ......,

External Mic Location

Armagreggon85

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Kimbo

Paul Ricard

infrasilver

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Satch

Spa-Francorchamps

Armagreggon85

Silverstone

Armagreggon85

Silverstone

infrasilver

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Mac996t

Hockenheim

Mac996t

Hockenheim

Armagreggon85

Silverstone

911TEL

Albert Park

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