Hey folks,

I like to make videos but they suffer from poor sound quality. My smart phone (google pixel) has an otherwise awesome video camera and will accept a 3.5mm mic for audio. So I can always wear a mic no matter where the camera is.

For starters I took a chance on a $20 mic on Amazon with a 20 foot cable and it works well - so that was a good test.

But now I want wireless. But jacked wireless - i.e. 3.5mm jack that goes to wireless. Because I know my phone camera works with 3.5mm audio input, and may not work with bluetooth audio input (my old phone did not)

Must have good wind cancellation.

Ideally under $100. Don't need real true pro sound - very good sound is good enough and a huge improvement for me.

Here is a lower end one I was looking at for 50 bucks

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B079FV9SCP

and from the same company for 150

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01LZVWVP0

Thanks.

I really have no clue on specific mics (there are probably hundreds)... a general guideline in sound recording is to match mic quality to the quality of the recording device and not overspend $$$ unnecessarily... you can buy an expensive high-end external mic but if the recording device that the mic signal goes to is lower quality tech, the sound quality improvement will not be noticed so mic money is wasted. Just how to match up a mic with the recording quality and capability in your device for cost-effective results might be answered better by an expert which I'm not.

For higher-end audio the solution often is to use an external recording device in combination with the external mic and then synch up the vid with the audio but you probably won't want this due to cost, bulk and weight, and time spent in messing around in PP. My gut tells me for a phone vid, the mic won't need to be too expensive but who knows.

If not here, there must be other online resources or retailers that could advise on what the proper match for your recording device could be... for wind noise, a wind sock or wind screen on an external mic is a must, made for whichever mic you eventually decide on. Hope to see some great vids, once you've made your choice.

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Doesn't really need to be "high end", there are a number of quality portable audio recorders in the $100 - $200 range. Some of the advantages are that you can record audio when you are NOT recording video, long battery life and likely better sound.

There will be many times when you may want to record "notes" or ambient sounds when you do not want or can't record video at the same time, this is where a stand alone audio recording is so much better than just a better mic for the camera.

Another consideration is the Polar Pattern of the unit and if it's adjustable. If you are simply recording your own voice you might want a cardioid pattern, if you are recording the ambient sounds of loons out on the lake you might want ultra directional or super cardioid pattern.

https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques ... ffectively

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"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915

There are so many different mic's and ranges in $$$. You have to decide if you want "shotgun" style or surround, or clipped to your shirt. For wind noise you need to get a "Deadcat" or fuzzy this will dampen all wind noise. If your looking at the $150 range as I see from your links I would look at this style mic ..a Rode VideoMic with Fuzzy Windjammer Kit (amazon $150) it will give you both the mic and Deadcat. Good mic.

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Outbound2Explore

Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit. ~ Edward Abbey

I second Captaincanadian's reco of the entry-level Rode products with a deadcat. It was a huge upgrade for me and though not wireless, it captures clear audio (e.g. you speaking) from several metres away as well as ambient noise from a long distance (e.g. loons from afar).

Yes you can go anywhere with the wireless mic and don't have to be close to the camera, but how often is that really going to come in handy? Unless the answer is "often", I don't see the benefit of wireless.

With wireless mics, you always have to turn them on before you start recording right? If so, that seems really inconvenient if you're trying to capture a short-lived moment, or if you forget to turn it on altogether.

The VideoMicro ($79) doesn't require batteries, is compact, an all-metal body, and it was submerged for about three seconds last summer and came back to life.

https://www.amazon.ca/Rode-VideoMicro-C ... videomicro

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Find dozens of trip videos on the Backcountry Angling Ontario YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/BackcountryAnglingOntario

I've been watching a lot of your videos lately Jonathan and your audio quality is really good, so I'm going to head in that direction. However I will be using it with my smart phone so I wonder if the Rode Micro Me would be a better choice. Or do you think there is a way to use the one you have with a smart phone? The Micro Me is very similar but mounts right onto the phone.

I think those two are the same mic but the mount is different. You can't go wrong with Rode; staying away from generic brands or camera / smartphone companies and sticking with a microphone manufacturer will get you better quality for your money.

Yeah I believe you're right Neil. So Alan, for your smartphone the MicroMe is better for mounting. But I believe you have to buy the wind screen separately (100% worth it for outdoor filming). In any case, Rode makes a good product--no doubt in my mind about that.

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Find dozens of trip videos on the Backcountry Angling Ontario YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/BackcountryAnglingOntario

Looks like Henry's stocks a whole bunch of Rode stuff including these, and at the same price as Amazon.

I'll go in tomorrow to touch and feel - and hopefully buy.

Thanks all.

Well that was a disappointing experience at Henry's yesterday. I went there because they had the Rode gear at the same price as Amazon, so I figured I could go touch and feel to make sure it was right. Nope. No touching. No feeling. I told the guy I might as well have just bought it off Amazon - what was the point? Though my wife explained that a lot of retailers don't do touch and feel anymore because so many people come in to look at the product then order off Amazon. That is called "showrooming". I honestly could not in good conscience do that. Anyway, kind of a catch 22 for the retailer. Being able to touch and feel before buying is a major reason to go to a local retailer vs buy off Amazon.

But the 2nd kick in the pants was that the guy there should have known enough to tell me that I needed a splitter cable for my smart phone. I get the Rode home and do some tests and it is not working. Do some more googling and discover that I need a mic / headphone splitter cable to make it work. Grrrr. Well screw that I just ordered it off Amazon.

We'll find out tomorrow how well the Rode mic works on my Google Pixel.

It sure is tempting to buy one of those gopro knock offs - however I watched Jonathan's video where he unboxed one and it did not work out of the box and so returned it to Amazon. I guess that's the good part about Amazon. Actually even Henry's sells one of those (the Safari) and they give you I think he said a 30 day return period. The Safari does not have an external mic port but some of the knockoffs do.

I know people with the knockoffs and have been using them for years with no problems.

Initial test with my external Rode mic is not stellar but it is an improvement.

That is about 20 feet distance I think - maybe that is not realistic?
I was expecting better quality at that distance.
Also it could be maybe the mic is not pointed directly at me - I still have to get a mic stand put together. But it is pointing reasonably at me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJQxI1kcQXU

YouTube link doesn't seem to work. It's definitely much quieter at that distance but usually I try to fix that in editing by lowering the volume on my louder clips, and raising the volume on the clips where I'm farther away from the mic. That keeps the volume more level throughout the video. But if you regularly want to use the mic when you're 10+ feet away from the camera, then you were right to look at wireless clip-on mics.

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Find dozens of trip videos on the Backcountry Angling Ontario YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/c/BackcountryAnglingOntario

Sorry had it set to private - fixed now so you should be able to see the video

Whether or not I'll regularly need a mic 10+ feet away I'm not sure - we'll play it as it goes. Great idea on the audio levels though I'll have to play with that. Slowly getting my kit together on this one. I just bought a new waterproof case for my smart phone as well.