Whether it’s the ocean or pool in any level of production.. It’s hard to get good quality, clear audio when capturing in water. Even expensive pro gear is more “splash proof” than waterproof, and not designed to be fully submerged.
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The Best Pro Waterproof Microphone is.. a GoPro!?
This is a big problem for any water-based shot.. And one that I’ve had to deal with a LOT. In my years working with big wave surfer Mark Visser, we had to capture audio in some CRAZY conditions in massive surf all over the world. Even major production houses and international broadcasters we were working with would typically look for any excuse or work around to avoid capturing audio live from in the water, opting to change locations mock up the audio at a later time.
The big issue with most professional microphones intended for water is that once they get wet or submerged, they retain water and this results in inconsistent audio.
Now, there’s a new toy I’ve been playing with to capture audio in the water – and I’ve got to say, it’s now become my go-to microphone for anything water-based… The weirdest part? It’s a GoPro!
The GoPro HERO4 Session has a unique design that allows water to quickly and easily drain from the camera’s built in microphone, removing the primary issue of much more expensive pro gear.
It’s also unique in the GoPro range as the first self-contained unit that’s waterproof out-of-the-box without an additional case. The built-in microphones can do their job without interference.
In this video, I’ll show you a quick test to show you just how well this microphone drains water in the surf!
The HERO4 Session did cop a bit of flack when it was initially released because of its relatively high price point, but it’s now dropped something like $200US since then – making it a great buy, especially if you’re filming in water.
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