I am shopping around for an external microphone I can plug into my android phone or a GoPro to record better audio when playing around with the car. Has anyone else here found a worthy option? I'm not looking to spend a ton of money, but if a cheap microphone is not better than the pickup on my camera I rather not waste my time.
Did a quick search and there are lots of adapters out there that let you plug your normal XLR connector mic into your phone's mini jack. There were even videos on how to make one. You can use literally ANY microphone*. 99.9599% of them will be better than your camera's mic. The adapter required for your phone might be different than one that'll work on the camera.
*Condenser mics require external power that your phone and camera won't provide but you can sort that with an inline phantom power gizmo.
OneJay
New Reader
3/21/14 11:44 a.m.
I use a $15 Sony lapel mic on my Hero2. The Hero2 is the only one with a 3.5mm input for an external mic, the Hero3, uses a $20 adapter, and the Hero1, you have to hardwire it in.
I taped some cotton over the mic, to cut out any wind noise, and I tape it on the rear bumper about 2-3 feet from the exhaust and it sounds great. I had to play around with the positioning, because if it's too close, you can overload the mic, and get a lot of static. You'll most likely need an extension cord for this one as well, depending on where you mount the camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiC6ozv5hJY
Here's the link to the mic.
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-ECMCS3-Omnidirectional-Stereo-Microphone/dp/B0058MJX4O/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1395419785&sr=1-1&keywords=sony+lavalier+microphone