It’s been quite some time, but finally someone has come up with an alternative mic adapter for GoPro cameras. The big question is though, should you buy one? Well in this article, we’re going to take a close look at what this adapter offers and if you should use one.
The GoPro Hero 4 and earlier all had a built in 3.5MM TRS line in microphone receiver. This means you could plug is most 3.5MM TRS microphones into the camera and record audio from an external microphone (such as a lavalier microphone). This was quite a good way to ensure crisp clean vocal tracks were recorded when vlogging. The downside was that with a microphone plugged into the camera, the camera was not waterproof and you were tethered to the camera by a microphone.
With the Hero 5 and later, GoPro did away with the 3.5MM TRS line in. This move was likely done to save space in the camera itself to make room for it’s hardware components. Instead, external audio support was now done via the GoPro Mic Adapter.
There were of course disadvantages to this approach. Not only would you have to content with the weight of the camera, but you’d also have this large and heavy mic adapter hanging off the side of the camera (which would put strain on the USB-C port). Add to that the weight of a microphone cable and things would just get even heavier.
This is where 3rd parties stepped in and started creating camera rigs/cages that would hold both the camera and the microphone adapter at the same time.
The issue with this approach is now you had the weight of the camera, weight of the mic adapter and the weight of the cage to deal with. Also, since the GoPro mic adapter cable was so short and thick, that bending the cable around to fit into the USB-C port would still add strain to the USB-C port resulting in possible damage in the long term.
This is where GoPro decided to step in with some new innovation. They introduced the GoPro Media Mod with the release of the GoPro Hero 8.
This solved a couple of issues (while introducing some new issues). The media mod basically had two mini directional shotgun mics front and rear (as seen in the picture) that were actually quite good. It also had two cold shoes for mounting additional microphones, lights or other accessories. Finally on the rear of the device it had a USB-C port for external power, a micro HDMI out for using your camera as a 1080P webcam or playback of files in 1080P resolution on a TV, and a 3.5MM TRS line in. Since it wrapped around the camera, there was no bulky weight or cables putting strain on the USB-C port.
When the Hero 9 was released, a new upgraded media mod was released.
The new media mod was larger (as the Hero 9 to 13 are much larger camera’s than the Hero 8) and featured a detachable wind muff that covered the external microphones. This was actually quite effective and suppressing wind noise meaning you could record clear audio in most windy environments. However there were some weaknesses to this design.
Even though the media mod was weather resistant, it was not waterproof.
It also increased the size of the camera and made it more bulky.
The detachable wind muff came off easily and was prone to being lost (and for some reason, GoPro don’t sell replacement muffs) (although they are pretty good at sending replacements out to customers who lose theirs).
Also, the folding feet of the camera came out through a hole in the bottom of the media mod. This meant that every time you wanted to access the SD card or change the battery, you had to remove the camera from it’s mount, open the media mod, slide the camera out, change the battery or SD card, then reassemble the whole setup to start using it again. In short, it was a time-consuming PITA.
This is why some people still use the GoPro Mic adapter as it bypasses the headache of the above. The problem with the GoPro Mic adapter is that it costed around $70. So it’s a hefty chunk of change.
Enter the Artman Mic Adapter with Wind Noise Reduction!
What does this 3rd party mic adapter claim to do? Everything that the GoPro Mic Adapter can do, only $20 cheaper. Yes that’s right, this is currently retailing for around $48 on Amazon.
It claims to be compatible with the Hero 5 to Hero 13 (GoPro Max and Max 2 aren’t supported as those 360 cameras don’t support external audio, neither do the budget GoPro models such as the Hero 2024 or Hero Lit).
What it does do is allow you to connect a 3.5MM TRS microphone to your camera and power it via USB-C at the same time. So, if you’re looking to use external microphones with your camera, this is a cheaper solution for sure.
This may be ideal for those moto vloggers who just don’t want the extra bulk of the media mod when they have the camera attached to their helmet. It’s also a good option for the budget conscientious buyer.
Personally, I’m happy enough using the media mod, I think it offers a lot more features than the mic adapter and it’s kinder on the USB-C port. However, I also believe that you should use the right tools for the job and the tools that make you the most comfortable while filming. My only concern would be that a firmware update on GoPro models could render a 3rd party device inoperable, so that’s something to keep in mind. Still for those looking for a bargain, this is something you may want to consider.
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