From Shotgun Mics to DJI Mic Mini: My Outdoor Audio Journey

Recording audio for a YouTube video is probably the most important thing. The audio is poor, so a lot of people will leave.

Especially outdoors, you will need to have better audio. This is due to many factors outside. Here is what I use to record audio.

What I use

I started off using this.

This was OK It had a big, giant, dead cat (wind muff) on it, and it was really noticeable. But the range was limited. It worked for the most part. But I was limited to how far away I could be from the camera. I used this a lot with my Osmo Pocket while it sat on my desk.

Next, I used this

This was just a lazier mic I would plug into the camera. It did have a long cord that I could use, but once again, it limited my distance from the camera.

I still use this every once in a while.

Next up

I got myself an Osmo Mic Original, and I use it all the time. It was nice, easy, compact, and versatile. I could move around and go a reasonable distance from the camera. It did have its issues.

It did need an adapter to plug into my original Osmo Action camera. If you forgot that, then too bad for you. You have to make sure you have a cable to plug into the camera as well.

It worked great outdoors, especially with the lavier mic. Really nice and compact. Hardly noticeable.

Next up

Is the DJI Mic Mini

This one was a game-changer for me, working with audio while outdoors. It is compact, and the only thing I need is my DJI Action 4: no cords, no adapters, no fuss. The only issue is that there is no port for a lavier mic.

You can use the wind muffs that come with it. I mostly just put it under my shirt, and it sounds OK. You can move around, but not too far. This is only connected via Bluetooth. So the range is limited.

For Me 

I am not comfortable with walking around like this.

Walking around like this is better,

But the DJI Mic Mini is the way I go. You need good audio to communicate your point of view in the video.

That is

How do I record good audio outside? These mics are good gadgets that help get the job done and get that audio up another notch.

You also have to make sure that the gain is set correctly, too low and you can’t hear, too high and it is just not good.

Some say keep it at zero, but for me, I talk a little bit quieter outdoors. So I have to adjust mine. To like +6. You can also go down to like -9, but I found that it makes it too quiet for me. So I have to be on the positive side of things.

You have to play around with what works best for you. What I do might not work for you.

Mics

• Internal Mic’s
  • Canon was better at picking up the audio
• Shotgun mic
  • Since this only works on the Canon, I won’t be using it for shooting outside anytime soon.
• I don’t want to spend $39 on an adapter for it, and I’ve already spent enough on USB-C-to-Audio trying to get it to work.
• The DJI Original Mic is a good little mic, but sometimes it’s pretty and you have to turn the volume way up to get decent sound. Sometimes it is just fine.
  • This does work on the Canon, DJI Action 1 and 4
  • But sometimes it loses connection, and no audio is being recorded. There is an internal recording on the transmitter itself. But still a pain in the butt
• DJI Mic Mini
  • I really like this one, it is sometimes quiet as well, but I think that has to do with the gain and my voice.
  • This one is nice and discreet, connects to Bluetooth, and that is nice, but the recording distance is limited. Really limited, and you have to have the mic pointed towards the camera at all times.

 Summary

Filming outdoors is always a challenge because there is a lot of noise—cars, people, working environments, and so on. You need to play around with what works best for you and what you are trying to accomplish. But these are the ones that have worked for me.

But I mostly use the mic mini.

Next Week

I will be talking about the Power Brick that keeps going. 

YouTube

Check out the video I filmed outside so you can see what I am talking about. Showing you firsthand experience.