Replacing the Zoom Q8 with a GoPro and ... ?

Swiss Matthias

Platinum Member
Dear drumming community!

Some moons ago I bought a Zoom Q8. I've been a fan of my trusty old
Q3 for years, I virtually used it daily for recording rehearsals and gigs (mostly
audio only).

Sinced I was looking for a better video option for some time, I pulled the
trigger and bought the Q8. The video quality doesn't seem to be too
convincing though, and and I think I should've gone for the GoPro actually.

Of course the problem with the GoPro is the audio though.
Does anybody have an idea how to use a GoPro and get good audio withit, with
very little effort and money, like with a Zoom?

Maybe combining a small, affordable Zoom audio recorder with the GoPro?
 
Does anybody have an idea how to use a GoPro and get good audio withit, with
very little effort and money, like with a Zoom?

Maybe combining a small, affordable Zoom audio recorder with the GoPro?

I use a Zoom R16 + webcam/iPhone/ipad in my basement. It works well. R16's should simply be issued to budding musicians by the government. Simple, clean, versatile, portable.

For gigs, my instructor simply takes a stereo board mix and lines it up to his GoPro.
 
Thanks, I'll have to look into that! I've read a lot about the R16. But you have
to use the usual drum mics for that, right? And you have to add the captured
audio to the video track in your software afterwards?

Wat your teacher does sounds good, too. But what does he do if the mixer
is all the way behind the audience, but his GoPro is set up near his drumset
or at least near the stage (I guess)? Does he record audio separately, or
use endlessly long cables...?
 
But what does he do if the mixer
is all the way behind the audience, but his GoPro is set up near his drumset
or at least near the stage (I guess)? Does he record audio separately, or
use endlessly long cables...?

Board mixes are usually recorded separately. At worst, you get just the house sound. Sometimes you get the subgroups (Another reason to have an R16). Lining up the video/audio usually takes me 60 seconds in Garageband.
 
I realize this thread is a few months old, but I use a zoom h4n and connect it to my go pro hero 4 using an accessory called a mic adapter which go pro makes (and sells for a ridiculous price). It cost me $28 CAD but allows me to record the output of the h4n directly onto the memory card in the go pro without having to waste time syncing it up later.

This video explains it nicely

https://youtu.be/Nkjv3fRedsA
 
I have all of those: The Q8, GoPro Hero4, and the R16,and I like the option of using whatever I need. I also have two Canon DSLR's that record pretty good video too, and I have the Tascam stereo mic package you can attach to anything with a hotshoe.

I've been thinking of letting go of the GoPro because I think the Q8 video is fine - my last video I posted here was straight out of the camera - no post processing at all. But if you're planning on only having one and you go GoPro, try adding that Tascam stereo mic to it, it sorta solves the bad audio issue.
 
I use a Zoom R16 + webcam/iPhone/ipad in my basement. It works well. R16's should simply be issued to budding musicians by the government. Simple, clean, versatile, portable.

For gigs, my instructor simply takes a stereo board mix and lines it up to his GoPro.

How do sync the video? Does GoPro have syncing signals?
 
How do sync the video? Does GoPro have syncing signals?

I just drag them into sync with garageband and/or iMovie. It may be entirely coincidental that I've never experienced desync. More than likely it is because everything I use is within the cozy confines of the Apple ecosystem.

My instructor brings a GoPro out on tour, and I've never heard desync on his mixes either. Just import, drag into place, zoom in, make small adjustments, and done.
 
I realize this thread is a few months old, but I use a zoom h4n and connect it to my go pro hero 4 using an accessory called a mic adapter which go pro makes (and sells for a ridiculous price). It cost me $28 CAD but allows me to record the output of the h4n directly onto the memory card in the go pro without having to waste time syncing it up later.

This video explains it nicely

https://youtu.be/Nkjv3fRedsA

This is brilliant!

You can also use the cheaper zoom Q2 with the GoPro and have two cameras synced together.
 
I love the GoPro for video, the picture is crazy clear. I'm biased though as I also use the GoPro for mountain biking and some non-music ventures.

I used the touchscreen case for it, which allows the mic to pick up sound and it's not bad. I've used it to tape things for reference, but I wouldn't post it online. They do make an external mic for the GoPro that plugs into it and I know several friends use it for making youtube videos/blog posts.

For stationary, high quality recording (from a single mic) I just picked up the Zoom H2n and it's great. High quality recording and good battery life. I learned about it from a guitarist friend who uses the Zoom H4n. In addition to the built in mics, you have the ability to run external mics. The guitar player actually mics all the instruments at his gigs, puts them through a mixer and then into the Zoom.

I'm not an audio engineer, by any stretch, but to my ears the audio sounds pretty good... especially for the $120 (open box special, I think it's normally $160) that I spent on it.
 
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