The DJI Action 4 is an Audio Beast. Prove me wrong.

If you think Action Cameras only record crappy audio, you're missing out. The DJI Osmo Action 4 and it's USB-C input WILL change how we think of in camera audio moving forward.
The reality is that our eyes (and ears) have been opened. Recording high quality audio on an Action Cam is here. In fact I'll go as far as to say the DJI Osmo Action 4 records the cleanest audio of any camera. Ever.
Prove me wrong in the Comments!
07:17 - How to Tell which mic is which
Gear used in this video (Affiliate Links)
DJI Osmo Action Standard Combo - amzn.to/3OkT1zK
Deity V-Mic D4 - amzn.to/453UF06
Deity S-Mic 2s - amzn.to/3QsZmMt
ZOOM F3 Field Recorder - amzn.to/3DRJSKp
----------------------------------------------------------
Check every mic I own HERE: (affiliate link)
amzn.to/43iFZKp
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[@Marvelofebikes]

Got to say a big THANKS to you. After your suggestions, I was able to get the right settings for my video needs. I ended up setting the camera gain to -1, the RX to 0 and the TX to +2. I had these all wrong and changed settings quite a bit to see what the levels actually do, with your input in mind. I even tried just the camera audio and it was fine, however, I found the MIC 2 really helps the audio quality. Thanks again!!

[@twofox7001]

Wayne, you're killing it. I keep coming back to your channel as I have been learning about and shopping for audio solutions for a Moto vlog travel channel. Thanks for your hard work!

[@paulg3388]

I’ve had the Action 4 for a week. I had a Shure small mic ready to plugin, but tested just the in camera mic. When I compared the two I was blown away by the internal mic quality and won’t be using the Shure mic! I’ve other mics I may try with but this internal mic is quite unbelievable for it’s size. Hope you are well Wayne and thanks !

[@WayneRECs]

Good to know, thanks for sharing! I'll have to do some more testing on the built in mics!

[@MarknKathryn]

Thanks for your great videos with great information. Very helpful! Cheeers!

[@uncle-english]

That makes sense perfectly. Not so many are aware that audio is actually more important than visual. We can stand low-resolution videos with clear messages but not high-quality videos with poor recording or sound editing. Content always matters, and audio is the key point.

[@WayneRECs]

Totally! Which is really funny because the majority of Action 4 videos I've watched only talk about the video capabilities and barely even mention the improved audio functions. Nevermind there is this antiquated notion that we have to settle for poor audio with Action Cameras. That might have been the case 10 years ago, but not anymore in 2023 lol!

[@jariperho]

I'm thoroughly impressed by the audio quality and this is definitely the way forward. I dare say, however, that this still misses the point when it comes to audio and action cameras. Once you open that USB-C port on the camera, it is no longer an action camera. You loose the waterproofness and durability, so you might as well use something more practical and versatile. The only way to retain the waterproofness is to record external audio, add an inbuilt wireless receiver or design the body to accomodate a proper inbuilt microphone. It has to be only good enough for casual use. Content is king, and even poor audio isn't an obstacle. There are some channels I would watch, even if they recorded their videos with a potatoe. Good audio doesn't matter, of you have nothing to say. Thanks for this video. It is a nice glimpse into the future of USB-C audio.

[@nimbas9824]

Surely the way forward would be that cameras recorded 32bit float from their built in microphones and microphones plugged into the auxiliary input?

[@briangschaefer7048]

Magnificent video. Thank you Wayne :)

[@onlymyopiniontech]

It's definitely handy to record the audio into the camera especially for people that have 15 or 20 or more clips. The USB-C input is very nice.

[@WayneRECs]

Totally! Having a large number of clips that have audio baked in ready to go can be a huge timesaver!

[@mikeman2639]

We need a video with a microphone that we can walk with a vlog. Even if the sound quality was amazing I don't see anyone walking with such a big microphone while vlogging. And that is the point of action cameras, small and convenient

[@KayakFishingAddict]

Nice! Coupled with your Belkin hub solution to get simultaneous power this is a good solution. I only wish though that it wasn't USB-C but rather Bluetooth or some other wireless capability!

[@WayneRECs]

I think a lot of users would love an integrated wireless receiver in a camera, especially action cameras to be able to keep them waterproof!

[@metalheads-golf]

I'm using the DJI Action 3 with the Røde VideoMic GoII which is USB-C to USB-C and I love it. The only thing is that now I do not have an option to simultaneously charge the cam with a powerbank. So ... I don't want to go back to quarter inch input ... but need more USB-C. Great vid Wayne. 🤘🏻😎🤘🏻

[@WayneRECs]

Awesome! The OA3 and VM GO II sound like a great combination! With my testing of the Action 4, simultaneous charging and external mic use is possible. It's the Belkin Rockstar dual USB-C audio/charging splitter. Unfortunately, I've only been able to get it to work with the Action 4 and not the Action 3. I've heard rumblings that DJI is working on a 1st party USB-C audio adapter that will be compatible with both the Action 3 and Action 4 which will be a more integrated adapter and hopefully has a charging/passthrough feature. Fingers crossed!

[@metalheads-golf]

@@WayneRECs Awesome ... I've looked up the Belkin Rockstar dual USB-C audio/charging splitter and that seems to be a great option. Big thx. 💪🏻😎🤘🏻

[@mainetomass99]

Are you using it with a cage like the PGYTECH one with a cold shoe? If so, any issues with the mic showing up in the FOV in any shooting modes? Been curious about the Rode VideoMic GO II. Thanks.

[@metalheads-golf]

@@mainetomass99 Well ... in a live vid from 2 weeks ago I explained my setup and then you can see it. Title of the vid "Bryson Dechambeau 58 win at LIV was incredible ... and much more to share". The vid is time stamped so you can check it out. 🤘🏻😎🤘🏻

[@mainetomass99]

@@metalheads-golf Thanks. So you don’t have it mounted in a cold shoe I see. Bummer, was hoping to be able to discern whether or not the dead cat would be seen if mounted in a cold shoe configuration.

[@danielthechampionoftheworl8490]

Hello Mr Wayne RECs. I love your channel. Very nice, sir. Very nice. I have a wee question for you: if one wanted to do the audio version of street photography - what sort of equipment would one need? I'm talking about being able to record the sound of people going about their normal things, but being able to record in exquisite fidelity all the little details of their movements and frictions and whatnot - but from a reasonable distance. Is it possible to record a general wide soundscape of a scene, but be able to kind of zoom in on one specific thing happening - but importantly, be able to do this on the fly - without having to plan every aspect and mic up subjects etc?

[@reedeema]

Got my MKE 200 on it. Cant here a diffrens to the internal mics. If it would be easyer to have windmuffs and a cage at the same time. I would not need an external mic. Oh and du you maybe know of a Y Split Kabel that would let me have my mic and a port for charging at the same time ? Thx :)

[@SwitzeroRider]

I was using the DJI Mic on the Action 3 using usb-c to usb-c and the audio was not recorded on a random basis, say 1/10. I wonder if the Action 4 is fixing this issue. Thanks for all your very interesting videos

[@TonyButtittaphotography]

The usb-c port is a little flakey on the action 4. Very hard to get the camera to recognize it and some cables don't work at all.

[@dentaltv]

GREAT

[@dwoodog]

Sounded good. Now how would this react to sudden loud noises like a car horn, or chain saw. I worry that being 16 bit it would distort?

[@tomwatson283]

Another excellent video. I find the only thing missing from any of these "action" cameras, is, any sort of read-ably/visual audio onscreen metering. Maybe that's not yet possible on these small cameras? Maybe I'm missing something?

[@WayneRECs]

Totally agree! I think GoPro's is the most accurate with the 11 and the MediaMod, but the DJI method is really only usable as a clipping indicator. I think screen real estate is a big factor. What I'd love to see DJI implement is a meter that is displayed during the Gain Adjustment screen. Even that would be extremely helpful when setting the initial gain level. Otherwise, I think the practical implementation is to have a meter displayed on the companion apps. While less than ideal, a mobile device's larger display would enable a somewhat accurate meter to be displayed.

[@tomwatson283]

@@WayneRECs Yes. I can't see any problem in implementing a meter screen pop up while adjusting. It's only a small problem, but it would be a fantastic implementation.

[@greinalexandra]

Great video 😉

[@WayneRECs]

Thanks Alex! I think this really is the next evolution in on camera audio. (it's just going to be a long, painful transition lol)

[@greinalexandra]

@@WayneRECs as always. But if we can get near perfect raw audio out of any camera, it s worth it

[@dtl]

Thank you Wayne!

[@WayneRECs]

You're welcome! Thanks for your comment!

[@NetvoTV]

Wow great point! I thought to get the D4 because what you mentioned but I want stereo and I thought about you mentioned that the Zoom M3 can output both 3.5mm and USB C, is that mean the M3 do the conversion inside the mic too? If so, if the Panasonic HC-X1500 camcorder I want to get has a micro USB port, can I get a USB C to micro USB cable and feed the digital audio signal that way? By the way, that yellow color shock mount from Deity able to mount the M3? I love yellow color! By the way, can you review the current market of phone mic? I was really interested about the Zoom iQ7 mic back then and to this day too but iPhone now use USB C and they have an AM7 model which is same thing but with USB C plug, can you review it and compare the quality to those camera shotgun, stereo mic or so?

[@bubbiesadventures]

Have you tried the Action 4 with the Blue Yeti microphone? I was wondering if that mic would draw a lot of battery power from the Action 4 and lower the battery life/ recording time.

[@MyLanguageNotebook]

I want to just mount dji action 4 to a selfie stick, and windshield. and record audio with built in mic in Dji Action 4. Is it ok? Or should I connect an external mic?

[@jayantrajraivlogs]

I too wanna know the same

[@Marvelofebikes]

Also, I purchased the DJI Mic 2 (full package) to go with the Action 4. Is there any particular setting I need for the output gain on the Action 4 camera itself or does it matter if I am using the DJI mic 2 receiver with the wireless transmitters, connected by one of the adapters you recommended (Saramonic SR-C2001)? I apparently set the gains way too high on all of them where I got bad clipping noise in the audio. I tried to turn it down in post but just got a softer clipping noise and the voice quality was poor. The camera still shows the mic gain (green bar across the top of the screen) when I have the receiver plugged in, essentially showing two different readings. I'm not sure if the receiver green bar trumps the bar in the camera once it's plugged in or do all these need adjustment?

[@ollebrandt]

Hi Wayne, stumbled on this today, 2nd of February 2024. As I have been recording analog stereo sound from a Roland CS-10EM (I am obsessed, in a manner, of binaural stereo) into my Action2 via a BOYA adaptor, I am somewhat concerned about the a/d converter and its role (The Boya simply looks like a couple of plugs and a short piece of cable. I have used the Zoom h1n/h2n or a Sony ICD-UX560 for the Stereo recording before and synced in post (FCPX....) which haven't been a big thing - BUT, if you seek to do live in KZbin, a large No-No... BTW I have had the Instamic as the eternal back up, I find them one so nice and under-appreciated... So the main question is about the role of the a/d converter - Is it a possible weak link, strangleing bandwith and adding distorsion?

[@WayneRECs]

Thanks for your question! In general, I think the BOYA BY-K2/K4 a/d sound good, but with any additional dongle/adapter there is always the potential of failure or of it being the weak link (mostly due to wear/tear or loose connections). That said, you may want to look into the upcoming ZOOM H1essential recorder that will be released next month. As you like your Instamic, the H1essential is a 32-bit float version of the H1n. In your particular case, I believe it will be able to simultaneously record and act as a USB mic. This means you could potentially connect your Roland mic to the H1essential, record a 32-bit float stereo track and output digitally from the device via a single USB-C cable into your Action 2. This would utilize the A/D from the H1essential which potentially would be better than a BOYA adapter (though adds an additional piece of equipment). That said, as the H1essential has yet to be released, I cannot confirm any of this, but based on my research, this is most likely the set up I would do to prioritize a clean audio recording. Hope this helps!

[@ollebrandt]

Well Wayne - missed your clip from more than a week ago about the new series of Zoom recorders - now I have seen it and I am really exited... I hope that 2024 will be the year when Content Creators lift themselves from wind and background noise (traffic, etc) to a high standard of sound...

[@TonyButtittaphotography]

Great channel. Love your content. Do you know if the Osmo 4 can record left and right audio channels? I am trying to run two mics with the Hollyland Lark Max Pro and no matter what settings I use I am getting both mics mixed to either the left of the right channel. I'm starting to think that the camera just can't do this. I have tried with usb c and 3.5 mm out puts. I even tried feeding the camera out of the headphone jack on the receiver that I verified split audio with headphones. Very frustrating. Thanks.

[@TonyButtittaphotography]

I figured it out. It was a usb-c to usb-c cable that couldn't handle both channels.

[@jklmnpqrst]

how can action 4 add gain +10dB? it can not simply save digal data from microfone to video file.

[@clonkex]

The camera can still understand and modify the audio in its digital form. The important part is that the conversion to digital has already been done by the external mic.

[@serenetlw]

Anyone know how the Action 4 compares to insta360 go 3's audio quality? I'm tossing up between the two..

[@christomo]

I agree Wayne it sounds amazing but for a action cam I only shoots 2.7k with horizon level what's that all about 😅i 😅😅😅 it like 2017 again

[@WayneRECs]

Lol, I guess DJI is truly living by the tenet that audio is more important that video!

[@Marvelofebikes]

2 minutes and 10 seconds into your video, you stated the Deity V Mic D4 has a USB-C input and can run a USB-C cable from the Action 4 to this mic. I have both but I don't see a USB-C input to this mic. It has two 3.5mm jack inputs and came with two 3.5mm cables, one for TRS and the other for TRRS. Am I missing something? I purchased the Deity V Mic 4 in 2022. Is there another version of this mic or am I missing something? Thanks!

[@WayneRECs]

There are 3 versions of the Deity V-Mic D4. The one I'm referring to is the "Deity V-Mic D4". There is also a "Deity V-Mic D4 Mini" which has 2 3.5mm jacks. And there is a "Deity V-Mic D4 Duo" which has a Front and Rear dual mic set up (also with 2 3.5mm jacks). With regards to gain staging with the DJI Mic 2, while I don't have a RX unit (I only use a single TX connected directly to my Action 4), if you adjust the Gain setting of the TX, that affects how sensitive the mics on the TX units will be. If your TX units are close to the sound source, you may want to have a lower TX gain. If they are physically located farther from the sound source, you may want to have a higher TX gain. I believe the DJI Mic 2 RX also has a level/gain output setting. This would act more like a volume control as to how loud the output signal is being sent from the RX to the camera. Lastly, the camera may have a "gain" setting which would act similarly. If the signal being received by the camera is low, raising the camera gain would compensate. Generally speaking, it's best to let the audio equipment get the optimal levels before the camera. So first place your TX units where they will be when recording. Next, adjust the TX gain to get a health signal on the RX display. Next, I would set the RX output & the camera gain both to 0 and see what the meter on the camera looks like. If it's low, try first increasing the RX output gain/level. If it's too high, first try lowering the camera gain. This whole process is generally referred to as Gain Staging and usually takes a little playing around with to find the optimal setting for any individual's use case. When it comes to clipping, the Receiver level/ TX gain should be checked first, as if you're clipping at the Receiver, that clipped signal will be sent to your camera and at that point, even lowering your camera gain, the signal is already clipped at the receiver. Lastly, if you're using the DJI Mic 2 with your Action 4, I'd suggest considering connecting the Mic 2 RX directly to the Action 4 via USB-C. The included dongle is best, but if you need to mount your Mic 2 RX in a cold shoe, keeping the USB-C dongle connected and using a short USB-C extension cable may produce a cleaner sound than using the Saramonic adapter as this puts one less component in the overall audio chain. That said, the real world audible difference may be negligible.

[@Marvelofebikes]

@@WayneRECs Great advice!! I did get a cold shoe as the RX sits right on top of the camera. I will give this a try!

[@AskIveSolar]

How did well retention do on this video?

[@MaksuelBoni]

Did you try usb-c/usb-c digital audio? I would like to understand if it is possible to use rode wireless go by usb-c/usb-c cable in dji osmo action 4

[@WayneRECs]

Hi, the Action 4 will support USB-C to USB-C audio inputs if your device is capable of doing so. The RODE Wireless GO II, ME & PRO models should work this way, however, the first gen Wireless GO does not output digitally via USB-C.

[@rawbsworld6604]

I know let’s toss our turntables cuz CD’s is where it’s at 😲 I only mention that cuz basically everyone replaced their vinyl music collection with the very same thing on compact disc it was a bonus $ win for the music industry. At the time when needing a phone went with 6s because it was still 3.5 and the 7 was blue tooth wasn’t going to spend the $ to get all new blue tooth stuff 🤷‍♂️ at the very least would a 3.5 to usb dongle be sufficient instead of more $ for a mic & provided cable ? 🤷‍♂️ ✌️🤙

[@WayneRECs]

Hey Rawb! Great points! I think one of the pain points for any major shift is the abandonment of things that we've already made large investments in. I think the ultimate solution is for an expansion of the use of the "dongle" so that we can still use our legacy gear (which will still function and sound great). I think what really needs to happen is for companies to start treating dongles and adapters as a priority in design and not an after thought that is jumped on and taken care of by 3rd party manufacturers. I think with any older technology, people will still enjoy (and continue) to use it (I mean, there is something special about listening to a physical vinyl record that can be replicated with a "perfect" digital recording. But really, once one company works out the kinks in a new way of doing things, others will follow. A great recent example of this is RODE. When they first released their Wireless GO (which was only 4 years ago), people were skeptical about transmitting audio in anyway that wasn't UHF. They questioned the reliability, range and practical use of a 2.4gHz wireless system. Well, we know how that has all panned out with the flood of prosumer wireless options. With anything new, full on early adoption can be tricky (I knew a guy who was an early adopter who spent 100's of hours converting his movie collection to 720p) but IMO, now that DJI has a proof of concept, it's only a matter of time until others follow suit. But yea, the "dongle/adapter business" could feel like a cash grab for a lot of people!

[@DavidHarryUncut]

Alright, Wayne. I've heard the idiots saying all this stupidity for years. When it's just a bitstream there's absolutely no difference at all, other than the audio codec used to store the audio once it's been multiplexed in the camera with the video codec (usual AAC for most small cameras). However, even for the A/D stage, there's a lot of surprises out there. The GoPro mic adapter, which I think is now about 7 years old, is really good. If you set it to line and feed it an amplified signal, the quality is great. It's the same for the Media Mod, its audio interface and chip is the same as the mic adapter. What would be even better, though, is if GoPro ever open up the protocols on their USB C interface and allow for bit-streaming. I may do a test soon with the GoPro and a small desk or preamp. Lastly, what's more surprising is that many people don't realise that phones have been doing this for ages, bitstreaming, and there's been a few USB C and Lightning mics for some time. Anyway, great point being made 👍 Oh yes, I'm really happy to hear you say "floating point" 🤣 Cheers, Dave.

[@WayneRECs]

Dave! Great points! Especially that phones have been doing this for a while now! And yes, the floating point was for you after our conversation lol!

[@DavidHarryUncut]

@@WayneRECs 🤣👍

[@2kphotography]

Hi Wayne! I purchased Sennheiser XS Lav a few weeks ago along with the OA4. I'm experiencing a weird behaviour on long rides. When I turn it on normally, the lav mic icon is displayed on OA4 and audio is recorded. However if I leave the camera off for an hour or so and then use the Quick record button (red record button without turning the camera on), then the mic is never detected, neither does the mic icon show up on the screen. I use the quick record button a lot while on rides because it starts recording and automatically turns the camera off when recording is completed. Would it be possible for you to please test if your setup also behaves in a similar way?

[@WayneRECs]

Thanks for pointing this out! I think this is a bug with the OA4. I've done some quick tests and can confirm that I've replicated similar issues with the Sennheiser XS Lav in certain camera start up situations and not others. I've also quickly tested 5 other usb mics and the BOYA BY-K4 adapter and of those 6 devices, only 1 other mic displayed the same recognition issue as the XS Lav. This is something I never experienced with the OA3. It seems to happen when the OA4 starts up after being fully powered off. It runs through some kind of system check including displaying the battery percentage and then doesn't recognized the connected usb mics until another power cycle. Seems like a bug that could be fixed in a firmware update. Looks like I'll have to explore this more and report any findings to DJI...

[@2kphotography]

@@WayneRECs Glad its not only happening with me. I tried it again without the quick record button and issue still happens with me. Infact on my side, I can't resolve the issue until I do a simple fix, which is pull out the USB C lav mic cable and put it in again. I own the DJI Mic which has no issues but with the camera, the helmet is already quite heavy and if I keep attaching more and more things onto it, it gets heavier and heavier. Plus rides are so long even if I record external audio like on my DR-10L or DJI Mic, it'll be a nightmare to sync because I can't even see my face. If DJI doesn't fix this bug, for that reason alone OA4 seems like a bad purchase for motovloggers.

[@2kphotography]

@@WayneRECs Hi Wayne! I heard back from DJI and they sent out a list of mics that are compatible with OA4 and one of them is the Boya BY-K4 adapter with any TRS mic. I recall that you discussed this in a prior video with OA3 as well. In case you own this adapter, would it be possible for you to confirm if this adapter actually works without problems with the OA4? Thanks so much in advance. I just finished a ride and thrice the mic stopped working whenever there was a 30-60 minute time difference between takes. I can also now confirm that if I keep using the camera every 5-10 minutes, the mic always works without problems and records audio properly and there is no need to remove and re-insert the USB C cable for the camera to be able to detect the mic. Its a very typical issue.

[@WayneRECs]

@@2kphotography Thanks for the update! I'm actually working on a video of this. Was that list publicly available somewhere? As for the BY-K4, I haven't had any issues and I've been testing a number of different usb options. That adapter has always performed as expected.

[@2kphotography]

@@WayneRECs I'm not sure if they've made that list public. DJI only sent it to me when I asked them why did they release an action camera without a lav mic support. Infact, another version (3.5mm) of the Sennheiser XS LAV (USB C) which I use, is also part of that same list. For that matter, even my mic works without problems as long as camera is not left idle for long. Which is impossible to manage while on a bike.

[@xuimod]

EDIT: I just watched the video where you said you are going blind but I'll leave the comment here for engagement purposes. You should have way more subs but I think your weirdly colored glasses turn people off. I think a lot of people associate loudly colored eye guess frames with people who have extreme viewpoints (mostly woke liberal viewpoints). You seem like a very level-headed type guy so that doesn't seem to apply to you but people often judge other people and KZbinrs within the first few seconds so they don't even hear what they have to say. Just my viewpoint.

[@1bmw_Clubsport]

there is big difference between s-mic and v-mic.. even on my laptop with build in speakers, i can hear the difference.. the s-mic sounds worse. There is more dynamic sound on V-mic.

[@WayneRECs]

Thanks for sharing your listening experience! Definitely interesting to learn about what others hear and on what devices.

[@1bmw_Clubsport]

​@@WayneRECs I might have a thing for listening to sound, and to listening to how the production are made, through and earlier hobby which was Audiophile listening on highend stereo systems. So i have a self trained ear to listenings to differences in a recording 🙂 On the S-mic it sounds almost like "loudness war". So the dynamic range are compromised between high and low voices produced. Try to have a listening yourself in a very good headphone or similar, you can maybe hear what im reffering too. But thanks for sharing this information, its a start to have action cams, to even record any decent sound! 🙂

[@WayneRECs]

@@1bmw_Clubsport Thanks for elaborating! I too can hear an audible difference if I'm listening on my studio monitors or headphones, but for the average listener (aka my wife) couldn't hear a discernable difference. Admittedly, my head and body movement made some clips more obvious than others (like if I spoke directly on axis to one of the mics) but tonality wise, I don't think an untrained ear would notice much. TBH, I was just happy they sounded closer than one of my older videos where I did a similar comparison (which the difference was much more prominent lol)

[@1bmw_Clubsport]

@@WayneRECs For sure, the tonal are very alike which makes them comparable. But its the dynamic compression that differs the 2 of them :-) To be fair, dynamic is one of the main thing audiophiles chase.. The "black" silence between words/sounds.. But im down with what you mean, the majority dont see the difference, which is also why music nowadays sounds very dull compared to earlier music, if you play it on a pretty good stereo. Majority thinks radio sounds good or music from their iphones! 😀But i agree with you, its amazing the sound recording are very neutral!

[@RustBucketConnoisseur]

The hero 12 doesn’t do this and it’s one of the reasons I returned it and bought the action 4. the action 4 is hands-down without a doubt 1 million times better than the hero 12