One item with the various sensors that I’ll have to pay close attention to is the microphone placement.  I’ve got a huge amount of video with the sound awash with wind noise.

When I first started using the video cameras, I thought it would be great to have some narrative.  I had made some initial attempts, but it typically resulted in noise.

Also, There are things the mic could have captured that the lens could not.  Having that data space occupied with noise is a waste.  This is a bug that I will want remedied with the new sensor helmet.

In order to determine the best placement, I’ll need to do some initial tests in the field.  I have some ideas were to place it that might work, but I’ll need to validate it with test results.  I have found with the old setup that wind noise was lowest when the microphone was parpendicular to wind flow.  I’ve also noticed good results when the mic was pointed away from the wind source.

There are 3 objectives to clearing the air and using this information more effectively:

1. Eliminate wind noise.
2. Capture surrounding sounds.
3. Capture narrative.

I’ll be using my current setup with various sensors attached at points on the helmet.  I’ll document the sensor placement with each run.  Also, I’ll note conditions with each run, since these may change over the course of the test.

The test platform will consist of a 808-16 using an external mic, pro mini, MEMS sound sensor, and Electric Mic sensor.  All of these devices will be powered by the battery pack that I currently use, it’s rated well above the collective load.