Microphones and Sound
I haven't posted in these forums for some time. Since I got my SJ7 Star a few months ago I have been posting on the "Official" SJCam forums - BTW I have no idea why there are now two entirely separate forums in different parts of the SJCam support site - with different information and seemingly different moderators and members - but Hey-Ho!
Anyway I have now been reading the back information here and there seem to be some active and interested users of the SJ7 here too. When I got the SJ7Star one of the features which appealed was the potential to use an external microphone. One of the downsides of my SJ5000x Elite was the poor sound and inability to use external mics. I already had a GoPro compatible mic with a Mini-USB connector so assumed this could be used on the SJ7. As most people know this isn't possible. Only the SJCam mics can be used!
When I got the SJ7 however I was very impressed with the recorded sound from the Internal mic (now even better in current firmware v1.13) but anyway I went ahead with ordering the dedicated SJ7/SJ6/M20 standard (short neck) mic. It didn't worry me that this was on a long slow delivery from China via GearBest as it wasn't now so urgent. However when it finally arrived, a couple of days ago and I started testing, I was amazed how much worse this was then the Internal Mic!!! The playback volume is much lower at the same recorded level and the quality is really bad - no depth and tinny sound - even when played back on a good sound system!
Has anyone had good experience of using the external Microphone? I have tried it in all ways I can think of. At all different volumes - with the foam windscreen Off or On - with the Microphone Volume OFF in case this turned on the external Mic (it doesn't) - with the simple plastic mounting frame on or off, in case this meant the usb didn't quite push in far enough, no difference (BTW this frame covers the internal mic but doesn't hardly decrease the volume or quality at all).
There doesn't seem to be a place in any of the Menus to turn on the External Mic. Is there anything else that I can do? Has anyone had any success with this Microphone? Otherwise I'll just throw it in a drawer and wait until either SJCam improve firmware so that this Mic is better than the internal one or I am able to use a different Non-SJCam microphone directly via usb or via a usb/mic jack adaptor.
Disappointed!