GoPro Tip – How to deal with the excess cable from the EGL-001

I was asked recently about how to deal with the cable from the EGL-001 mini USB microphone adapter cable for GoPro. In case you don’t know, the EGL-001 lets you connect an external microphone to a GoPro Hero4, Hero3+ or Hero3. You can get one with any of the Action Bundles we have that include the microphone, adapter cable and furry windscreen. The Action Bundle with the ETM-001 is the one most people refer to when they ask about cable management.

The Issue

The EGL-001 also comes with a lapel clip so you can use your microphone as a lavalier mic. However, some people, myself included, don’t like the cable all loose. It’s over 3 ft long so it’s great as a lapel microphone for your GoPro but the cable can get in the way when you don’t need it.

The solution

The solution is relatively simple in that you only need to wrap the cable around the base of the GoPro. Most GoPro owners probably have a monopod, tripod or something they use to mount their GoPros with. So all you need to do is wrap the cable around and then hold all the wires together with the lapel clip.

And then where do I put it?

Once you’ve secured the cable with the clip, you can secure it around the thumbscrew or clip the mic to something on the mount or tripod. Some people zip tie the cable, but a twist tie is probably a lot easier to undo. I personally don’t mind if the cable is still loose because it allows me to easily switch to a lapel mic, if necessary.

But the mic isn’t pointed straight

If you are using an ETM-001 or ETM-006, those mics can be pointed in any direction. Only the ETM-008 would need to be pointed at the subject. Some people think you need to point an omnidirectional microphone at the sound source, but it’s not necessary. However, getting the mic close to your sound source IS important.

Any other ideas?

If you’ve come up with your own way of securing the cable, please let me know. It’d be great to hear about other solutions that could help other people, too.

Thanks.