THE NEW GOPRO HERO 12 BLACK GOES BIG ON AUDIO

The iconic action cam gets an external mic and dual-channel audio

GoPro has announced the Hero 12 Black, with audio-focused headline upgrades including external microphone support and dualchannel audio capture, so that you can record both camera and external mic tracks and then mix them in an edit.

The latest GoPro also sports a handy 1/4-inch thread between its flip-out feet, giving you even more ways to mount it, and the addition of HDR video, while 8:7 capture in all modes, boosts its imaging credentials too.

It's no secret that many were hoping this would be the year GoPro improved its low-light performance and upped the sensor size nearer to that coveted 1-inch mark, as DJI with its 1/1.3-inch Osmo Action 4. But GoPro has kept the 1/1.9-inch sensor introduced on the GoPro Hero 11 Black.

DJI laid down the gauntlet with its wireless audio support for its Action devices, and compatibility with its excellent DJI Mic, and GoPro has finally stepped up its wireless audio game with support for Bluetooth microphones - either in the form of earbuds or dedicated solutions. Voice commands and external audio are all heard by the Hero 12 Black's Bluetooth input, so hands-free control over the camera at a distance should be easier than ever, and with dual-channel capture, both camera and microphone audio are recorded.