Test

02007-08-18 | Recording | 17 comments

Binaural test recording. Closing door and slowly walking around the dummy, while playing guitar.

17 Comments

  1. steve

    The most interesting aspect of this is that it sounds completely different depending on how I listen to it. You’re probably thinking, “well, duh…” let me explain: When played back through the iMac speaker, one can tell that there is a three dimensional image but it’s been “mooshed” flat. If I take my Shure E5 earphones and plug in to the iMac, the image seems to be more three dimensional … kinda like a balloon being inflated. Now I took your file and put it on the iPod, and played it back through my B&W system. In this case the 3D “balloon effect” goes away, but instead of being “mooshed” it seems to be kinda like you are localized…i.e., walking around my listening area. Put the earphones in the ipod and the balloon effect comes back. Interesting that listening through free air gives one soundstage, and through the earphones is such a completely different experience.

    MORE?

    Reply
  2. ottmar

    Steve: the reason the spatial 360º effect only really works with headphones is that loudspeakers create cross-talk, meaning that the sound coming out of the right loudspeaker also bounces off walls, ceiling or floor and reaches your left ear. In other words, if you listen to loudspeakers your left ear will hear some of the right channel information, but if you listen with headphones your left ear ONLY hears the left channel.

    More? We have set aside Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to record the quartet sitting around Fritz, the dummy head. I don’t know whether we will be able to finish the recording and upload the files to the ListeningLounge before we leave for the East Coast on Friday, but I should at least be able to upload a short taste of it to this diary.

    Reply
  3. Matt Callahan

    Do you have to refer to Fritz as a dummy? Binaural microphone heads have feelings too.

    Reply
  4. yumiko

    Wait…Fritz is a dummy?

    Reply
  5. Victor

    Sounds neat, I listined to it through two KRK speakers and it sounds like movement I get the picture that you are moving around the dummy head and can hear and feel that.

    Reply
  6. ottmar

    Victor: Why listen to loudspeakers? Don’t have headphones? You don’t know what you are missing.

    Reply
  7. Boris

    Out of curiosity regarding your last comment: would it work in a small hermetic space like the inside of a car cell?

    Reply
  8. ottmar

    Boris: the reason the spatial 360º effect only really works with headphones is that loudspeakers create cross-talk, meaning that the sound coming out of the right loudspeaker also bounces off walls, ceiling or floor and reaches your left ear. In other words, if you listen to loudspeakers your left ear will hear some of the right channel information, but if you listen with headphones your left ear ONLY hears the left channel.

    A car has LOTS of loudspeaker crosstalk.

    Reply
  9. stephen duros

    I listen to music through head phones about 90% of the time. You don’t miss a thing that way. I think this will be a new and great experience.

    Reply
  10. Victor

    Wow, that was way cool with headphones. Very Cool in some ways reminds me of Dark Side of the Moon just the sound scape felling. I am looking forward to seeing you this Satuday in PA. I love how you are always inovative and try cool new things. Thanks

    Reply
  11. Eddie Russell

    splendid, music is supposed to invoke imagery, its almost hypnotic

    Reply
  12. Boris

    Oh, right. Yes, should have thought of that physical effect. But it’s a pity. I can’t stand headphones bcz I don’t enjoy things sticking in my ears or something grabbing my head. I would try those big headphones you recommended repeatedly, they look quite comfortable but they are too expensive for me. So one should place a surround system under the blue sky, maybe. The day I get a millionaire, I’ll ask Luna Negra to perform on the stage of Munich Opera with me sitting on the highest-floor in the back bcz the acustic is said to be the best there.

    P.S. Those earphones (or in-ear monitors) you are using on tour have a very good quality indeed. I was lucky to acquire such a pair and despite my general dislike of using earphones, I must say that the music sounds nice with them

    Reply
  13. Vic2rh

    Might be a fun effect to put Fritz on a lazysusan and give him a spin while the band is playing… or the band could try marching around him while playing. (Might be a new act: The Luna Negra Marching Band.)

    Reply
  14. Curt

    Wow, this was very surreal! I felt like a guest in your studio Ottmar! I’m listening on a pair of SONY MDR-V150 headphones straight out of my Dell notebook and it gave me the perfect effect.

    I’m hooked and can’t wait to hear more.

    Reply
  15. ansley

    I love it when I have on my headphones and it feels that the music is actually swimming around in my head. What a wild sensation, as if you were walking around me playing. Def. hooked!

    Reply
  16. Gudrun

    “Thriller”? You should oil your door ;-)

    Today I got new headphones and really: It makes me dizzy!!! Overwhelming!

    @ Boris: Reserve an admission ticket for me, please!! :-) (Nie die Hoffnung verlieren…)

    Reply

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