Alternative Spatial formats

[stevendive]

I tried some binaural recordings on B&W Society of Sound made using a dummy head. I found them very underwhelming, the effect didn't work for me with my headphones.

I’m not that surprised about your experience of dummy head recordings. I don’t get on with them either. Maybe some sense of spaciousness but imaging is still mediocre. B-format isn’t derived from dummy head, though.

 

[par4ken]

When I got my first stereo cassette deck it came with two microphones. I still remember placing them about six inches apart and hitting record while monitoring the result through headphones. That "binaural effect" was amazing, just listening to the ambient room noises.
That proved to me just how effective binaural recording could be. I never did any further experiments but have always questioned the need for the dummy head as just the plain microphones worked so well. I suppose that the head might help by contouring the sound contributing in adding aural clues to better differentiat back from front.

Sadly Binaural recordings do nothing when listened to through actual speakers.

 

[stevendive]

When I got my first stereo cassette deck it came with two microphones. I still remember placing them about six inches apart and hitting record while monitoring the result through headphones. That "binaural effect" was amazing, just listening to the ambient room noises.
That proved to me just how effective binaural recording could be. I never did any further experiments but have always questioned the need for the dummy head as just the plain microphones worked so well. I suppose that the head might help by contouring the sound contributing in adding aural clues to better differentiat back from front.

Sadly Binaural recordings do nothing when listened to through actual speakers.

Do you remember whether those mics were omni or polar (fig 8 or cardioid)? Spacing apart will introduce some comb filtering effects over speakers that might give a (false) sense of spaciousness.

 

[par4ken]

Do you remember whether those mics were omni or polar (fig 8 or cardioid)? Spacing apart will introduce some comb filtering effects over speakers that might give a (false) sense of spaciousness.

Most likely cardioid, just cheap microphones supplied with a cheap deck. In any case it is a simple experiment that anyone could do. It made be a believer for headphone listening at least. Sadly I don't think that I have any actual binaural recordings. In my limited experience binaural recordings do nothing special over speakers.

I did a search of "binaural" in my Discogs collection and Alan Parsons Project "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" Blu-ray popped up. What a coincidence as I just listened to it yesterday in surround via speakers of course.

This quote from the release notes. "("Arrival" and "Pavane" recorded at Abbey Road in August and November 1975. Thunder and storm effects on "Arrival" recorded outside Abbey Road Studio Two during a freak storm, using a binaural "Dummy" recording head.)"

 

[stevendive]

Most likely cardioid, just cheap microphones supplied with a cheap deck. In any case it is a simple experiment that anyone could do. It made be a believer for headphone listening at least. Sadly I don't think that I have any actual binaural recordings. In my limited experience binaural recordings do nothing special over speakers.

I did a search of "binaural" in my Discogs collection and Alan Parsons Project "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" Blu-ray popped up. What a coincidence as I just listened to it yesterday in surround via speakers of course.

This quote from the release notes. "("Arrival" and "Pavane" recorded at Abbey Road in August and November 1975. Thunder and storm effects on "Arrival" recorded outside Abbey Road Studio Two during a freak storm, using a binaural "Dummy" recording head.)"

Coincidentally, I have the 1976 CD of that (Polygram), so will listen to it again. A quick scan of the sleeve notes didn’t show anything about how the album was recorded. I think I’ll listen using my usual playback preference of using Enhance (Gerzon’s design based on ambisonics).

 

[stevendive]

Most likely cardioid, just cheap microphones supplied with a cheap deck. In any case it is a simple experiment that anyone could do. It made be a believer for headphone listening at least. Sadly I don't think that I have any actual binaural recordings. In my limited experience binaural recordings do nothing special over speakers.

I did a search of "binaural" in my Discogs collection and Alan Parsons Project "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" Blu-ray popped up. What a coincidence as I just listened to it yesterday in surround via speakers of course.

This quote from the release notes. "("Arrival" and "Pavane" recorded at Abbey Road in August and November 1975. Thunder and storm effects on "Arrival" recorded outside Abbey Road Studio Two during a freak storm, using a binaural "Dummy" recording head.)"

Also, Bandcamp is quite good for finding ambisonic (1st and higher order B-format) to binaural recordings. Frustratingly, most of that material is ‘experimental’.