Binaural Recordings: Some Ideas?

NyquistFreak

Hi guys,

I'm a Music Tech student in need of a bit of brainstorming to salvage a final year project from the pit of ruin, the initial plan was to record a radio play in 3D using binaural techniques, think "the virtual barbershop" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUDTlvagjJA) stylee but with a bit of a story and maybe a scene change or two.

I've already made up a set of in-ear mics which work quite nicely but at a really low level, and just starting into tackling making the pre-amp to sort that out. A lot of the report will be on the theory behind binaural shenanegans, ways of recreating the effect, and the report on the electronics bit or making the set, but the subjet matter for testing the lot in a creative way is starting to turn me hair a shade of grey thats not worth mentioning...

I'll spare you the sob story as to how the recording subject part is starting to become a bit more than I can chew in relation to all the other college woes starting to distract me round about now and people who promised to provide their voices and noise making ability who are no longer available...I was wondering if anyone might have any ideas as to what use I could put a bunch of Binaural ambient reordings as the final stage of the project? There's a lad in my class already doing a composition based around binaural beats, and I don't know yet how kindly the Powers That Be might look on a crossover into someone else's territory so to speak, but I'll look into that too

Anyway, all if any ideas welcome and most appreciated!

Yours, in a heap
the Freak

eoin5

I donno if this helps at all but I love the idea of a film incorporating a mute character thats you and tie it in with top notch binaral effects on headphones. The AB comparison for that vs the usual surround for viewers would be interesting. I guess in music tech you dont make video projects though.

Neurojazz

Sounds like a great project, sorry to hear that people have left you in the lurch.

I suppose you could just go ahead and use the sounds in some music (even though the core idea might be close to the others in the group) I would go and inform the tutor of the situation and whatever decision you decide to make.

The difference would be the write up and research, include all the gory details of the mess up as this is a mixed blessing and related to real life problems in a project.

Then chop up all the audio, categorize it and get writing!

Good luck

studiorat

How about creating a way you can move about in the binaural field with a sensor on headphones. Or re-creating the recordings using convoluted versions of the space. There's quite a bit of literature on it, and a few opcodes on to do it too.

And ask the tutor for advice.

NyquistFreak

Hey lads, thanks for the replies!

studiorat, I'm very interested in your ideas and wish to subscribe to your newsletter! :P No seriously, not gonna lie to ya now I might need a bit of 'xplaining on the sensor idea there, and I've only heard rumour of digitally recreating spaces like you mentioned (I know about room modes and am looking more into the theory behind the brain's perception of sound to determine space for the report anyway, done a bit of programming too so think the aul brain might actually handle combining the two alright!) I'd be well up for checking it out anyway, if you had a link or two there or some aul book titles I could hunt down, you'd have me in your debt sir

eoin5, that's a class idea too, could be really interesting and a different take completely on the film experience, it actually crossed my mind too as there's a sister course to mine at the IT doing video tech, ran that by the tutor already though before hitting on the radio play as a compromise, but he thought it wouldn't be feasible with time constraints, think there's definately a project in the making there for over the summer though!

Liking the music idea too, thanks Neurojazz!...actually I have to write a musical composition for another course too so maybe I could collaborate with myself there!

Talked to the tutor anyway today and he was pretty sound about it, gonna keep going doing the report bits for the electronics and research end for the time being anyway and think about it some more, he's not at all against the idea of my crossing over into Binaural Beats territory either, and the lad doing that project thinks it might be good too, which is pretty cool, could work in with what Neurojazz was saying, using different ambient spaces with preconceived perceptions of energy levels to carry the listener from the theta waves down through to the delta waves in keeping with the music overlaid, like going from the city centre with busy traffic, people all around you (surprisingly way more disorientating than you'd think when you have no visual reference!) to like a computer room in college with people typing , to a seaside or a church or something for the calm space?

The more I'm thinkin bout that recreating spaces idea though the more its starting to appeal...

The brain's going 90 now lads, thanks again for the ideas!

studiorat

NyquistFreak wrote: »

The more I'm thinkin bout that recreating spaces idea though the more its starting to appeal...

The brain's going 90 now lads, thanks again for the ideas!

This could be worth reading... Chapter 7.

book

dafx09.como.polimi.it/proceedings/papers/paper_15.pdf

There's some very heavy DSP science involved, hardcore scary stuff. Could be easier going with max or pd.

http://lists.puredata.info/pipermail/pd-list/2009-08/071744.html

https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~larrywu/course/220a/pd-lab3-hw3.html


I might do this myself...

You should post your recordings, soundcloud?

catho_monster

I don't know if you're familiar with this guy's work into the whole binaural malarky, but it sounds like these publications might be able to help you:

http://www.bmcarty.com/pubs.html

NyquistFreak

studiorat! :D:D!!! Thank so much, that stuff was pure gold

Catho_Monster, cheers for that link too, he was one of the authors of a piece studiorat reccommended? See also csound opcodes= doing a csound module this year too so that puts studiorat's suggestion nicely in context!

Sorry for the really late reply lads, some pipes in my house burst and wrecked the place, been away from the internets for a few days!

eoin_5 actually now that I think of it, if you're interested in that silent character binaural film idea, check out Janet Cardiff, not quite film but a really interesting take on a pre-recorded walking tour!

Anyways, thanks again! I'll get bak to ye with some of the recordings I've made so far when I get 5 minutes to meself again! I've recorded some traffic and crowds, classrooms and canteen and the likes, and me playing the piano (badly) but it's my favourite so far, it sounds lovely on them by the way