For those not familiar with the magic of binaural recording, it is actually a fairly old technique for creating life-like three-dimensional stereo sound. But, for a variety of reasons, it then fell by the wayside while mono and then stereo sound became audio industry standards. Now, binaural audio is experiencing a revival because it’s uniquely suited for a very modern technology: virtual reality.
In this incredible video, The Verge demonstrates binaural audio recorded with a 3Dio binaural microphone on the bustling streets of New York City. Grab a pair of good headphones and give it a go – it is rankly incredible.
As for the science behind it, in case you don’t feel like watching the whole thing, binaural recordings are designed to pick up sound exactly the way human ears perceive it. They’re made with specialized equipment: two microphones placed on either side of a stand or dummy head, sometimes embedded inside ear-shaped appendages on that head. The effect is stunning — binaural audio is able to recreate a sound field so the listener feels like they were actually there when the recording was made. The catch is that it only works with headphones, although people are currently working on ways to support external speakers.
For decades, binaural recording was a novelty, and overlooked for less technically demanding methods. But with the rise of virtual reality hardware like the Oculus Rift, Sony’s Morpheus, and Samsung’s Gear — systems dependent on realistic 3D audio to fully immerse their users — binaural audio is on the cusp of a renaissance.
Source: YouTube via The Verge
