[Rozyk]

Yesterday recorded https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koNqSLy7-Ys

 

[tbritton]

I cannot believe I never noticed that Franko Russo (of TERZO ORECCHIO fame) had this fantastic playlist of recordings done with his "head" mic!
 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6766361EE3B93105
 
He has some other playlists at his channel as well, but this one blew me away! I'll include it into post Number 1.
 
(P.S. - Sorry to be gone for so long!)
 
Terry

 

[immersifi]

  I cannot believe I never noticed that Franko Russo (of TERZO ORECCHIO fame) had this fantastic playlist of recordings done with his "head" mic!
 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6766361EE3B93105
 
He has some other playlists at his channel as well, but this one blew me away! I'll include it into post Number 1.
 
(P.S. - Sorry to be gone for so long!)
 
Terry

Terry: Thanks for mentioning them; Terzo Orecchio ("Third Ear" in Italian) do some great stuff...
 
For those out there who like mannequin head recordings, I use the same type of mannequin (as I recall), the Neumann KU 100 for all of the binaural stuff that I do, and have recorded a number of different genres in various spaces (from concert halls to cathedrals and a lot in-between).
 
Here are a few links to some stand-alone downloads, as well as to my recordings up on soundcloud, most of which are available in .flac, and all of which are available in 320 kbps mp3.
 
First, the stand-alone stuff:
 
Full Concerts (Audio Only):
 
Cowboy Junkies Live at The Ark on 2009-10-05: https://archive.org/details/cj2009-10-05.ku100_at37
 
Sam Roberts Band Live at The Fillmore Detroit on 2009-11-18: https://archive.org/details/SRB2009-11-28
 
Assorted Tracks & Genres (Audio Only):
 
The immersifi soundcloud page: https://soundcloud.com/immersifi
 
NOTE: Most of the immersifif-provided material on soundcloud is binaural. However, some tracks are two-microphone stereo, and some tracks are hybrid versions (binaural + two microphone stereo). Most tracks are labeled as to which are 'pure' binaural, but some may not be. However, I have attempted to list them accordingly.
 
Acoustic / Minimalist Concert with a set (2nd set) dedicated to the music of Joni Mitchell); Capps, Donohoe, Iannace, Jack, Krist at the Trinity House Theater, 2010-06-04: https://archive.org/details/CappsDonohoeIannaceJackAndKristLiveAtTheTrinityHouseTheater
 
...and now the binaural + video stuff:
 
High Definition Video + Mannequin Head Binaural Audio:
 
"What is Binaural, Anyway..?" (Mark Jay briefly explains the 'how' of binaural audio. Explanation is also in binaural (use headphones)): https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_623788&feature=iv&src_vid=ICj6Tx0DL1I&v=ICj6Tx0DL1I#t=49m36.5s
 
Sumkali, Live at The Ark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICj6Tx0DL1I
 
Short Samples, Binaural (AUdio Only):
 
www.immersifi.com - click on the "Audio Samples" button...and have your headphones ready
 
I have posted details about many of these tracks, as well as other information pertaining to binaural here (posting as immersifi) as well as on gearslutz under the name Mark A. Jay. THose of you who wish to delve deeper into some of the technology, theory, and issues pertaining to binaural should look for other posts on the subject. My posts are far from comprehensive, but they are a good place to start.
 
Thanks,
 
Mark

 

[tbritton]

Awesome, Mark! Thanks for this post! I'm going to add a link to it in post #1.
 
Terry

 

[immersifi]

You're most welcome, Terry. By the by...I have just returned from Oshkosh (the Annual EAA Fly-in) and took my Neumann KU 100 mannequin head there. I have since been plowing through (literally) days of binaural audio from the various airshows that took place each day (I recorded three days' worth). I got some really great aircraft sounds (jets under full afterburn, vintage radial engine-powered craft, T-6 trainer craft (fying a in a four-place formation), Aerobatic performances (i.e. Wagstaff et al), WWII Warbirds (P-51 Mustang, Spitfire, Chance-Vaught F4-U Corsair, etc)...some really incredible sounds of planes flying very fast, and very low.
 
These files are not 'music' but might be music to the ears of headphone aficionados.
 
I am thinking of posting the short, abbreviated snippets to the immersifi page on soundcloud. If I do, I'll send you a note so that others can download them. For those reading this, if you're also an aviation "junkie" you would dig hearing these files...
 
Thanks again...Mark

 

[tbritton]

That would be FANTASTIC!!!!!
 
You are going to have a lot of fun editing that stuff into single files! 
 
Terry

 

[immersifi]

Terry: I'll peruse my email...I think I have your address somewhere. If so, I'll send you a few examples of what I have done so far. BTW...I promise you that the sound you hear in the after-burn files is not distortion of the A/D in the recorder. They sound awesome...and the T-6's (with their characteristic 'raspy' sound (apparently a consequence of the propeller tips exceeding supersonic speeds) sound equally impressive, albeit for very different reasons.
 
I'll look for your address...
 
UPDATE: Terry - can you message me with your address? I'll send some of the binaural fly-by files...

 

[tbritton]

Sent PM!  

 

[immersifi]

Terry: Check your in-box...there are binaural sonic treats awaiting you !

 

[immersifi]

Binaural Aviation Excerpts:
 
OK, so I have decided to make the excerpts from the Aviation Binaural Recordings available on my soundcloud page. They're all encoded at 320 kbps, but I have not yet upload the flac format variants. Anyway, there are some pretty cool tracks here - the simulated strafing track alone is worth hearing.
 
NOTE: Be VERY careful with the volume on these tracks. The dynamic range is significant at times.
 
Here you go (UPDATED LINK - if this does not work, please let me know):
 
https://soundcloud.com/immersifi/sets/binaural-sounds-of-oshkosh
 
As with all things soundcloud, the streamed content isn't going to sound as good as the downloads (which in any case are free). These are short files, and in 320 kbps mp3 format, so download time will be short.
 
As time permits, I will add more files that have some 'cool factor' to them.
 
Enjoy...
 
Mark

 

[tbritton]

Windows Sonic for Headphones and Dolby Atmos for Headphones -- I am curious to hear feedback from those recently upgraded to the Creator's Windows 10 version and how these binaural recordings (many of which are HRTF) sound with the Windows Sonic for Headphones Surround Audio and/or Dolby Atmos for Headphones Surround options now present in the Windows audio control panel under the "Spatial Sound" tab.
 
It definitely seems to make quite a difference to me, with Atmos winning hands-down for field recordings, and Windows Sonic being more subtle and seeming a bit more accurate for musical tracks. I posted my impressions here, where there is general discussion of them going on:  http://www.head-fi.org/t/844611/dolby-atmos-for-headphones-now-available-in-windows-10#post_13443674
 
Both use HRTF cues to position the sound. The Dolby Atmos makes smoother transitions between positions for field recordings and presents a "rounder" and fuller sound to details, but presently is a little too bassy for music to my taste.
 
Terry

 

[immersifi]

Terry's post jogged my memory about this stuff...but admittedly, I need to do some more research.
 
At the same time, it makes me wonder if they are incorporating any SOFA-derived stuff to generate the binaural.
 
I would suggest that those with an interest start looking into the A.E.S. - approved SOFA file architecture. I wonder if they are usiung SOFA-defined functions...
 
In essence, this is a protocol to allow users to measure the HRTFs (or if you prefer, HRIRs in the time domain) in very rigorously-controlled conditions and pursuant to a very strict protocol. Two approaches are typically used - a Lebedev surface (somprising something like 2700 points) and a planar approach, with measurements made every 1 degree of azimuth.
 
The thing about this is that for head tracking protocols, the Lebedev set more or less has to be used as it encompasses rotation about all three axes (X, Y, and Z).
 
It's also worth noting that there are several *well known* mannequin head mics' HRTFs now available in the SOFA database.
 
It should be noted that like many things, the HRTFs can be acquired either in the near or far field. As the HRTF in the near field is dramatically different for that in the far field it raises an interesting question as to which HRTF is preferred. It would seem that (in most instances) for live performances, the far field would be preferred (and the logical choice). Having said that I can also see how for gaming, having the near field HRTF available could be very useful...but at the same time, one would need to have a variety of Lebedev-derived SOFA data, and it would see the app / program would need to know the birtual head-to-source distances to know which SOFA-derived nearfield HRTF to use (and between which two to interpolate). Working in the near field is a tricky thing indeed - minute changes in mic to source diatnce translate into huge differences in the data; the far-field case is much, much more forgiving (and this is true for all acoustical measurements not just binaural or SOFA-related stuff).
 
What's the utility of all of this ?
 
Apart from Terry's comments about the potential aesthetic benefit (if my guess is correct and SOFA data are being used), the SOFA database has a lot of utility inside of various DAWs (any that can support .vst architecture) which allows the user to derive the selected HRTF from a SOFA database using the B-format Ambisonics format (which in essence is three centrally located velocity mics (figure 8 pattern) such that the four channels of the signal define fore / aft (+ / - X), up / down (+ / - Z), and left / right (+ / - Y). Pretty fascinating stuff and a technology that also allows recording engineers and sound designers to derive an X-Y pair of an arbitrary angle, as well as (in theory) a multitude of microphone patterns - even pan-able microphones - like you were sweeping a flashlight. In a lot of ways this makes sense...if you think about describing the magnitude and phase of sound in terms of X, Y, and Z, then it should make sense that one could mathematically define its origin.
 
I know this is a little off-topic, but it's fascinating stuff in that with the rapidly-growing SOFA database out there a lot of ersatz binaural is being developed. How convincing it is or can be though will depend upon whether or not one has chosen the right HRTF for the task. However, this is also the same issue that one would have when choosing whose mannequin head microphone to use. I suppose the next 'leap' will be a program addition that could (based on a Lebedev dataset) allow a user to derive one mannequin head's response from that of another. It would seem like it should be pretty straight forward and conceptually is no different than any other form of DSP correction.
 
I'm very interested in this approach and will likely purchase one of the tetrahedral microphones and the VST plugins to do the stereo derivation as well as binaural. If I do, I will try to post some of my spatial audio experiments somewhere on this site (i.e. in an appropriate thread), or perhaps on my soundcloud page.
 
Fascinating stuff. Oh, and there are papers in the A.E.S. database that describe the SOFA protocol. There are other papers out there that describe what's involved (it is *rather* detailed and encompassing, necessarily so). If I find a link to some papers, I will post the link here after a fashion.
 
Mark

 

[tbritton]

I have been just beginning to mess around using the free O3A Core Ambisonic plugins inside of Reaper. The O3A Core allows more tracks (16) than the "Ambisonics for Reaper" toolkit does (which is limited to 4, though currently 4 is adequate for YouTube's SN3D reproduction. See the O3A 3D Mixing FAQ here).
 
A new friend over at the Cantabile forums turned me onto them - he has some examples, and one piece playable in Reaper as an example. Here is his page with some good info developing there: http://ambisonicmusic.com. 
 
A very glancing look at the API page for Dolby Atmos (whose link I have misplaced, but will share once I find it again) shows how to use the API to synthesize HRTF positioning, and the Dolby Atmos for Headphones SEEMS to provide a better tool for reproducing HRTF positioning in field recordings than they do by themselves. The phase accuracy may be enhanced somehow. Of course, it is also beefing up the bottom end, making details more pronounced, according to my ears. However, I could be all wet, and just am enjoying some effect "not intended" -- but so far what I've read seems to indicate that HRTF is the Dolby Atmos playing field, and enhanced reproduction of that is its game. There may be more to it when talking multi-speaker arrays, but for headphones this seems to be the case. Need to find more written info!!!
 
Terry

 

[immersifi]

Terry:
 
Thanks so much for that information. Very helpful and pertinent.
 
Mark

 

[tbritton]

Here is the link to the Dolby Atmos Creators Update page.
 
Interesting statement here:

And with the native support of Dolby Atmos on Windows 10, the Creators Update makes Microsoft Edge the first browser to support Dolby Atmos encoded content in HTML 5–based websites,
 

 
And here is Microsoft's "Spatial Sound" page with the API stuff for programmers. Wondering how any of this ties in or will tie in to the Ambisonics stuff, especially since YouTube and Facebook video support the SN3D formats already.
 
Terry