I recently brought up the role of mic placement in music recording, and how that plays out over the course of a mix. A Facebook bud of mine put together a series of cool diagrams on Ampliflyer.net depicting a variety of Stereo Miking (Coincident, Near Coincident, and A/B Spaced Pair) techniques for those sounds that have got to be captured in stereo. Each image is complete with the pros and cons of that particular mike placement as well as mono compatibility. Check it. Out.
Binaural Audio Heightens the Realism of Stereo Recording
So I’ve been reading a lot about mics lately, and one of the techniques used in the studio to record in stereo is to record with two microphones some distance from the sound source; options include using an X/Y coincident pair, a Mid and Side (MS) pair, a traditional spaced pair pointed at the sound, or even a ORTF spaced pair angled towards the sound source. Depending on what you need, any of these techniques will lead to a convincing stereo recording.
But QSound Labs took stereo recording to a new frontier in 1996 with their recording of binaural audio—using two mics placed exactly where the two human ears are located. This makes for an immersive and extremely realistic audio experience, an optical illusion for the eardrum. In the case of this video, Virtual Barber Shop, you will feel like you are literally in the barber shop yourself.
So plug in some headphones, close your eyes, and be amazed by your brain’s ability to process stereo!
You’ll need headphones for this to work. Make sure there is no noise around, close your eyes, turn the volume up a little bit, hold and press headphone on your ears for better hearing, play it and enjoy this impressive audio work ( illusion ). Not a screamer not a prank!
