I came across this yesterday and must have listened to it 10 times since.
It's a sound recording that uses a fairly new techology called holophonics. What it basically does is simulate the way the human ear can
determine the location of a sound in 3D space, so it sounds like the people are actually in the room around you rather than just in your ears.
I can't pretend I fully understand it but it sounds incredibly real. Two things:
1) You have to listen to it through headphones, the effect doesn't work otherwise.
2) It sounds best when you turn it up pretty loud (and no, this isn't one of those tricks that will suddenly play a loud scream, I promise - if
you don't believe me listen to it with the volume down first).
Anyway enough yapping, download the clip and prepare for your virtual haircut!
Pete
my work mate has this on his phone.
it is really weird.
that really is fooking amazing!
That is great. I keep wanting to look over where the sound is coming from.
Weird I moved my head on a few occasions when the scissors and electric clippers got a bit too close for comfort and when he clicked his
fingers I turned round to look.
Phil
[Edited on 26-1-08 by Hellfire]
Where have you Guys been the last 30 years?
Try "Wish you were here" by Pink Floyd or "The Final Cut" albums.
Looks like another generation who think they invented the wheel!
I was able to pick up the stereo pair in the centre and the ambient micing panned hard left and hard right.
Being honest though, I couldn't detect any sense of the sound steering front to back.
In all honesty, it sounded more like an excercise in hard panning and ambient micing. I know, that's what I said above, but there you go.
Still nicely done though.
This clip I can hear front to back and up / down positioning though. It's some matches being lit and then someone shaking a matchbox while it
moves around your head.
Holophonics Clip
[Edited on 26/1/08 by zilspeed]
My computer has a sound test of a helicopter flying round your head which does the same effect as this.
Cool i never thought that would work
quote:
Originally posted by nitram38
Where have you Guys been the last 30 years?
Try "Wish you were here" by Pink Floyd or "The Final Cut" albums.
Looks like another generation who think they invented the wheel!
Yeah The Final Cut was recorded using this, and a couple of other albums, but I think the effect is much more noticable in this.
And when I said 'new' I didn't mean brand new, just that it's still pretty uncommon.
The matches clip is really good for up and down movement, but I prefer the barber shop one overall because it's a bit more interesting!
I also found a virtual test drive on YouTube.
Pete
How does it work then.....?
If your head doesn't move how the hell can you tell whether its from behind or in front of you??
I know it works!!! Just not sure how
Well I don't fully understand it but it's based on the idea that hearing is holographic in nature. The guy who invented holophonic sound
claims that our ears actually emit sound, and when this hits other sound waves they create interference patterns, which we can then use to determine
the exact position the sound is coming from. It works in much the same way as echolocation.
I don't know how they create sound recordings using this knowledge but it certainly works!
Pete
Ears definately do emit sounds...
There's a small muscle attached to the ear drum. It was originally believed that it was used merely to adjust the volume of sound being heard
(but adjusting the tension on the ear drum) but (and this is medical fact not BS) some people's sub-vocal thoughts (or they're supposed to
be) can be heard very quietly coming out of their ears!!!
It's rare but it's not unheard of.
Which does give some credence to the idea that the ear can be a sound emitter. Still can't work out the fore / aft detection though!!
barbershop one is so amazing, I've never heard something so real
I know, I love the barbershop one too. I've actually just downloaded a 700mb pack of files with hundreds of holophonic sound clips in so I'm
going to see if there are any other good ones about.
Ben, that's spooky that our ears transmit our thoughts. I've actually been reading a lot of books about cutting edge science lately and some
of the discoveries being made completely turn all your preconceptions on their head!
Pete
Can I get this downloaded to my Ipod?
quote:
Originally posted by zetec
Can I get this downloaded to my Ipod?
quote:
Originally posted by BenB
Ears definately do emit sounds...
AFAIK the spacial information is achieved by the shape of the ear and the distance between your ears. The outer part of the ear is shaped the way it is to provide differing delays and frequency response according to the direction of the incident sound, the brain processes this to to work out the apparent location of the sound.
yup heard this clip before but as people have said Pink Floyd / Roger waters have been using this sort of recording before.. Q sound most
noticeably.
Amused to Death - Roger Waters ... is a great album, along with the rest of his solo work.
And you don't need headphones for it, just a decently set up 2 channel stereo hi-fi..
Surround sound is over-rated!
It works much better with headphones because the recordings are made using microphones positioned where your ears are, so it's best to play it
back with speakers in the same place.
Pete