3D VR Audio Recording

[jcs]

VR has come back again and 3D audio has new and improved tools for content creation: http://www.ambisonictoolkit.net/ along with http://reaper.tv/ you can create 3D audio from normal recordings. Additionally, if using a 3D mic such as the Ambeo https://en-us.sennheiser.com/microphone-3d-audio-ambeo-vr-mic, you can process and deliver 3D audio for speakers (any number of channels or configurations) or headphones (via an HRTF which you can choose). The audio will appear in 3D space with headphones- ATH M50 pictured, however iPhone headphones work great too.

I used the Ambeo + Zoom F4 to record and the Ambisonic toolkit + Reaper + Audition to process:

 

[BTM_Pix]

I had an involvement with Soundfield many years ago and it was one of those products that everybody loved the idea of but couldn't match it to an application that would justify the cost of it. Despite it being reasonable when you considered it was 4 high quality microphones, people couldn't cope with the sticker shock of it being all in one go !

But it looks like its time has now come and with them being bought by Rode, it would hint at a trickle down of the technology at a more favourable price.

In a similar if less sophisticated and certainly less expensive vein for more immersive audio capture, I'm interested in these Roland binaural earphone/microphone combo.

Although they seem to have gained a cult following with an interesting if niche band of YoutTubers who make videos of themselves whispering and stroking different textures for the aural (and I suspect 'other') pleasures of their viewers, there are also some quite impressive demos of it being used for more mainstream recording.

Have you tried them by any chance?

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/687077-REG/Roland_CS_10EM_CS_10EM_Binaural_Microphones_Earphones.html

[jcs]

Yeah, I've seen the ASMR videos- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_sensory_meridian_response. We started down ASMR then felt we didn't want to be in that market (basically just trying to evoke the ASMR or 'the tingles'). Instead we decided to try using 3D audio along with psychology techniques to help access the unconscious mind.

Roland makes good stuff- those headphones along with first-person video could create a very immersive playback experience. However, in-ear mics will work great for you, but may not be as '3D' for other people due to the nature of the HRTF created by your specific ear/head size/shape. In any case, running around with these mics and a GoPro on your head, or just holding the camera up to your eye (and turn with your head) can be a very cool immersive experience for the viewer if watched using headphones (iPhone etc. will work great).

I was going to get one of these or similar: http://binauralenthusiast.com/product/etiam-ullamcorper-dollor-5/. However once I learned about Ambisonics and the post tools I went with Ambeo (tetrahedral 4 mics). The cool thing about the Ambisonic toolkit (free) + Reaper (it's free; I paid for commercial use) is you can start experimenting and producing 3D audio with mono recordings from any source. That is, you can place sounds in 3D space as desired, including animating/moving them using Reaper. A 3D mic is faster for production though- record, load into Reaper, apply filters from Sennhesier (A-B format), filters for Ambisonic tookit (change 3D stage, distance, position), then last filter renders to stereo (binaural with HRTF for headphones) or even 5.1, 7.1 etc. I use a template project with everything already set up- just add the 4-track audio and render it out- super fast and easy.

[BTM_Pix]

This video is a great illustration of binaural for music application and illustrates it by starting off in mono and then transitioning into binaural.

Without wishing to sound too fanciful, that transition when the sound opens up and envelops you is actually very uplifting and moving.

 

[jcs]

Beautiful music, though the camera doesn't seem to match the 3D audio all the time, and sounds more 2D stereo than spatialized 3D? I see in the comments they used a dummy head & torso. When researching the latest & greatest, including the $8000 Neumann dummy head examples, I found Ambisonics provided a means to get more 'spatiality/locality' since dummy heads are baked in filters. Guess I should try an FPV using the Ambeo and camera up to my eye and walking around...