8d Binaural
Gaetan Boren
The basic idea behind binaural beats is that if you have separate frequencies presented to the left and right ears, a beating sound will be perceived that is generated by the brain, as opposed to any physical process. For example, if you have a 300 Hz sine wave in the left ear, and a 310 Hz sine wave in the right ear, a beat frequency of 10 Hz would be perceived.
It has been postulated that binaural beats can be used for brainwave entrainment, where the brainwave frequencies fall in step with a given frequency. By doing so, the brain is supposed to enter into different states, corresponding to different rates of EEG activity. There have been a number of devices and sound files over the years that are designed to help listeners enter into a more desirable range of brainwave frequencies, such as alpha or theta.
Voila, trippy music for trippers! For added fun, set the delay to the desired length or tempo subdivision, and turn up the feedback. This will produce an echo that swirls around your head. Tune the swirl rate for the desired brainwave entrainment. Or, have the swirl rate (i.e. frequency shift) change rate during the track, to induce listeners to smoothly transition between different brainwave frequencies.
You can also use ValhallaFreqEcho to generate binaural beats without the use of any input signal. Just turn the feedback up to a high level, and play with the delay time, low cut, and high cut controls to produce self-oscillating echos that spin through your skull.
Strangely enough, CoolEdit, the earlier incarnation of Audition, had the binaural beat feature as an option to further mangle your mix. One nice feature was being able to have the beat frequency follow an envelope so that you could start with say a 2 hz beat and end with 10 hz beat with something else in the middle.
Also, I noticed that you cannot turn off binaural mode if the MPE option 1 (i.e. respond to incoming MIDI messages sent by an MPE controller via an individual MIDI channel per note) is switched on.
At least for FW v0.53.
Your brain interprets the two tones as a beat of its own. The two tones align with your brain waves to produce a beat with a different frequency. This frequency is the difference in hertz (Hz) between the frequencies of the two tones.
When you listen to binaural beats, your brain activity matches the frequency set by the frequency of the beat. This is called the frequency-following effect. This means you can use binaural beats to entrain your mind to reach a certain mental state.
The superior olivary complex and binaural beats. Located in the brain stem, the superior olivary complex is the first part of the brain that processes sound input from both ears. The superior olivary complex synchronizes various activities of the many neurons in the brain. This complex responds when it hears two close frequencies and creates a binaural beat, which changes the brain waves. The synchronization of the neural activities across the brain is called entrainment.
Neurons in your brain use electrical signals to create thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. When neurons synchronize, this creates brain waves. Brain waves can be measured by a technique called electroencephalography (EEG). This technique involves electrodes put on the scalp to record electric signals.
Brain waves can range from low frequency to high amplitude and high frequency to low amplitude. The brain waves create binaural beats. This leads to different mental states which affect the brain in different ways.
There is a lack of clinical research for binaural beats. The evidence for the frequency-following effect is conflicting and inconclusive. Talk to your doctor before trying to use binaural beats for any health reasons.
As many binaural beats are freely available, the reactions to the beats vary from one individual to another. Individuals need to experiment with different binary beats to find ones that suit them. The effectiveness of binaural beats depends on the listener. Some people will find the beats effective. Others might find them irritating and unproductive.
In early July of 2016, I recorded Hermit Thrushes and White-throated Sparrows singing at first light at Spring Pond Bog, a Nature Conservancy Preserve located in the Adirondack Mountains. I was disappointed with the recording for reasons I will explain, and I almost threw it away. But upon further examination, I was shocked to discover that I had actually captured a soundscape worthy of considerable praise and admiration.
It is dawn in midsummer after a night of rain. Drip falls from the treetops, splatting against leaves and the ground. Wood Thrushes sound off in the distance and a lone cricket trills. Such an exalted mix, an elixir so pure. How careful we must be to keep our minds calm and quiet and our senses free of interference, so that we do not miss the extraordinary beauty that nature showers upon us.
In early April, we travel to the remote Picacho State Recreation Area located along the Colorado River, about 25 miles north of Yuma Arizona. We camp next to Taylor Lake, which is edged with cattail marshes. At night, wild burros sound off, their whining brays echoing across the marshland. Finally, two coyotes erupt, their ecstatic howls and tremolos ushering in the dawn.
It is late summer in the Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York. As night unfolds, crickets trill, their songs mesmerizing and tranquil. Then, without warning, Coyotes howl and yip, their reverberant echos reaching out in all directions. Exhilarating, intoxicating wild music, flowing deeply into the recesses of our minds.
Last week, I went on a brief camping trip to the Adirondack Mountains with my friend Beth Bannister. Late summer is a quiet time in the Northwoods, so our expectations were low. Although we had bad luck at first, something wonderful happened during the last night of our journey. At Helldiver Pond, deep in the Moose River Plains, we got lucky and captured a wonderful Coyote performance that ranks among the most compelling in my collection.
In late May of 1991, I came upon a gray catbird singing at night under a full moon, with bullfrogs and green frogs sounding off in the background. I documented the event with my parabolic microphone, which, unfortunately, was a single-mic setup that produced a recording devoid of any sense of space. Join me as I attempt to breath new life into that recording by transforming it into a spacious binaural listening experience.
At first light, I hike into Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park. Gusty wind blows through a dense thicket of stiff reeds, producing a plethora of snaps, crackles and pops. Frolicking ravens croak repeatedly as they fly up and down the Rio Grande River, their calls echoing off the steep cliffs above. Such a pleasing, enveloping mix of the sounds of the wind, ravens and reeds!
You can now stream multi-channel Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 audio to your iPhone or iPad, and apply Apple Spatial binaural rendering to the received stream, allowing you to hear how your Dolby Atmos content will on Apple Music.
The FS binaural microphone is also the most affordable, high-quality binaural microphone on the market. The integrated microphone capsules are extremely sensitive and quiet. The capsules have a very natural presence, perfect for binaural recordings. The FS delivers portable, professional quality binaural in the palm of your hand. It has a very warm and solid response in the low to mid-range frequencies. This brings out the punch as well as provides low-end support for bass-heavy sounds. The frequency response of the capsules used in the FS rolls off slightly above 10kHz, which is excellent for recording instruments with loud high frequencies like drum cymbals or strummed acoustic guitars. It also prevents any harsh effects that are sometimes associated with binaural recordings using smaller capsules.
What is Binaural?
Binaural is a recording technique that involves capturing sound using a stereo binaural microphone that is shaped and configured like two human ears. The 3Dio FS binaural microphone is a special stereo microphone that contains two prosthetic, human-shaped ears with microphone capsules embedded inside each ear canal. Binaural microphones capture audio the same way your real ears hear sounds. Incoming sound waves are changed by the ear-shaped pinna of the microphone, just like your ears would change the incoming sound waves. Our brains understand these changes as directional cues that allow us to pinpoint precise locations of any given sound. When you listen to binaural recordings using headphones, the result is a natural three-dimensional sound that gives the listener the sensation of being in the space where the audio was recorded as well as the sensation of facing the same direction as the microphone was during the recording.
How does it work?
The FS binaural microphone output is an 1/8" (3.5mm) stereo TRS, unbalanced, mic level output. It contains two matched, electret condenser microphone capsules embedded inside each ear canal and is powered by the pre-installed 9V battery. With the power switch in the ON position, the battery will last 300+ hours of continuous use. The microphone also contains a bass roll-off switch with a knee point of 160 hz. Like most condenser microphones, the 3Dio FS requires a preamp-equipped device to boost the signal to an audible level.
Standard Output
The output of the Free Space binaural microphone is a stereo 3.5mm (1/8") output jack providing an unbalanced, mic level signal. Simply plug it in to your favorite stereo audio recorder or microphone pre-amp, and start recording true binaural audio. This output is compatible with a 3.5mm TRS stereo input or dual 1/4" TS unbalanced inputs.
Mounting
The Free Space comes standard with a 5/8" microphone stand adapter installed in the base. The microphone stand adapter is removable. The base of the microphone has a 1/4"-20 female thread mounting hole that can be connected to a hot-shoe adapter or used to mount directly onto a tripod or grip handle.