Virtual Barber;Binaural Recordings

Binaural recordings are not exactly audio illusions in the sense that they do not ‘trick’ us into hearing sounds which are impossible or non existent. They are, however, extremely cool as the recordings make it sound like you are actually there, in presence of what is making the sound.
Binaural recordings are simply recordings of sounds using a special microphone setup which factors in the natural crossfeed and sonic shaping of the head and ear. This is what happens naturally when we hear a sound which is the reason why binaural recordings sound so realistic and immersive.
Binaural recordings are only effective when listened to through stereo headphones.
The most famous and impressive binaural recording is the ‘Virtual Barbershop’ or ‘The Virtual Haircut’ as it is sometimes known as. This binaural recording can be found at http://www.virtualbarber.org/page.php?3

What is Monophonic, Stereophonic, Multichannel and Surround Sound?

Monophonic Sound

Monophonic sound is sound created by one channel or speaker and is also known as Monaural or High-Fidelity sound. Monophonic sound was replaced by Stereo or Stereophonic sound in the 1960s.

Stereophonic Sound

Stereo or Stereophonic sound is created by two independent audio channels or speakers and provides a sense of directionality because sounds can be heard from different directions. The term stereophonic is derived from the Greek words stereos, which means solid and phone, which means sound. Stereo sound can reproduce sounds and music from various directions or positions the way we hear things naturally, hence the term solid sound. Stereo sound is a common form of sound reproduction.

Multichannel Surround Sound

Multichannel sound, also known as surround sound, is created by at least four and up to seven independent audio channels or speakers placed in front of and behind the listener that surrounds the listener in sound. Multichannel sound can be enjoyed on DVD music discs, DVD movies and some CDs. Multichannel sound began in the 1970s with the introduction of Quadraphonic sound, also known as Quad. Multichannel sound is also known as 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 channel sound.

5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 Channel Sound

• 5.1 channel sound is an industry standard sound format for movies and music with five main channels of sound and a sixth subwoofer channel (called the point-one channel) used for special movie effects and bass for music. A 5.1 channel system consists of a stereo pair of speakers, a center channel speaker placed between the stereo speakers and two surround sound speakers located behind the listener. 5.1 channel sound is found on DVD movie and music discs and some CDs.
• 6.1 channel sound is a sound enhancement to 5.1 channel sound with an additional center surround sound speaker located between the two surround sound speakers directly behind the listener. 6.1 channel sound produces a more enveloping surround sound experience.
• 7.1 channel sound is a further sound enhancement to 5.1 channel sound with two additional side-surround speakers located to the sides of the listener’s seating position. 7.1 channel sound is used for greater sound envelopment and more accurate positioning of sounds. Read more: http://stereos.about.com/od/introductiontostereos/a/soundformats.htm

Q Where should I place my monitors in a small room?

Question: I recently built my own home studio by converting an old garage into a well‑isolated music room of 410 x 215 x 275cm. The isolation is great, but I’m now moving on to phase two — acoustics — and bass is a problem, especially on the notes of A, B‑flat and B, which are kind of booming.

So I am wondering how to position my Dynaudio BM6As? At first I put them along the short wall, but a lot of bass was built up, probably because of the proximity of the corners. I’ve already tried to put the speakers backwards, but noticed no change.

I’ve now got them along the long wall, which I think sounds more balanced, even though there’s still some resonance on certain notes. Also, this tends to differ a lot depending on whether I sit in the exact ‘sweet spot’ or not. The further forward I go with my head, the more bass I get; the further back I go, the less bass I get. I’ve seen you advocate placing speakers on both the shortest wall, and the longest wall, depending on the room. So, what would you recommend for a room of my size and dimensions? Also, are the BM6As too much for my room?

Answer: In large studio rooms, which includes many commercial studios, putting the speakers along the longest wall is quite common and has the benefit of getting those reflective side walls further away. However, in the smaller rooms many of us have to deal with, it is invariably best to have the speakers facing down the longest axis of the room. If you work across the room, the reflective wall behind you is too close and the physical size of the desk means you’re almost certainly sitting mid‑way between the wall in front and the wall behind, which causes a big bass cancellation in the exact centre and, as you’ve noticed, causes the bass end to change if you move your position even slightly. In a room the size of yours, working lengthways will give the most consistent results. Your room is a slightly unfortunate size for bass response as the length is almost twice the width, so any resonant modes will tend to congregate at the same frequencies.

You can often change the bass behaviour by moving the speakers forward or backwards slightly, but try to keep them out of the corners, as that just adds more unevenness to the bass end. Corner bass traps of the type you’re making may help, but if they don’t do enough, you could try one of the automatic EQ systems designed for improving monitoring. I don’t normally like to EQ monitors but, in difficult situations, using EQ to cut only the boomy frequencies can really help.

As for your monitors, the BM6As should be fine in that room. Just make sure they’re perched on something solid, as standing them directly on a desk or shelf can also cause bass resonances. Either solid metal stands or foam speaker pads with something solid on top work best and can really tighten up the bass end. You can buy the Primacoustic or Silent Peaks pads, which have steel plate on top, use Auralex MoPads or similar with a heavy floor tile stuck on top, or make your own from furniture foam with ceramic floor tiles or granite table mats stuck on top. A layer of non‑slip matting under the speakers will keep them in place.

or the mid‑range, foam or mineral wool absorbers placed at the mirror points in the usual way should be adequate, but try to put something on the rear wall that will help to scatter the sound, such as shelving or unused gear.

In a small room such as this, which is about twice as long as it is wide, it’s usually best to position monitors of this size along the shortest wall. Working the other way — across the room — would create a bass cancellation in the centre of the room, where you’ll most likely be sitting. Moving around even slightly would create variable results, as the space is so small. Positioning them as shown in the bottom image will give more consistent results, though you will still need to treat the room accordingly.