Please Recommend a good Binaural Mic Set

[12ax7]

Originally Posted by Randall

I found a supplier for styrofoam heads.. you know the kind they put wigs on etc.

I'm looking for something to stuff it's ears with myself

See if you can find a pair of used (discontinued) AKG C 567 E1 hardwired lavaliers.

Here's the info:
http://www.akg.com/mediendatenbank2/...962062dc26.gif

[dallas simpson]

My standard binaural mics are custom modified DPA4060's for ear canal insertion.

Spinning around is not a problem if you are carrying the recorder. If you attach a small recorder to the base of a dummy head a la Mike Skeet, and spin that as a complete recording unit I recon it would be interesting.

Minimising / eliminating breathing sounds with in-ear DPA4060's, which are highly sensitive, is challenging. The secret is 'open mouth non turbulent breathing', and don't do any vigorous exercise while recording - unless the heavy breathing is required in the recording!

dallas

[dallas simpson]

Rav,
Pure binaural, that is a recording using ears and a dummy or real head, is a headphone only format. On speakers phasing and comb filtering artefacts will be heard especially on moving sounds due to the pinnae (ears) encoding. These artefacts can be eliminated using crosstalk cancellation techniques, but then you must use 'bipolar' speakers, that is two speakers about 20cm / 8 inches apart.

For speaker presentation many recordists use 'pseudo binaural' approaches, which may range from a Jecklin Disc, crude dummy head with no ears, as some users on this thread, or even spaced omnis. Not the full binaural on headphones, but far better speaker presentation compromise.

Foe environmental ambiance the Jecklin Disk approach can give very good results, I have used a cardboard disc about 22 cm / 9 inches diameter, padded with several layers of thick cloth on either side to a depth of about 1 inch / 3 cm, with mics placed facing foward at the centre of each side of the disc and about 6cm / 2 inch from the cloth surface.
dallas.