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While I'm still waiting for my time to get the Sony PCM-D50 portable recorder (at least until now - no review changed my mind), I came across an idea of in-ear mics for binaural recordings and a low budget model - Soundman OKM II classic/studio. Now - my sound-quality-and-spatialization related question is following. Is it really worth to buy both, sony and OKM, or in this case - internal mics of PCM-D50 are enough / produce rather comparable results?

I understand the idea behind binaural recording, but I'm also aware that around certain topics - sometimes there is more excitation than achievable results. Both kind of recordings (Sony and OKM), separately found (different environments, different settings, different approaches) - sound fine for me, but I can't compare them. Besides since a few days, my ears are a little bit deaf from inside (flu/rhinitis), so my spatial and quality recognition is limited.

I see, that there is also offered/sold a power addon to OKMs; is this thing required with Zoom H2 (which has a switchable setting, but I don't know about compatibility) and/or PCM-D50?

I understand the idea behind binaural recording, but I'm also aware that around certain topics - sometimes there is more excitation than achievable results.

Remember binaurals don't have to be head mounted, they can also be used as a spaced pair with or without baffle, even boundary mics.

@Benboncan - I know.
@Microscopia - I know. Yes, A3, thanks for explanation.

I try to express what I mean in a different words. Sony - as the basis. I'm looking for a recorder with a good internals, to do certain things that I can't do with my H2. Less cables and externals - better and easier the situation. OKM - as an addon for further experimentation (like the quest for "vertical axis"; see my topic about holophonics), but only if... Now I'm aware that OKMs and Sony will provide different stereo characteristics, but:

- in terms of sonic "aesthetics" and quality/clarity/warmth of recorded material - will be the OKM be a valuable extension of PCM-D50s possibilities or will it be only a gadged, comparable to Sony's internals? (typical "limited budget" issue)

- in terms of "hearing beyond headphones" - how much (really) will be the perceivable difference between material recorded with Sony X-Y and with OKMs in my ears (for the beginning)? Here, I don't ask about - how big is the split (and how wide is the range) between left and right, but about certain sonic details perceivable outside headphones in certain binaurals. Many binaural recordings I heard - just sound extremely stereoized/spatial, but not realistic, and I can achieve better results with simple mixing techniques.

I could buy a gadget for a further experimentation if I knew, that without such experimentation - it would be worth to have it anyway. I hope that I clarified a little bit my point. (-;

@Microscopia - if the level of hardware quality is different - partially I disagree. But I think some comparable sound samples of same environment (recorded with similar experience) - could solve the subjective part of this issue.

Regarding surround understood as more than 2 speakers/phones - not my area of interest.

I just found some interesting binaurals on soundcloud. Really nice, and some of them seem to operate pretty well vertically. Just type the word binaural, and you find it on first pages.

(like the quest for "vertical axis"; see my topic about holophonics),

I really doubt it, but that is just my subjective opinion. Having tried binaurals (3or possibly 4 in the vertical axis ) I found no difference but your perception might be differrent (more so if you are looking for it ) You can get into a black hole as far as gear is concerned searching for the ultimate piece of kit for your outcome, it is a matter of "suck it and see". Don't listen to the hype of advertising.

The longer I listen to various samples (on freesound and generally on the internet), the more I think about both - Sony and OKM's... (-;

Knowing what I'm looking for, I begin to recognize in which way I hear the difference between OKM binaurals and standard stereo recordings. Indeed there are some artifacts, that I find useful for my sonic experiments, especially with gongs.

I have to speak to my doctor, where I can find a latex-like made models of human ears, so I can put them on a stick, when I'm tired of wearing it (-:

ayamahambho
I have to speak to my doctor, where I can find a latex-like made models of human ears, so I can put them on a stick, when I'm tired of wearing it (-:

You'd need to stick a pair on something head-sized ...

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41F54JJEYCL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

I don't know if a soccer ball would have some reverberations at specific frequencies though. Maybe better if you try a Jecklin Disk instead.

What I will mess/scrabble with - will be the "head" interior. During my flu/cold period (fortunately is over now), a lot of my inners were (b)locked and I've lost temporarily most of my hearing abilities regarding localization; I heard the sound, but was not able to localize it. That confirms my suppositions, that the outer ear has less to do with spatial localization than the inner parts (see my "holophonics" post). I'm not convinced with what I see; what convinces me is - what I can hear. I doubt that the exact head replica (size, shape) is necessary to make something work. I rather believe, that since we deal with microphone and not human ear membrane - different-than-normal sizes of certain in-head elements would be required, to evoke proper sound equalization.

I can imagine, that mr Zuccarelli (or someone from his co-workers), on one hand - is reading this and similar topics and laughing from "yet another frustrated experimentators", but on the other hand - is beginning to worry, that yet someone did understood his concept and is able to apply it, in a short period of time. I would encourage him, to make his invention public before someone finds it out. If he is so good, he can earn a lot on it (marketing plus popularity) anyway, but what he would open with such step - is a new era of sonic production.

Jecklin Disk sound examples did not convinced me.

(-:

Some time ago I knew someone who made some attempts to replicate some of Rife inventions. With... some success. Even if there is some problem with mr Rife (there is no real evidence, that he was wrong, it's a scientific marketing against him on wikipedia as far I know), his example is nor comparable to the topic of holosonic recording. "Matchbox shaker" example I linked on this forum is a physical evidence that something works (and our hearing is the second living evidence of that), even if it can be explained better or worse with various theoretical approaches.

Another example.

For several years, there was a lot of rumor regarding free energy and devices with over 100% effectiveness. Claims, suggestions, theories, quarrels and mostly - lack of well organized evidence and movements of people. Now we have PESwiki - http://peswiki.com and well documented understanding and working replications of certain concepts. Are the laws of physics broken? No, our understanding of physic changed (as for example - there is no "closed system" in nature). Either we will mock various ideas without testing them properly or we learn "how to think" (instead "what to think". Think about it for a while. On the other hand - even with free energy devices - someone must build it, someone must give security certificates, there are exchangeable parts required, services, instruction manuals even with over 100% - effectiveness versus needs. Free energy - is this Utopia? In my Country - everyone is obligated to pay a "subscription fee" for TV, because waves are in the air. Could this work with energy? Why not...

Anyway - I encourage you to change the way of your thinking, no matter about what you decide to contemplate.

I ordered Sony and OKMs, but windjammers for them must wait a month or so.

Best performance hairy cheap windjammers for sony? I heard that rycote loses hairs, and that the Rode deadkitten (for Stereo VideoMic) is compatible and performs better (than rycote and expensive sony). By the way - is this rode windjammer also compatible with zoom H2?

Hairy windjammers for OKMs? This one? http://www.thomann.de/pl/rycote_windjammer_mini_mke.htm