What is binaural?

Binaural recording is a technique that uses microphones placed in a dummy head to replicate, as closely as possible, the experience of human hearing–including variables such as “head-shadow” and the three-dimensional field around the listener. It’s best experienced in headphones, having the effect of immersing the listener in 3-D sound, but can also be used to enhance recordings intended for listening through speakers.

Whatever you record, binaural recordings bring your listeners closer than you ever thought possible… immersed in the experience.

image of binaural head
Our custom binaural head model, designed by our audiophile engineer, LFF, in collaboration with Donald Basel, MD, is named for its builders: “Donny Lou”.

“Donny Lou”, our custom binaural system, captures sound and the acoustics of the space with perfect accuracy. It’s the best way to let your listeners relive your performance exactly the way it sounded live, as though they are sitting in the middle of the audience.

Our custom designed, low-noise microphone circuit captures the recording environment in pristine quality and our unique (and we mean that–it’s completely unique to Donny Lou and the Radhaus) binaural algorithm transforms that captured sound into a hyper-realistic sound presentation unlike anything currently available on the retail market.

Acoustic Music

Whether it’s classical, jazz, bluegrass, acoustic folk, or world music, an intimate “living room” session with our binaural system gives your listeners their own personal performance on demand. On speakers it will sound fantastic, and on headphones it will sound amazing!

Live Bands

Most live bands are recorded using traditional multi-mic techniques that allow for distinct separation of the instruments in front-of-house mixing and in post-production. Using our binaural system in combination with those techniques, we capture the energy of a live performance, and also create incredible special effects in the studio. We can record sounds coming from behind, above, below, or anywhere around you, either live-off-the-floor or multi-tracked. Binaural is only limited by your creative imagination.

Spoken

Do you like telling stories? Do you record podcasts? Recording binaurally lets your audience hear your voice exactly as if you were sitting in the same room with them, creating an intimate and immediate experience.

Sound Art

Art and audio installations have their own unique challenges. How do you capture the complex sound localization or multi-speaker electroacoustic piece in such a way that the recording replicates the experience of “being there”? A recording with “Donny Lou” reproduces all of the spaciousness with none of the complicated setup of traditional microphone techniques (listen in headphones to the track below for an example of outside environment sounds captured binaurally).

In the Studio

In post-production, our binaural and holophonic systems allows us to spatialize new or pre-recorded tracks, create amazing special effects, or capture perspectives that will astonish your listeners. Ever heard a drum set above your head?

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