Binaural ASMR Microphone - How to build a dummy head for £5
762How To Build A Dummy Head Stereo Microphone For £5 Beginners Budget ASMR For Binaural Approximation
In this video I show how to build a DIY dummy head stereo microphone system for less than £5. The mic is very basic and wont really compete with a Neumann KU100 :) But it's only £5 and is a good way to get into, and understanding, binaural audio recording and playback.
While this dummy head isn't true binaural stereo, it's a very good approximation for not much money that will give you a very good idea of the binaural effect.
The mic's also a very cheap way into ASMR microphone and voice, atmospheric audio recording and 3D audio recording. Basically, any type of wide stereo field recording that approximates the way that we humans hear and perceive the sounds around us.
The Styrofoam head costs £1.60, the mics are £1 each and the stereo 3.5mm jack is about 50p, check the links below for where to buy them.
The basics of binaural recording are two omni-directional mics placed around 7" apart at 180 degrees, using a dummy head to mount and separate the mics. The dummy head also acts as a baffle in fairly much the same way as human head does.
Although this binaural setup doesn't use anything to approximate the human ear canal or the lobes and ear shape, it does give an OK approximation of the extended stereo field without the expense of similar but expensive systems.
Another consideration in a dummy head system is the density of the head. And while the Styrofoam head in this build doesn't have hardly any density, it does allow for similar mic spacing found on expensive systems.
The microphones used are omni electret condenser lavalier mics. Which means that they can be powered directly from any recording device that provides electret or plugin power such as a camcorder, DSLR, GoPro, external audio recorder and anything capable of powering the microphone capsules. This is really cool, as you don't need to use an external pre-amp or power supply to work the system.
Like I said, it's not a KU100, but for a fiver it's probably the cheapest option for a build that you'll find on YouTube or the internet. Plus, it's a good bit of fun and really helps to understand certain aspects of stereo recording. Check out the outdoor examples at the end of the video, the train pulling in and out of the station is quite a nice example of the stereo width and perception of depth that can be achieved.
Here's a recording of some rain and traffic noise at night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVK2w1vge_w
Here's the components:
Head
http://amzn.to/2BqqjdA
http://amzn.to/2yuwqIh
http://amzn.to/2Bq1f6s
Lav Mics
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hot-3-5mm-Clip-On-Lapel-Microphone-Hands-Free-Wired-Condenser-Mini-Lavalier-Mic-/222640649136?hash=item33d66ab3b0
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-5mm-Jack-Clip-on-Lapel-Mini-Lavalier-Microphone-Mic-For-IPhone-SmartPhone-HOT/152435750515?hash=item237de0f673:g:hoYAAOSwfVpYocQJ
Jack plug:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-PC-3-5mm-Stereo-Male-Plug-Jack-Audio-Adaptor-Connectors-Plastic-Solder-Black/322292656994?epid=2043148882&hash=item4b0a23ab62:g:B0AAAOSwhOVXcoCm
Cheers,
Dave.
http://www.DavidHarry.com