Click here for the DigDagga Silicone Binaural Ears SBE-1 page
The ears for your dummy head are the number one most important feature. This is because they shape the incoming sound in such a way that the microphones pick up the correct directional information of the source sound within the 3-D space.
When building my first binaural dummy head, I scoured the Internet looking for a good set of Silicone or Rubber-like ears to use. Much to my dismay, I found that there was no source of realistic ears available. I ended up using alginate to make molds of my own ears and pouring silicone rubber casts of them. This worked, but there were a few problems with doing it this way.
- It was a messy, frustrating process.
- It was expensive to make a mistake.
- The ears matched my own ears.
You may be saying to yourself that number 3 doesn't seem like a problem. But it is, and let me tell you why. My ears, much like everybody elses, are not really the same size or shape as each other. However, my brain has learned how to precisely compensate for these physical errors, and localize sound despite them. In your case, you have become incredibly accustomed to your own physical ear shape mismatches.
The problem has no effect when you listen back to the recordings yourself. In fact, the localization will be maximized for your own listening experience. But if you want to make binaural recordings for other people to listen to, you'll want to have the most neutral ear models as possible. You'll also want the ears to match each other in size and shape.
Due to many questions about my ears, here is a little more detail. My ears are not highly engineered ears. These we're made by a medical illustration student in an art class. The reason I use them is that they are nearly the exact same size and shape as each other, and the shape generally matches the average human ear shape. I want to make sure you are aware that although the localization from these ears is really good for some people, it may not be great for every listener. That's just the current state of binaural audio technology unfortunately. It's something that I'm continuously investigating. I will update the tutorial as I find new techniques to improve the performance.
The good news is that these ears are an easy and inexpensive starting point with decent results for anybody interested in making a homemade binaural head. You don't have to worry about inventing your own ears. You can just order a pair from me and I'll ship them to you. My ears are made of silicone rubber. They are nearly identical in shape and size, and they come ready for mounting and accepting microphones and/or ear canals. They are extremely durable, yet with a very similar flexibility and texture to the human ear.
Order your pair of Silicone Binaural Ears (SBE-1)
for only $99 plus shipping:
Click for more on the DigDagga Silicone Binaural Ears SBE-1
Lead times may vary depending on how many orders are coming in. I shoot for around 1-2 weeks for delivery.
