As with all technology there have been a great deal of advancements over the years. For people who love sound whether in music or other forms of audio know that the advancements. One of technologies advancements infused in audio sound today was actually created over a century ago. It is known as Binaural Audio. This is a special type of audio that allows the listener to hear sounds as if they were live.

What Is Binaural Audio Sound?

With typical stereo sound, the level of sound only seems raised by the tone and the expressions of those making the sounds. However, stereo sound is typically the same sound level no matter whether the person is speaking softly, regularly or loudly. By contrast, Binaural Audio sound levels actually fade and grow as if the sound was right in the same place as the listener is physically. If the person speaking is to the right side of the listener, then the sound in the right ear is louder and more distant in the left ear just as if the person was speaking right next to the listener.

Modern Applications for Binaural Sound

This technology is also known as 3-D stereo sound sensation or 3-Dimensional sound. The technology has been used in stethoscopes and in IMAX movies. It might be considered conversational stereo sound because when two people are speaking in person, the sound of their voices may be softer or louder depending on their expressions and desire to put across sound at different levels. Stereo sound is designed to bring levels of all audio sound into one symmetry of sound that can only be raised by raising the volume whether it is soft or loud. All of today’s music recordings are made of sounds at all one level of sound no matter whether it is an opera or a rock CD or folk song or lullaby CD.

The Beginning of Binaural Sound

The technology was actually created in the late 1800’s. The first technology that used this was called the Theatrophone. With this technology, they used several carbon telephone microphones to record Opera and the sound was sent to subscribers of the event through their telephone system. The listener had to wear a special head set that had a different tiny speaker for each ear and the sound was taken in by two different microphone settings from the left and the right.

While it was popular for a time, the expense and gadgetry soon made it a less popular way of getting sound. This was attempted again in the 1930’s in Connecticut in a radio station. At the time stereo radio had not become used widespread. This technology meant that listeners had to have two radios and a right and left ear head set. Because of the expense and inconvenience and with the surge or stereo sound it again faded from popular usage.

It was dabbled with a bit in the 1970’s but did not gain any real traction in popularity until the last few decades with the spread of IMAX theaters. It has grown in popularity since the introduction of the IMAX into mainstream entertainment. It has been received with much enthusiasm in certain venues.

The Future of Binaural Sound

More recently it has been used in video gaming and it has also been used in music recordings where the focus is giving the listener a live experience in a recording. It is a great way to immerse people into feeling as if they are experiencing a sound event live. Because technology has become less expensive for Audio places like Hooke Audio have created a venue for recording specialists to be able to access this technology.

For movies, CD’s and gaming, the technology has started to find its core base. It is great for the sounds of nature, the city, orchestra’s and other forms of new entertainment soundtracks. There has been a recent surge of audio enthusiasts beyond IMAX that are looking at new ways they can apply 3-D Sound also known as 360° audio technology to enhance a listener’s experience.