The "Audio Walks" of Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller

[unoriginal name]

http://www.cardiffmiller.com/artworks/walks/index.html

"The format of the audio walks is similar to that of an audioguide. You are given a CD player or iPod and told to stand or sit in a particular spot and press play. On the CD you hear my voice giving directions, like “turn left here” or “go through this gateway”, layered on a background of sounds: the sound of my footsteps, traffic, birds, and miscellaneous sound effects that have been pre-recorded on the same site as they are being heard. This is the important part of the recording. The virtual recorded soundscape has to mimic the real physical one in order to create a new world as a seamless combination of the two. My voice gives directions but also relates thoughts and narrative elements, which instills in the listener a desire to continue and finish the walk.

"All of my walks are recorded in binaural audio with multi-layers of sound effects, music, and voices (sometimes as many as 18 tracks) added to the main walking track to create a 3D sphere of sound. Binaural audio is a technique that uses miniature microphones placed in the ears of a person. The result is an incredibly lifelike 3D reproduction of sound. Played back on a headset, it is almost as if the recorded events were taking place live."

~Janet Cardiff

[otters~1]

Binaural sounds are soooo relaxing. I must say though, wouldn't I look kinda weird walking around, listening intently to a headset and going in random, nonpredetermined directions?

[PALEMOON]

Binaural sounds are soooo relaxing. I must say though, wouldn't I look kinda weird walking around, listening intently to a headset and going in random, nonpredetermined directions?

well, yes, but the point of these 'audio walks' is not only to have an enjoyable experience but also to get people to ask what you're doing, so you can reply with something suitably condescending and pretentious.

[otters~1]

Binaural sounds are soooo relaxing. I must say though, wouldn't I look kinda weird walking around, listening intently to a headset and going in random, nonpredetermined directions?

well, yes, but the point of these 'audio walks' is not only to have an enjoyable experience but also to get people to ask what you're doing, so you can reply with something suitably condescending and pretentious.

Mate I can only say I never wanna meet you in person. You may most definitely view that as a compliment.

[jean-luc]

Binaural audio is a technique that uses miniature microphones placed in the ears of a person. The result is an incredibly lifelike 3D reproduction of sound. Played back on a headset, it is almost as if the recorded events were taking place live."
~Janet Cardiff

Okay, I feel the need to try and clear outy some misconceptions on the term "binaural". Everyone seems to have a different understanding of what this word means.

bin⋅au⋅ral
   /baɪˈnɔrəl, bɪnˈɔrəl/ [bahy-nawr-uhl, bin-awr-uhl]
1. having two ears.
2. of, with, or for both ears: binaural hearing; a binaural stethoscope.
3. (of sound) recorded through two separate microphones and transmitted through two separate channels to produce a stereophonic effect.

So, remember: no matter what Janet Cardiff or whoever says, binaural refers simply to stereo sound. There are any number of ways to record/generate such sound, including the use of microphones (which may or may not be tiny and may or may not be in ears) or synthesizers (as in the case of binaural beats for brainwave sync).

Sorry, I hate the misconceptions about the term "binaural."

[unoriginal name]

Hm. In case anyone (especially Jean-Luc) is interested, the specific device Cardiff uses is a rias Kunstkopf microphone.
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