I was thinking about doing some dummy head recording and the effect on
frequency response
of using an electret capsule in a model of an ear, compared to just
placing it on the surface of a head-sized sphere.

Any thoughts before I start moulding body parts in plaster?

--
Eiron.

"Eiron"

I was thinking about doing some dummy head recording


** Your own head would be the obvious & ideal candidate ...


and the effect on frequency response
of using an electret capsule in a model of an ear, compared to just
placing it on the surface of a head-sized sphere.


** Use ears just like Mr Spock's, for out of this world sound quality.


Any thoughts before I start moulding body parts in plaster?


** Like mommy said - get your hands of it.

Keep them off.



...... Phil

"Eiron" wrote in message


I was thinking about doing some dummy head recording and
the effect on frequency response
of using an electret capsule in a model of an ear,
compared to just placing it on the surface of a
head-sized sphere.

Dummy head recording is very old news.

It can only be reasonably be played on headphones.

Any thoughts before I start moulding body parts in
plaster?

Do some homework, first. Google gives 100,000 hits for "dummy head
recording".

On Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:24:38 -0400, "Arny Krueger"
wrote:

I was thinking about doing some dummy head recording and
the effect on frequency response
of using an electret capsule in a model of an ear,
compared to just placing it on the surface of a
head-sized sphere.

Dummy head recording is very old news.

It can only be reasonably be played on headphones.

Any thoughts before I start moulding body parts in
plaster?

Do some homework, first. Google gives 100,000 hits for "dummy head
recording".

But not much on dummy head recording using a modeled ear cavity.

If you want to go a little beyond a glib put-down, Google has
interesting stuff on "ear acoustics" such as:

"Theoretical and applied external ear acoustics
Authors: B B Ballachanda
The external ear (pinna and earcanal) plays a major role in
transforming acoustic signals from free field to the tympanic membrane
in humans. It acts as a filter to reduce low frequencies, a resonator
to enhance mid frequencies (2.0 to 7.0 kHz), and a direction-dependent
filter at high frequencies to augment spatial perception. The external
ear transfer function is altered by variations in the physical
dimension of the external ear either due to individual differences or
due to mechanical obstructions such as blockages, hearing aid
placement, perforation of the tympanic membrane, and use of insert
earphone. It is significant that any change in the characteristics of
the acoustic signal can produce considerable disparity in within- and
between-individual responses. The present paper examines published
studies on sound pressure transfer function provided by the external
ear in humans.
Journal of the American Academy of Audiology"

The microphone you use will already be in a housing, designed to suit
the particular transducer used. Its "ear" if you like. So you'd be
putting an ear inside another ear. Maybe pointless? But this
shouldn't stop you trying, if the subject interests you.

The interesting thing is this. You do not want two ears do you, that is two
on each side. if you mount microphones inside ears, surely this is going to
be what will end up as far as you are concerned, unless you intend to plumb
the output into your brain.

The main thing about the ear is that it distorts very badly as its non
linear. This is why you hear things four times as loud as only twice as
loud. If your ears were linear, then you would not hear quiet things at all.
So dummy heads can be quite interesting, but the holy grail is not what you
may think it is.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff -
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Eiron" wrote in message
...
I was thinking about doing some dummy head recording and the effect on
frequency response
of using an electret capsule in a model of an ear, compared to just
placing it on the surface of a head-sized sphere.

Any thoughts before I start moulding body parts in plaster?

--
Eiron.

Eiron wrote:

I was thinking about doing some dummy head recording and the effect on
frequency response
of using an electret capsule in a model of an ear, compared to just
placing it on the surface of a head-sized sphere.

Any thoughts before I start moulding body parts in plaster?

If you model the ear's shape then you'll double the effect when listening
to the recording. Not required therefore I'd say.

Graham

Eeyore wrote:

Eiron wrote:

I was thinking about doing some dummy head recording and the effect on
frequency response
of using an electret capsule in a model of an ear, compared to just
placing it on the surface of a head-sized sphere.

Any thoughts before I start moulding body parts in plaster?

If you model the ear's shape then you'll double the effect when listening
to the recording. Not required therefore I'd say.

Surely not if you're listening on in-ear phones.
Whatever effect the external ear produces, you only want it to happen once.
So perhaps a dummy-head microphone with realistic ears would be better
for in-ear phones,
and one without ears would be better for full-size phones.

--
Eiron.

"Eiron" wrote in message
...
I was thinking about doing some dummy head recording and the effect on
frequency response
of using an electret capsule in a model of an ear, compared to just
placing it on the surface of a head-sized sphere.

Any thoughts before I start moulding body parts in plaster?

--
Eiron.

Why get plaster in your hair? We're all inquisitive, but true innovation is
the rarest of beasts - just get your credit card out...

http://neumann.com/?lang=en&id=curre..._descript ion

In article ,
Eiron wrote:
I was thinking about doing some dummy head recording and the effect on
frequency response
of using an electret capsule in a model of an ear, compared to just
placing it on the surface of a head-sized sphere.


Years ago when dummy head recording was popular I attended a demonstration
where all sorts of techniques had been used - including a real skull. And
to be perfectly honest the standard two omnis spaced apart the same sort
of distance as ears and separated by a disc approximating to a cross
sectional of a head worked as well as anything.

If you try and reproduce what the ear does you'll double up on that effect
when listening - as the ear isn't linear.

--
*Virtual reality is its own reward*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Brian Gaffe"

The main thing about the ear is that it distorts very badly as its non
linear.

** Absolute ******** !!!

Human ears are extremely LINEAR !!!

Detecting 0.1% harmonic distortion ( 1 part in a *million* as a power
level ) on a sine wave would not be possible otherwise.


This is why you hear things four times as loud as only twice as loud.


** Rediculous false conclusion.

How loud sounds seem is function of the brain.



....... Phil