Binaural Microphones
Binaural microphones are designed to capture sounds similar to how humans actually hear them.
Listening to binaural audio creates a 3-D landscape of sound inside your head. You can hear sounds all around you and can pinpoint their location. It is as if you are really standing in the recorded environment.
Binaural microphones accomplish this effect by spacing a stereo pair of microphones at 7”. This is the average distance between human ears.
Some binaural microphones even go a step further by embedding the microphones in anatomically correct ears and by adding a solid object between the microphones to simulate a human head.
Best Budget
3Dio Free Space
The 3Dio Free Space is an entry-level binaural microphone that uses the ultra low noise EM272 capsules for only 14dBA self noise.
The capsules are positioned in realistic human ears for accurate binaural effect.
The audio connector is 3.5mm and requires plug-in-power.
Best Overall
Neumann KU 100
Though slightly higher noise than the 3Dio Free Space, the Neuman KU 100 is still a low noise microphone with 16dBA of self noise.
The dummy head in combination with realistic human ears captures the most accurate binaural audio.
This is the microphone of choice of legendary nature field recordist Gordon Hempton.
Best DIY
SASS Microphone
A SASS microphone is a quasi-binaural microphone technology developed by Crown in 2000.
It captures accurate binaural audio with very pleasing stereo images.
Though discontinued by Crown, the design lives on in the form of DIY projects.
This is one of my favorite microphones to use for ambience.
