Why No Headphone Binaural Simulator Codecs?

[Karl Uppiano[_2_]]

With all of the headphone listening these days -- on iPods, MP3 players,
etc., I am surprised that I have seen no codecs/filters that will perform
the frequency-dependent delay and summation between the left and right
channels to pull the soundstage out from between the ears. It doesn't seem
very difficult to implement the delay line and filter to run in real time,
or as a pre-processing step when the audio is being transferred onto the
portable device -- all optional of course. In Windows, there is a setting
for the kind of speakers that are attached to the sound card. Again, when
you select "headphones", it could add a filter to the codec stack to add the
binaural effect, but I have seen nothing like that. Headroom amplifiers do
this in hardware, but does anything like this exist in software?

[Richard Crowley]

"Karl Uppiano" wrote ...
> With all of the headphone listening these days -- on iPods, MP3 players,
> etc., I am surprised that I have seen no codecs/filters that will perform
> the frequency-dependent delay and summation between the left and right
> channels to pull the soundstage out from between the ears. It doesn't seem
> very difficult to implement the delay line and filter to run in real time,
> or as a pre-processing step when the audio is being transferred onto the
> portable device -- all optional of course. In Windows, there is a setting
> for the kind of speakers that are attached to the sound card. Again, when
> you select "headphones", it could add a filter to the codec stack to add
> the binaural effect, but I have seen nothing like that. Headroom
> amplifiers do this in hardware, but does anything like this exist in
> software?

http://mediaplayer.srswowcast.com/

[Eeyore]

Karl Uppiano wrote:

> With all of the headphone listening these days -- on iPods, MP3 players,
> etc., I am surprised that I have seen no codecs/filters that will perform
> the frequency-dependent delay and summation between the left and right
> channels to pull the soundstage out from between the ears.

Isn't that supposed to done in the 'equipment' ?

Who wants MP3 etc anyway ? It'll be redundant in a few years.

Graham

[Karl Uppiano[_2_]]

"Eeyore" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Karl Uppiano wrote:
>
>> With all of the headphone listening these days -- on iPods, MP3 players,
>> etc., I am surprised that I have seen no codecs/filters that will perform
>> the frequency-dependent delay and summation between the left and right
>> channels to pull the soundstage out from between the ears.
>
> Isn't that supposed to done in the 'equipment' ?

It can be done anywhere. Since it isn't done in the equipment, it could be
encoded into the audio files as they are transferred onto the 'equipment'.
It's a one-time process, so it doesn't incur any serious processing
overhead, and the equipment stays the same.

> Who wants MP3 etc anyway ? It'll be redundant in a few years.

AAC, whatever. Even if the players use FLAC or other lossless formats, the
binaural processing could go into the processing stack. My point is, I'm
wondering why it isn't standard issue anywhere headphones are used.

[Karl Uppiano[_2_]]

"Richard Crowley" > wrote in message
. ..
> "Karl Uppiano" wrote ...
>> With all of the headphone listening these days -- on iPods, MP3 players,
>> etc., I am surprised that I have seen no codecs/filters that will perform
>> the frequency-dependent delay and summation between the left and right
>> channels to pull the soundstage out from between the ears. It doesn't
>> seem very difficult to implement the delay line and filter to run in real
>> time, or as a pre-processing step when the audio is being transferred
>> onto the portable device -- all optional of course. In Windows, there is
>> a setting for the kind of speakers that are attached to the sound card.
>> Again, when you select "headphones", it could add a filter to the codec
>> stack to add the binaural effect, but I have seen nothing like that.
>> Headroom amplifiers do this in hardware, but does anything like this
>> exist in software?
>
> http://mediaplayer.srswowcast.com/

Interesting. Trying it now. It looks like more than just binaural
simulation, but I'll play with it a bit. They have a free 15 day trial.

[Arny Krueger]

"Karl Uppiano" > wrote in message

> "Richard Crowley" > wrote in message
> . ..
>> "Karl Uppiano" wrote ...
>>> With all of the headphone listening these days -- on
>>> iPods, MP3 players, etc., I am surprised that I have
>>> seen no codecs/filters that will perform the
>>> frequency-dependent delay and summation between the
>>> left and right channels to pull the soundstage out from
>>> between the ears. It doesn't seem very difficult to
>>> implement the delay line and filter to run in real
>>> time, or as a pre-processing step when the audio is
>>> being transferred onto the portable device -- all
>>> optional of course. In Windows, there is a setting for
>>> the kind of speakers that are attached to the sound
>>> card. Again, when you select "headphones", it could add
>>> a filter to the codec stack to add the binaural effect,
>>> but I have seen nothing like that. Headroom amplifiers
>>> do this in hardware, but does anything like this exist
>>> in software?

>> http://mediaplayer.srswowcast.com/

> Interesting. Trying it now. It looks like more than just
> binaural simulation, but I'll play with it a bit. They
> have a free 15 day trial.

They also have an interactive demo that I found to be pretty scary.

I just don't get all this complaining about "soundstages across the middle
of the head". They middle of my head seems like a fairly stable place that
is easy for me to get in touch with!

I also don't get all this complaining about mixing or tracking or listening
with headphones. I've been listening to headphones for about 50 years, and
they seem very natural to me. You sort of have to learn them, and how to
translate them into other forms of listening.

[Karl Uppiano[_2_]]

"Arny Krueger" > wrote in message
...
> "Karl Uppiano" > wrote in message
>
>> "Richard Crowley" > wrote in message
>> . ..
>>> "Karl Uppiano" wrote ...
>>>> With all of the headphone listening these days -- on
>>>> iPods, MP3 players, etc., I am surprised that I have
>>>> seen no codecs/filters that will perform the
>>>> frequency-dependent delay and summation between the
>>>> left and right channels to pull the soundstage out from
>>>> between the ears. It doesn't seem very difficult to
>>>> implement the delay line and filter to run in real
>>>> time, or as a pre-processing step when the audio is
>>>> being transferred onto the portable device -- all
>>>> optional of course. In Windows, there is a setting for
>>>> the kind of speakers that are attached to the sound
>>>> card. Again, when you select "headphones", it could add
>>>> a filter to the codec stack to add the binaural effect,
>>>> but I have seen nothing like that. Headroom amplifiers
>>>> do this in hardware, but does anything like this exist
>>>> in software?
>
>>> http://mediaplayer.srswowcast.com/
>
>> Interesting. Trying it now. It looks like more than just
>> binaural simulation, but I'll play with it a bit. They
>> have a free 15 day trial.
>
> They also have an interactive demo that I found to be pretty scary.

It really "amps up" the audio. Impressive to some, perhaps, but not high
fidelity, and after all that, I really didn't detect any binaural effect. It
was still all inside my head.

> I just don't get all this complaining about "soundstages across the middle
> of the head". They middle of my head seems like a fairly stable place that
> is easy for me to get in touch with!
>
> I also don't get all this complaining about mixing or tracking or
> listening with headphones. I've been listening to headphones for about 50
> years, and they seem very natural to me. You sort of have to learn them,
> and how to translate them into other forms of listening.

I've listened to headphones for the past 30 years, and I'm fine with them,
but in terms of reproducing a live performance, having the sound inside my
head isn't particularly realistic. I'm pretty sure the performers weren't
there originally. I have experimented with binaural sound for many years. I
wish commercial recordings were available in binaural, but I realize that
isn't going to happen. So we have audio that is produced for playback on
loudspeakers. It is fairly straightforward to simulate enough binaural to
push the soundstage out front, and for iPods and similar headphone-only
devices, it seems that they could feed the audio through a one-time filter
(e.g., at the same time they apply AAC). It might not be for everyone, but
it could be a check-box away for people who are interested. It wouldn't be
expensive. I would write one myself, but I have a day job.