A couple of months ago, I decided to do something about the two big limitations of using my Luhd PM-01 AB microphones. These small, low-noise, high-sensitivity handmade electret microphones run on plug-in power (PIP). I paired mine with a Sony PCM D100 recorder. They’ve been snug as a bug, hot-glued inside 3D-printed ears of ‘Fred the Head,’ my trusty DIY binaural head. I enjoyed using the setup but there were issues. Problem number one, the microphone cables are only a few feet long. This is a limitation of PIP. Problem number two, my Sony recorder doesn’t sound quite as nice as my Sound Devices 702 in the pre-amp department and overall. It became a weight versus size versus quality versus distance-limitation issue. What to do? Cut off Fred’s ears. Ouch. Cannibalize his acoustic foam innards. Oooh. Make a new head with better-quality XLR-type microphones.
The result I am pleased to introduce is ‘Binaural Bill.’ My second and hopefully last do-it-yourself binaural head. Since February, Binaural Bill has accompanied me on a few recording adventures; at the bowling alley, inside the Idaho State Capitol rotunda, on the streets. He receives perplexed sideways glances wherever we go. Most recently we spent a cold night on the wide-open sagebrush steppe of southwestern Idaho.
Bill started his life as a vintage Fisher & Paykel display head. The company makes healthcare equipment. I assume this head held a mask. These heads are heavier and considerably more durable than Styrofoam ones. Equally important, the space between Binaural Bill’s ears is equal to mine. To faithfully reproduce sound using a binaural head, spacing, and what’s between the microphones, is important.
Binaural Bill hears with a pair of Clippy XLR EM172 microphones housed inside silicone ears. Micbooster in the U.K. makes these as matched pairs and sells the ears as well. They feature lower self-noise than the Luhd’s, are quite sensitive, and I can use them with long cable runs. Micbooster uses special electronics that play well with phantom power to make this possible. I’m impressed with the owner’s back-and-forth communication. I purchased clear ears. This way I can see how far the mics recess into the ear canal (another important factor).
Step-by-step photos of how Binaural Bill came to be, shot inside my diabolical Frankenstein-Esque laboratory, are below. I chose Neutrik XLR connectors, as they’re up to the task of constant plugging and unplugging of cables throughout a recording session. I purchased the silicone ears off eBay.
Listen, preferably with really nice headphones, to how Binaural Bill sounds below. The scene is a busy street corner in downtown Boise, Idaho, across from the Statehouse. It had just finished raining. You’ll hear the results of that as vehicles pass. I positioned myself, and the head on a monopod, in the middle of two beeping audio signals. They beep constantly to aid the visually impaired. You should be able to hear the beeps going back in forth between your ears.
Binaural Bill’s big night out came recently out on the sagebrush steppe of southwestern Idaho. Read more about it here. I hope you enjoy the clip and the instructions. If you have any questions, please leave a comment.
Update August 12, 2020
Binaural Bill received a well-deserved makeover yesterday. My inspiration to re-paint him, for the second time, came after looking at an oversized pickup truck that parks in my apartment complex. This gigantic truck, bordering on “bro truck” stature, sports a grit-infused flat black Plasti Dip paint job from bumper to bumper. I find it unattractive on the truck but for Binaural Bill it was just the thing he needed. This rubbery-type paint will hopefully protect him from minor cuts and bruises. Plus, he looks more professional. Now he can go from recording the dawn chorus in the woods to the middle of a black-tie affair without embarrassment.
A spray can of Plasti Dip’s gunmetal gray cost $6 at my local big-box hardware store. It took only one coat, sprayed outside with plenty of ventilation, to get the job done.
How does an application of rubbery-feeling Plasti-Dip affect the recordings you ask? I have no idea as I didn’t do a before and after study. That said, I’m happy with the results. Time will tell if Binaural Bill’s new skin will stand the test of time.
Update January 2021
I received a message from a gentleman in France who, after reading this post, decided to take on a DIY binaural microphone project of his own. This means so much. He has kindly allowed me to share his first recording made with the microphone. You’ll hear him explaining (in French) the microphone and how it works to his three little children, who are sitting on the floor next to the microphone.
I don’t speak French but a good friend living in France translated for me. It begins with the kids saying “the ears, the ears, the ears.” The father asks “Can you hear what dad says?” “Talk directly into the ears.” A child says, “the mouth, the mouth, the head, the head. I love, love, love it.” Dad asks again, “Can you hear me, can you hear dad.” The children go back to, “the ears, the ears, the ears. It cries.” Dad says, “give it a hug, kisses. It hears my voice?” Then they start singing Happy Birthday.