Hardware & Technical Any chance of incorporating or simulating binaural recording in E D?

Para Handy

Para Handy
Recently I have been sucked into playing E D really late at night and since I live in an apartment I then switch from my normal 7.1 surround system to my headset so as not to trouble neighbours.

My headset is the Hyperx CloudII and I really like it for it's comfort and reasonable fidelity (the mic is good too it has been reported to me) but I am really bugged about having no sound-stage in front of me. I can use the DTS-X in the game or the virtual 7.1 with the headset's dongle but although there is good "presence" around, behind and even above and below, there is just nowt projected in front. Yes I know it is only two drivers and it is DSP that is giving anything other than stereo presence.

Is there any way to simulate the "binaural recordings" that I have heard in the past? I don't know how any recording could be manipulated to produce the frontal sound-stage that a binaural recording produces.

How do those of you that use VR cope with this, since I assume that you always listen via a headset?

Is it just my "internal make-up" (physical or psychological) that prevents me from sensing the sound from headphones as anywhere in front of me, although I can with binaural recordings?

I just miss my audio experience when I have the headphones on, it really reduces the enjoyment of E D.
 

X-Terminator

Banned
X-Terminator
CV1 here and DTS is great. It won't be any different to yours although in VR you are more fully immersed visually. What do you want infront that you don't hear? I think you're just needing to get use to the change but because you're not in VR it may seem less connected.

As a comparison, I tried my Studio Speakers/Sub without the Rift Audio when using VR and it totally sucked no matter how loud it was and could feel all the vibrations! It was great with a Monitor though but I ain't going back.
 
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Para Handy

Para Handy
X-Terminator said:
C............... What do you want infront that you don't hear? ..................
Click to expand...

Here is a quick video which gives a good example of front "projection" (excuse my term) ... stick on headphones, just stereo, no processing and see what I mean - use the highest quality setting on the youtube interface for best result I suppose. The levels are not great but for example the golf balls bouncing in front of you are really precise...

[video=youtube;3FwDa7TWHHc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FwDa7TWHHc[/video]


There are loads of binaural demos on youtube.

What do you think?
 
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Zeeman

Zeeman
The actual surround mixing in ED is excellent - the limitation is your headphone - for the exact reasons you describe. If you truly want proper surround, you'll need a surround system with discrete speakers.
Now, having said that, and not having ever tried your particular set of headphones... Is there not some sort of software with them that allows you to adjust levels of the various speakers locations? Otherwise, you could try setting levels in windows itself...

Personally, I either use my proper surround system, or, I use a good set of stereo cans (Audio Technica ADH-700 currently).

Z...
 
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Para Handy

Para Handy
Zeeman said:
The actual surround mixing in ED is excellent - the limitation is your headphone - for the exact reasons you describe. If you truly want proper surround, you'll need a surround system with discrete speakers.
Now, having said that, and not having ever tried your particular set of headphones... Is there not some sort of software with them that allows you to adjust levels of the various speakers locations? Otherwise, you could try setting levels in windows itself...

Personally, I either use my proper surround system, or, I use a good set of stereo cans (Audio Technica ADH-700 currently).

Z...
Click to expand...

As I said, I prefer to use my 5.1 THX surround-sound system and yes E D audio is amazing - that's why playing in a headset is so disappointing.

However, I don't want to wake-up my neighbours with the sound of FSD engage / disengage or weapon-fire as I fend off a pirate for example. Unfortunately, wearing the cans makes the sounds that should be in front of me, actually appear to be inside my bonce. Sounds that should be around and behind me do actually "appear" there, it is just the lack of a presence in front that makes wearing headphones so underwhelming. Binaural recording does give that frontal "presence" and that's why I'm asking if it can / could be incorporated in E D.

P.S. The HyperX cans I use on the OC are quite good, I do have Sony and Sennheiser hi-fi cans but the HyperX are actually more comfortable, are not open-backed and have a mic. Also, no I don't think the HyperX DSP is adjustable, just "virtual 7.1" on or off.
 
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Shadowdancer

Shadowdancer
Zeeman said:
The actual surround mixing in ED is excellent - the limitation is your headphone - for the exact reasons you describe. If you truly want proper surround, you'll need a surround system with discrete speakers.
Click to expand...
That is not quite true any more with the surround emulations that cropped up in the past five to ten years. A good set of stereo headphones on a "dumb" (i.e., no fancy "DSP" shenanigans) but low-noise and low-distortion DAC will beat the pants off "surround headphones" their comparatively crappy little drivers. That's why those demos work, all the processing has been done up front and you don't need seemingly fancy hardware to play them back.

In the early days of E:⁠D there was a certain effect in supercruise that reliably made me take off the headphones and make sure nobody had opened the front door.
 

X-Terminator

Banned
X-Terminator
I'm not so impressed by the BBC so called 3D on headphones in that clip but in ED the DTS works very well. I often move my head around just to check where the engine sound is coming from as it varies betweeb Ships. In the Cobra I hear it from the front centre canopy (we sit on the left). On Courier it is a BUG that it is hugely over loud as we can hear it behind and after boosts the compressor kicks in. It is totally unbearable to fly. On some when turning head hard left/right the opposite side cuts way too much and almost is on one side only. I also do this to try to hone in on the sounds direction elsewhere as inside Ships there's just Engines, Panels, and Ship Voice which all are greatly directed. I hear the Ship Voice behind on these in varying sizes. The Starport Menu is clearly set infront on the widescreen and all Station Voices and fx are all around me.
So Still - What do you want infront that you don't hear?
------------------------
It sounds to me like you must use a simple Stereo Headset without the added fx you put on in any other settings. Only the in game DTS. You may be getting some phase cancellations or just expecting more that is not actually there.
 
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Para Handy

Para Handy
X-Terminator said:
..................
So Still - What do you want infront that you don't hear?
.................
Click to expand...

I think it is just my "internal world view" that stops me sensing non-binaural audio in front of me through headphones. - With binaural I can sense a sound "in front" but in any other (stereo, DTS or "Virtual Surround") sound that is supposed to be "in front" is sensed by me as actually inside my head, behind my eyes - does that explain what I am hearing? Other "spatial" effects are interpreted by me correctly, side, behind, above and below - just "in front" is actually "inside"! LOL

An easy example is in hte training mission - multicannon shells hitting asteroids or cannisters is directly in front using speakers but in headphones, the impact sounds are inside my head, not out in front any more.

I assume from your post that you do sense in front as being in front of you - I don't, so it is just my psychology I suppose.

BTW - my THX 5.1 speaker system on the PC gives me amazing 3D sound in E D - external resolution of audio sources is not a problem, it is just sounds from earphones.
 
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