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General discussion

Holophonic Sound

Feb 6, 2006 3:38AM PST

Discussion is locked

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PS
Feb 6, 2006 4:03AM PST

And "NO" this isn't one of those videos/mp3s that you look at or listen to carefully and then some horrible scream or image pops out and scares the bujesus out of you. It's a genuinely cool technology demo.

-Kevin S.

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OMG!!

that's why I didn't click on it!! HAHAHA!

I live in fear.
V

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Try it
Feb 6, 2006 8:02AM PST

I hope you've tried it by now. It's really just amazing and I plan to read up on what tricks they are doing with your ear to simulate the virtual location of the sound (it even moves up and down behind your head, not just left to right). Just haven't had the time yet.

-Kevin S.

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True Sound
Feb 6, 2006 9:20AM PST

Alright, so I'm completely obsessed with this sound trick right now Happy

I just played it again and turned it up this time and it's the first time I ever heard anything through headphones that sounded like it was in the environment right next to me. In other words, when I listen through headphones, I'm always quite aware it is sound coming through speakers next to my ear.

This sound, however, feels like it is in the environment around me. I actually got a slight heebie jeebie chill imagining it as a ghost right behind me. Seriously cool stuff. And again, I want it in the World of Warcraft. It would be a sick level of immersion (as if it isn't bad enough).

-Kevin S.

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Diggnation
Feb 6, 2006 10:34AM PST

Diggnation tried this in an early podcast for a few minutes. It is pretty cool, but I bet it takes up a lot of space for an mp3.

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It shouldn't be more than normal stereo
Feb 6, 2006 1:47PM PST

It shouldn't really take up more or less space than a regular stereo broadcast.

From what I gather, the only trick to it is the way in which the sound is captured and then processed. There is a "How it works" section on their site but between a bad language translation and the techno-babble that would make Mr. Data blush, it's a difficult 4 paragraphs to read.

http://www.holophonic.ch/how.php

-Kevin S.

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Hair
Feb 6, 2006 9:36PM PST

Ok, so I listened to the sound clips and had a lot of fun with the hair cut and the blow dryer. It actually sounded like I was getting a cut and dry... BUT I HAVE NO HAIR!!!

And dude, listening to the sensuous voice, well... I had to go outside for a smoke. Wink

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AMAZING!
Feb 7, 2006 8:17AM PST

The first thing I thought when I saw that link was "Oh dear, not another one of THOSE!" (scary things)

But, DANG, that was really cool.

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Very cool!
Feb 7, 2006 2:16PM PST

Like another user mentioned, the Diggnation pod/videocast had played similar samples on their episodes, once when they taped from the THX sound studio, and again at CES. On the CES one, when I had heard it, I literally turned around because I had thought that something was flying around behind me! WAY creepy!