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Get Your Virtual Haircut and Other Auditory Illusions

John P.

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Holophonic RecordingMy buddy Hrafn over at Think Artificial found this fantastic audio recording that sounds exactly like you’re getting a haircut. I thought it was so cool that I had to do some research.

These are called Holophonic sounds and are made to be listened to with headphones. They are recorded with a dummy head that has two microphones, one in each ear. The shape of the head and ears must be similar to a human head.

Select the PLAY button to listen

The Virtual Haircut (Download Zip):
Virtual Haircut

The Holophonic Matchbox (Download Zip):
Holophonic Matchbox

A Woman’s Voice (Download Zip):
Woman’s Voice

Blow Drying (Download Zip):
Hairdryer

Tuning Fork (Download Zip):
Tuning Fork

Shears (Download Zip):
Shears

Dogs Running (Download Zip):
Dogs Running

Dogs Barking (Download Zip):
Dogs Barking

Loud Frogs (Download Zip):
Loud Frogs

Sexy Woman’s Invitation (Download Zip):
Sexy Woman’s Invitation

Jazz Band (Download Zip):
Jazz Band

Flutes in Singapore (Download Zip):
Flutes in Singapore

Digital Vivaldi (Download Zip):
Digital Vivaldi

Crumpling Bag (Download Zip):
Crumpling Bag

By the way, I was contacted by the guys who actually made the Virtual Haircut, and they have a new 3D Audio game coming that uses the same technology here: www.EarGames.com Check it out!

Comments

  2. Oh Thank you so much buddy….

    I am a music freak.. luved these mp3s…
    Thanks a million.

  5. thanx for sharing the list similar to virtual barber shop…………………stumbled it the moment i arrived here!!

  7. as a women with long hair, I found the virtual hair cut very frighting. The shaver was too realistic for comfort :P

  13. The woman’s voice really creeped me out X.X
    I really felt her whisper whisper in my ears, and I was really scared when she approached me XD.

    The holophonic matchbox is amazing! I can really feel the nonexistent matchbox around me!

  15. Cool! I only have played the virtual haircut and it was crazy! Really amazing and is better if you have a good headset. Thanks for sharing the other recordings.

  17. 3D sound is pretty amazing, especially when a good headset is used.

    Thanks for compiling this neat little list, ive only heard the haircut and the matchbox before.

    Thanks for sharing John

  24. Thanks John for sharing these awesome soundtracks! I bought 200 dollar expensive beats solo just two days ago, typed head phone test in YouTube, found the haircut thing and was SO AMAZED!
    I am glad to find several more tracks and can’t wait to listen to them. The sad thing is that I am on my iPod touch right now and can’t download me. Are they on YouTube? Is there any way to listen to em?

    Thanks John!!!

    • Congrats on your over priced pieces of junk. But hey, at least they have a rapper’s name on them and have some sick bass boosting built right in! Seriously.

      You do have to give Dr. Dre credit though, he’s a genius when it comes to marketing. He knew that if he slapped his name on a lower middle end pair of headphones he could charge whatever he wanted and the mindless masses would be too dumb to actually research anything before running out to buy them.

      Good for him.

  27. Extremely outstanding… very happy hearing these and i want you to add lot more holophonic sounds like this… continue your great work!!

  28. It would be great to hear the mosquito-sound. I mean it would be awful :D I can imagine me slapping my ears like in real summer evening, haha..

  30. really sounds are natural …………………. nice
    i want more virtual sounds like this ……………………………………………..

  31. my hair at the back stands, when he whisphered in my ear… somewhat it was all real… different sounds i hear from my left and right ear… nice work guys…

  36. I would be keen to hear like a virtual murder one..one that puts u in the position of the victim..the virtual haircut one gave me the idea when he put the plastic bag over my head and i felt like i was suffocating..If any1 can make this let me know?

  41. THIS WAS SO GOOD! wow! im amazed at how good this stuff sounds! I JUST GOT A HAIRCUT YESTERDAY THOUGH :::::((((((((((((((( so now i cant get the virtual one! im so bummed! OH WELL, GREAT MATERIAL!

    adios senoritas!

    jflo :-*

  43. Yes,I heard that~It’s so amazing .I heard the sounds around me and it’s so authentic.I could recognize where the sounds come from.Really a different taste for me . Thx for your sharing .

  45. WOW! That is what people are really looking for when they buy all of this surround sound equipment for their home. You spend tons of money to make these “home theaters” and they don’t even come close to what you just heard on this vitual hair cut. How is this recording process different from what they use in movie recordings? Is it a completely different recording process?

    Brian

  46. I just listen to Digital Vivaldi and Wow….forgot to mention….one must close the eyes to fully get the most out the experience.

  47. The flutes in Singapore and then the Virtual Haircut were my favorites. I wish I heard the world so clearly everyday! Keep doing what you are doing, some of us crave even a daily dose of such fine audio stimulation!

  48. Yea>>>>cool…can you make better than…thiss…i mean more full of illusion>>>>heee

  49. i am trying to download the virtual hair cut to my mobile phone and i am unable to do this can anyone help pls

  50. Really amazing ! Sound like a 3-D movie !
    I like it very much !
    I think if 3-D movies use this technology , maybe become more real !
    Oh, wow!!
    WE can enjoy good music , too .

  52. that was by far the most amazing thing i have ever heard in my life… ya’ll should keep it up who knows the right person hearing all this this kind’a stuff is future stuff mann if this stuff was but into movie theaters and people had to wear wireless earphones that would be awesome

  57. that is sooo amazing~I mean the virtual haircut it’s like the man just stand behind me…

  58. I think it’s really great. I don’t know why, but I want to cry. It’s a incredible work. Great!~ please try more.

  60. hey, buddy this is a great sounds nd u guys r doing a great job. try to make it more in future.

  67. Carl, did you try listening to them with your eyes shut? If you were staring at your screen, or anywhere else in your room, I suspect the incoming visual information was overriding the subtle auditory cues, and rather than concluding that there was an invisible source of sound passing across your line of sight (as suggested by the sounds alone), your brain automatically arrived at the best guess that the sounds were behind you, or otherwise just out of sight. Cognitive dissonance averted.

    I found the matchbox to be the most compelling, circling my head. But with my eyes open, and no visual cues to confirm the presence of a matchbox in front of me, it felt rather as if it was passing just above my eyes, in front of my forehead, though I’d guess that the recording was made circling the head at eye-level.

    • i disagree, i was lying in my bed with the labtop shut but my eyes open and it was more convincing like i could point to were the sound was truely coming from, it’s simply amazing