Re: [microsound] Binaural Beats

[Kerry Uchida <kerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Kingsley Ash wrote:

> Has anyone come across these before? Briefly, it involves playing one
> frequency into one ear (through headphones) and a very slightly different
> one into the other ear. Then, just as when the signals combine in the air to
> form a beating effect, the brain combines the two signals and produces its
> own beating effect. There is no real physical effect as it is all purely in
> the mind and it can apparently be used for enhancing certain brain functions
> as well as investigating the hearing system and the brain. Could be an
> interesting one to investigate in the context of a piece of microsound-type
> music....?

Actually I think it IS a physcial effect that happens and not as much
as a brain effect.  You may notice it better with speakers and
not so much as with headphones.

There are many, many psycho-acoustic fx that your brain
will play with sound.  Such as localization, pitch etc.
There is a great deal of research and experimentation
happening in this area.

Many artists have experimented with sound and acoustic
spaces.  Pump a 1kHz tone into any environment and walk
around and notice how the tone changes in volume,
timbre and possibly pitch.  Pump a 1kHz tone and a 5kHz
tone into a room and again see what happens.  Fun
and often.......Uncontrollable!

kerry

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