THORN EMI’s Central Research Laboratories at Hayes in Middlesex suggest that
the best way to record stereo sound with a video camcorder is to make it the
shape of a head. (WO 96/10884).
Using a dummy head to record the sounds people hear is an old idea.
Microphones are put in the ears and the head acts as a solid baffle, isolating
the two microphones from each other. When played back, the recording creates a
surprisingly realistic sound.
But it is awkward for sound recordists to carry a dummy head around with
them. EMI’s researchers have noticed that a camcorder can itself be used as a
solid baffle, similar to a human head. The camcorder has “ears” on each side,
with microphones hidden inside.
