Suzy Bogguss' 2011 CD, American Folk Songbook. Photo courtesy of Lotos Nile Media.

Did you know it’s possible to hear music in 3-D? Recently, while rehearsing songs from her new album, American Folk Songbook, Suzy Bogguss went 3-D by using binaural microphones, a method of recording sound that uses two microphones placed in a person’s ears, so that the sound recorded is exactly the way it’s heard. A listener can tell where sound is coming from – left, right, up down, near or far – but a typical recording only gives a listener left and right sounds as it does not take a listener’s head and ears into account. Binaural recording gives the listener the feeling of being in the same room as the performer and instruments.

By placing two high-fidelity microphones in the ears of her husband, songwriter Doug Crider — who found a spot in the room where he could hear each instrument and voice perfectly — Suzy was able to capture all of the audio frequency that happens naturally as sound wraps around the head and is then shaped by the form of the ear.

“I thought it would be fun to use this technology to give listeners a fresh way to experience some old favorites,” Suzy said, “and really feel like they were in the room with us for the rehearsal.”

Want to hear what a 3-D recording sounds like? Put your headphones on now and enjoy the experience by clicking on the mp3 files below! The first one is a message from Suzy and the second one is the song “Shady Grove.”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Each week for the next month, fans can visit Suzy’s website for a free download of these unique recordings of songs available on American Folk Songbook. Read our review of Suzy’s new album >>

ShareThis