Core Sound Binaural Microphone Set
Core Sound Binaural microphones are our most popular microphones for taping concerts, lectures and rehearsals. Refined continuously since 1990, there are no better sounding or more rugged microphones available in their price range.
All of our mics now come with black clips, and a right angle plug is now available as an option!
Binaural microphones come in pairs. When one is placed in or near each ear they record exactly what your ears hear. When you play a binaural recording back over good quality headphones, you hear exactly what you heard at the time of the recording. The effect is quite startling -- besides preserving a high fidelity version of a performance, good quality binaural microphones preserve the ambience of the recording site. The positions of the performers, the reverberation and echo of the room, and the audience reaction are all captured precisely. Binaural recordings provide the most realistic recordings you've ever heard.
The Core Sound Binaural (CSB) microphones provide a level of sonic performance unmatched in their price range. When concerts and lectures recorded using the CSB microphones are played back on quality headphones the fidelity is simply startling. The ambience of the recording site is preserved faithfully. Localization of instruments is extremely precise. Their transient response is clean and fast, typical of condenser microphones, and they provide very solid bass and crystalline highs. One customer, a very knowledgeable and well travelled recordist, says that they compare very favorably with the binaural microphone set offered by Sennheiser at more than four times the price. Others have favorably compared them to Neumann and Nakamichi products.
CSB microphones have been sold to customers all over the world, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, England, Scotland, Norway, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Serbia, South Africa and many others.
Binaural Microphone Description & Mounting Options
The two microphone cartridges are each mounted in their own satin-black metal shell. The shell is approximately the size of a jelly bean: roughly a quarter-inch (.6 cm) in diameter and a half-inch (1.2 cm) long. Being all metal, the microphone mounts are very durable. The black finish is heat-fused plastic and is much more durable than paint. Removable black light-duty foam and heavy duty windscreens are optional.
The microphone cable can enter the shell in one of two locations: the side or the bottom. We now offer three mounting options: two for the side cable entry and one for the bottom cable entry.
For the side cable option, the shell can have either a fixed (included in our standard mic set) or a removable miniature alligator clip (optional) attached to its base. The clip can be used to attach the microphones to any convenient mounting surface, including your eyeglasses, lapels, collar, shoulder, hats, headband, lighting grids and many others. The alligator clips are finished in black and their handles are covered with a pliable black plastic. The fixed clip is permanently fastened to the microphone shell. The removable clip sits on a black nylon disk that snaps into and out of the microphone shell.
For the bottom cable option, the cable enters the shell from the bottom of the shell, on the surface opposite the microphone face. This allows you to easily insert the microphones into a set of elastic eyeglass holders ("Croakies"), sew them in a bandana or mount them in a hat. They have no alligator clips so you have to be creative about how you plan to mount them. You can use velcro strips, double sided foam tape or whatever you can dream up!
A very flexible shielded cable exits the base of each tube toward the rear of your head. The cables from the two microphones join into a single cable roughly twelve inches from the microphones. The cable runs for six feet and terminates in a high reliability, multi-pin locking connector for the connection to the battery box; also connected to the multi-pin connector (in a "Y") is a two foot cable terminating in a gold-plated mini-stereo straight 1/8" (3.5mm) phone plug -- other connectors can be supplied on request. (October 4, 2002: A high quality right angle plug is now available as an option.)
If necessary, the cable can be easily split for its entire length, so that the microphones can be separated as much as 12-feet apart. This is especially useful if you use the microphones for interviews: one microphone can be mounted on the interviewer and the other on the interviewee.
For binaural recordings the cartridges are aimed outward (not forward) much as your ears are. This copies the human ear, ensures a true binaural pickup pattern, and accurately captures sonic information coming from all directions.
The microphones can also be used as a classic stereo (not binaural) "spaced array" with each microphone placed eighteen inches to two feet from the other. One user says that this configuration provides excellent stereo imaging. This fellow clips his microphones to the light grid over his club's stage. Another user clips the microphones to the shoulders of his jacket.
Binaural Microphone Specifications
The CSB microphone sets are based on a pair of Matsushita (Panasonic) miniature omnidirectional electret condenser cartridges. They are electrically and mechanically modified to provide a more linear sound-to-voltage transfer function and to eliminate mechanical resonances in their bass response. The modifications add more than 20 dB to the microphones' undistorted dynamic range, flatten and extend their low frequency response, and all but eliminate recorder overload distortion.
Before Core Sound's modifications, the Matsushita cartridge's frequency response is specified flat within 1 dB from less than 40 Hertz to more than 15 kiloHertz. Typically they are within 1 dB up to 20 kiloHertz and down less than 5 dB at 30 Hertz. After modification, the modified cartridges sound better than that, typically within 1 dB from 20 to 20,000 Hertz. We match the pair to within one dB of each other. Sensitivity of the modified cartridges is approximately -66 dB (0 dB = 1 Volt per microbar). The microphones are nominally omnidirectional but their pickup pattern is modified by the absorption and reflection characteristics of your head and outer ears. Their noise level is typical of 1/4-inch electret condenser microphones, approximately 30 dBA. This is comfortably below the noise level of the Sony DAT and MD recorders' microphone pre-amplifiers and the ambient noise level at concerts. Thanks to our modifications, the CS Binaural mic set has a dynamic range of over 90 dB. They are designed to operate into a nominal impedance of 10 KiloOhms.
The CSBs provide the highest sound quality (e.g., when using a DAT recorder), and very low distortion operation at the high sound pressure levels typical of rock concerts and even high performance racing motorcycles (from 110 db to 140 dB SPL). In addition to the two matched microphones, the CSBs come with a battery box containing a nine volt battery, associated electronics (top quality metallized polypropylene capacitors hand matched to 1%, and 1% metal film resistors) and a high reliability, locking multi-pin connector. Use of the battery box allows us to modify the microphone cartridges for much improved linearity (less distortion) and expanded dynamic range. The battery box is not a pre-amp; it simply provides the correct voltage to power the mics and also houses the optional bass roll-off filter.
The battery box is roughly half the size of a cigarette pack, is made of sturdy die cast aluminum, and is finished in a durable black crinkle finish. The battery lasts approximately 500 hours and should be replaced at least once a year. (Be sure to disconnect the microphones from the battery box when they are not in use.) The output to the recorder is a mini stereo phone plug; other connectors can be supplied upon request.
Binaural Microphone Bass Roll-off Filter
[Note: As of March 2022, due to component supply issues we no longer offer the battery box with the switchable bass roll-off filter. We still offer both fixed flat and bass roll-off versions.]
Our microphones have a very flat and extended low frequency response. In some cases, particularly where the hall has an emphasized bass frequency response ("hall boom"), you are recording near a room boundary, the air conditioning system rumbles, traffic noise filters in from outside, or the room's sound system is equalized strongly toward the bass, it is desirable to roll off the low bass frequency response.
To address this we offer a battery box with a bass roll-off filter.
When used with most recorders, the bass roll-off filter rolls off frequencies below 120 Hertz at 6 dB/octave.
In general, we don't recommend that you have only the bass roll-off filter unless you regularly note too much bass in your recordings. If you want to be able to select between a flat and a rolled-off response, we recommend having two battery boxes on hand: one that's flat and one that has the roll-off filter.
Binaural Microphone Extension Cable
If you find that you need a longer cable, we can supply a 15-foot extension cable made using the same cable we use for our microphones. It has a gold-plated stereo miniplug on one end and a stereo mini-jack on the other.
Binaural Microphone Recording & Care Tips
When recording loud sound sources with your CSB microphones we recommend using your recorder's low sensitivity (-20 dB) setting. When recording extremely loud sound sources, either use an external attenuator cable (available from Core Sound) or use your recorder's line level inputs.
To prolong battery life, disconnect the microphones from the battery box when not in use.
Do not apply 48 Volt phantom power to the CSB microphones. Doing so may damage or destroy them.
Avoid installations that would abrade or cut the cable. Do not clip the microphones to their cable and do not severely bend the cables at the points where they enter the microphone cartridge shells.
The cable can be wiped clean with a damp cloth.
How Do Core Sound’s Binaural Mics Compare To Mics From Other Manufacturers?
Want to know how mics from other manufacturers compare to our mics? We can tell you -- just ask! Send email to:
One of the most important features that make our mics special are the modifications we perform on the mic capsules. No other manufacturer offers such modifications. The modifications add over 20 dB of dynamic range, dramatically reduces distortion at higher sound pressure levels, flattens the frequency response, reduces the microphones' self-noise (hiss), and better matches the microphones' sensitivity to popular audio recorders' microphone pre-amps to eliminate mic pre-amp overload problems. The results are crystal clear recordings of even the loudest concerts, recordings that capture the fine details of delicate musical passages and low noise.
Comparing our Core Sound Binaural mics to a pair of mics with unmodified microphone capsules, here's what one customer said:
“I have recorded about 10 hours worth of music with either set of microphones on a ... recorder. Both sets of mikes worked very well. I record classical chamber and ensemble music concerts played by myself or my friends, for our own personal use. I also plan to use recording to help in practicing and rehearsals.”
“While you seem to advertise the primary advantage of the [Core Sound Binaural] mikes as being in recording very loud sound sources, I hear a clear increase in sound clarity and a clear decrease in the noise level with the [CSB mics], even at fairly low sound levels. While the [unmodified mics] would be quite sufficient for recording rehearsals for learning purposes, the [Core Sound Binaural mic] gives recordings of recitals that sound "fairly-near-to-professional,"though not quite as good a job as our university A/V engineers do with about $3000 worth of equipment. But quite good enough to already be hunting around as to who would transfer my second-ever ... recording to 30 CD-R copies at a reasonable rate. ...”
“Thanks from a satisfied customer.”
Binaural Microphone Ordering
We are happy to accept orders via our on-line ordering system, email, phone, mail and FAX.
The Core Sound Binaural microphone set (modified microphones and non-switchable battery box, including all cables and fixed clips) is $230.
A fixed-response battery box (either flat response or with the bass roll-off filter) without microphones is $59.
A 15-foot extension cable is $28.
A dual XLR-M to stereo mini jack adapter cable is $28.
Please add $15 for the removable clip mounting option.
Payment
Payment is via any major credit card (Visa, Mastercard or American Express), a PayPal account, personal checks, money order (available from the Post Office or bank), traveler's checks, wired funds, cash or certified check, US funds only. Please allow some additional time for personal checks to clear the bank prior to shipment. COD shipments are available in some situations -- contact us for details. You may wire funds directly to our bank account -- please contact us for details.
PayPal handles our credit card processing. You need not have a PayPal account to pay with a credit card.
We also accept purchase orders from pre-qualified US universities, corporations, and state and federal governments.
Checks should be made out to "Core Sound LLC" and sent to:
Core Sound LLC
405 Cedar Lane, #1
Teaneck, NJ 07666
USA
Orders are typically shipped within two or three days but delivery times vary with our order load. We can usually accommodate "rush" orders, including same day shipments -- call and ask!
If you have questions, call and ask for Len Moskowitz. He can be reached at (201) 801-0812. His electronic mail address on the Internet is:
moskowit@core-sound.com
Customs Taxes
If you are ordering from outside the United States or Canada, your government may (or may not) charge you import taxes. Those taxes are your responsibility. If you are not certain, please ask your local Customs authority for more information.
VAT and Sales Taxes:
Core Sound LLC collects only State of New Jersey sales tax. We do not collect UK/Europe VAT taxes or any other taxes
Binaural Microphone Trial Offer
To give you a chance to try them out and decide if they're for you, Core Sound provides a 30 day trial period. All microphone sets returned within 30 days of shipment qualify for a full refund (minus shipping and handling charges) provided that they are returned in as-new condition.
Binaural Microphone Sampler
The Core Sound Sampler includes recordings made with our Core Sound Binaural (CSB) Microphones (tm) , Core Sound Stealthy Cardioid Microphones (tm), Core Sound High End Binaural (HEB) microphones, PDAudio and Mic2496.
You can play a track by clicking-left on the selection number of each track. You can download it by clicking-right on the selection number of the track, and selecting "Save Link As...".
FIRST SELECTION:
Title:
"The Phantom of the Opera" Andrew Lloyd Webber 3:43
Location:
St. Mark's Episcopal Church
Palo Alto, California
Sunday, October 31, 1993
Performer:
James Welch, Organist
(Recording used by kind permission of the performer)
Recorded by:
Romain Kang
Notes:
A Casio DA-R100 portable DAT recorder was fed directly from a Core Sound Binaural microphone set used as spaced omnis. The microphones were positioned across the center line of the room, approximately at the crossing, one-third of the way back of the church, three feet above the floor and two feet apart. The microphones were mounted on common microphone stands (cast iron bases) and pointed up toward the ceiling. The recorder was positioned roughly 25 feet from the microphones and fed the signal via a long cable. The Casio was powered via an AC adapter which transmitted some AC line noise. The room itself is very lively but has a short reverberation period. The linoleum-covered wooden floor transmits a fair amount of noise. The room can accommodate roughly 500 people but is currently set up for 200. The organ is a electro-pneumatic with about 60 ranks originally built by Casavant, but has been reworked a number of times and no longer bears the Casavant nameplate. The main divisions are behind the high altar of the church, hidden by a sheer fabric screen. The swell division is installed high on one side of the chancel, and the gallery division is high on the back wall of the nave.
Highlights:
The imaging. Note the palpable footsteps as the performer enters from the right and sits at his instrument. Later in the performance listen as the the various divisions of pipes are brought in. Near the end, listen to the haunting ghostly melody in the very high registers. Although this was recorded with a spaced-omni set up for playback over speakers, the sound over headphones is still very good.
SECOND SELECTION:
Binaural Microphone Limited Warranty
The microphones are sold with a one year limited parts and labor warranty. If a CSB microphone set requires repair during that period, ship them back to Core Sound postage paid with a description of the problem, and then please call us once we have them to discuss the problem. We will repair or replace them and ship them back to you at no charge. No consequential damages are covered by this warranty.
Binaural Microphone Customer Reviews
R.H. wrote:
“The mikes are really great. I mounted them on a pair of eye glasses just in front of the ears. Binaural effect is quite spectacular.”
L.P. in Canada wrote:
“I'm interested in recording ambient sounds, mostly from the natural world. I've been using your mics in Prince Edward Island (Canada) this summer; have used them clipped to my glasses, plugged into a Zoom recorder in my pocket. I'm very happy with the results. They are unquestionably sensitive enough for my needs; the sound is thoroughly convincing. Also I've been able to establish empirically that the heavy-duty windscreens do make a difference. Count me a satisfied customer.”
M.L. in Japan wrote:
“I am a repeat customer, having ordered a set of csb mics from you about ten years ago! I am happy to report that despite regular use and less than delicate handling, they are still in excellent condition and performing well. Your very solid assembly technique is rare and most appreciated in this day and age. Thank you so much for your attention to detail and very high quality standards.”
S.B. wrote:
“Just to let you know, I bought your Core Sound Binaural mics with bass thingy [bass roll-off filter] a month or so ago. I made my first ever recording at a music festival this weekend and I'm delighted with the result. Your mics worked perfectly, I learnt a few things about taping this weekend too, but overall had great fun and got a reasonable Van Morrison recording that I wanted. So a big thanks for all your help!”
W.C. wrote:
“I used the coresound mics for field recordings while in India and loved them--everyone else does too. Im planning on getting the high-end binaurals for my next trip.”
J.R. wrote:
...on May 10th. I'll be filming the new Porsche Cayman S car launch in in Texas. The second most common compliment I receive about my video productions is how incredible the audio is... thanks to you/Core Sound!!!
C.D.C. wrote:
“I bought my first pair of CSB's from you in March 2000 and my friend Ryan is STILL using them to this day! Incredible product.”
H.O. in London England wrote:
“Just to let you know that I used the binaural mics in Iceland last week and they sounded superb and were very easy to use. Many thanks indeed for your excellent product.”
R.P. in Finland wrote:
“Just writing you to let you know that the microphones I ordered in January have not only arrived safely but also have been put through the trial of fire (so to speak) which they passed with high marks. A nice set of mics, indeed, and they seem to cope with nasty recording situations rather well.”
R.J. wrote:
“You guys are top notch, love all of your products I have purchased over the years from you guys!”
T.J.H. wrote:
“I purchased a pair of Core Sound Binaural microphones with the bass roll-off filter in November 2008. Over the past 10 months, I have used these microphones to record gigs by local and independent bands at small venues, as well as recording band practices in a living room, and I have been truly happy and sometimes amazed by the results. The microphones have given me a crisp. clear sound that is truly impressive, even when recording very loud bands that seem chaotic - the microphones allow me to hear things in the performances that I had missed while hearing it live.”
E.C.E. wrote:
“I have used the CSBs for maybe a hundred recordings over the last 5 years, without incident. These little guys are durable as hell and sound great fantastic, especially considering the cost. I love em.”
D.E. wrote:
“It's been a while (as you can see from the e-mail below [written in 2001]), but my Core Sound binaural mics with battery box are still going strong after many years of use. I couldn't be happier with them! ...
Thanks for your help and for the very high quality of your products. They have brought me and mine many, many hours of recording and listening pleasure.”
J.N. wrote:
“First off, thanks again for making wonderful mics! I've had a pair of your stealthy binaurals for years and love them - even my friend who does pro-level sound recording for film and TV thinks highly of them, and he thinks nothing of dropping thousands of dollars on a microphone.”
S.R. wrote:
“Thank you for getting my order to me on time. The recording came out great even considering it was done at possibly the worst (acoustically) venues in Philadelphia. You have another fan of Core Sound products.”
R.W., recording digitally, wrote:
“I've been happily using your CSBs for a couple of years. Lots of nice recordings. They are fabulous mics.”
J.D. wrote: