The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra recently became the first orchestra in the world to produce and distribute binaural recordings.
A binaural recording is a method of recording audio which uses a special microphone arrangement. The microphone is a detailed facsimile of a human head with an omnidirectional microphone placed in each ear canal. The microphone captures the audio frequency adjustments and phase shifts that happen naturally as sound wraps around the human head and is shaped by the form of the outer and inner ears.
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra began using a binaural method to record itself in November 2005. In May 2006, the symphony began recording all of its subscription concerts using both conventional stereo microphones and the binaural microphone.
The symphony made headlines in October 2005 when it became the first American orchestra to distribute its own live recordings on iTunes. It made more headlines a little more than a year later when it launched its own online music store to better regulate pricing.
“Operating its own online retail store, the (Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra) will have greater (flexibility) in determining the pieces being released and the timing of the releases than is currently possible working with third-party online stores,” said MSO spokeswoman Susan Loris.
The online store allows consumers to download symphony recordings easily and with higher audio quality than other online music retailers because it offers both the stereo and binaural recordings.
Currently, that store hosts 25 recordings on the “MSO Classics” e-label, which will continue to expand, said Robert Levine, principle violist for the symphony.
The MSO store hosts the highest-quality rate possible for an MP3 file.
After one year on the iTunes Music Store, the symphony has sold more than 5,600 downloads, which cost about $1.49 for shorter works and $4.99 for multi-movement works. Songs hosted on iTunes normally cost 99 cents per song. Recordings are in MP3 format and available without consumer-limiting copy protection.
Address: 700 N. Water St., Suite 700, Milwaukee
Web Site: www.mso.org
Industry: Nonprofit performing arts
Innovations: First orchestra in the world to produce and distribute binaural recordings of its music.
