March 26, 2009

James Hildebrandt talks about sound delivery and the new Psyko headphones
By Michael Lafferty

“…once you try Psyko headphones you’ll know what you are missing.”

Whether players notice it or not, sound in a game is a very important element in creating an immersive atmosphere that can not only draw players deeper into a game, but create a mood that can either add to or take away from the whole experience.

And how players listen to that sound is important. A 5.1 system will deliver a surround-sound feeling where you can “hear” elements behind you. But there comes a time when you simply can’t crank up a speaker system to experience the sound. That’s when players have to turn to headphones and, quite often, the experience is downgraded.

Well, there are some people out there that don’t think that should be the case. They believe that a headphone set-up should deliver sound that is vibrant and adds to the gaming experience. The Psyko headset is the result of that belief.

Head Psyko James Hildebrandt, chatted with GameZone about the new headset.

Question: When a person experiences audio, are they aware of everything they are hearing, or does much of what one hears appeal to other areas of the subconscious that tells them if the sound is good or bad?

James: Our focus is on delivering sound with the correct perception of the direction so I’ll talk mostly about that part. People perceive sound direction instantaneously and without needing to think about it. Our brains are hardwired to detect sound direction. A child as young as 6 months old will reflexively look at the source of a sound.

The audio signals that are needed to perceive the sound direction are well understood, and Psyko delivers them, but it has been a challenge for other technologies.

Once you use the Psyko headphones and realize that sound should have directionality it will change your perception of all other headphones.

Q: What do you think makes for an exception audio experience?

James: The true measure is how well it compares to the experience of sound in the perfect room with the speakers in the correct locations and correct balance. Of course, the audio content has to also have something interesting to listen to. You will find most first-person games to take advantage of the opportunity for sound all around you. But some games do a better job than others.

Q: How does a set of headphones manage to emulate the fullness of sound one would receive when sitting in a room surrounded by a 5.1 system?

James: The quick answer is that the headphones have to deliver the same audio cues as the room system.

The long answer is that research shows there are three key cues people need to perceive the direction of sound: 1 - the timing difference between each ear; and 2 - the volume difference between each ear. These two cues determine the angle of the sound from the center of your head, but from these two cues you can’t tell if it is in front of you or behind you. For example, a sound at 45 degrees from the front of your head, or 45 degrees from behind you makes the same timing and volume difference between each ear. Then 3 -  the way sound reflects off your outer ear tells you if it is in front or behind you. And because everyone’s ear shape is as unique as fingerprints, the signal reflects off your ear and creates a sound signal at your ear drum that is unique to you.

Some headphone systems completely ignore #1 and #2. Other systems fake #3.

Psyko delivers all 3 cues. Psyko delivers #1 and #2 by using the waveguides to deliver the sound from every speaker to the correct location of BOTH ears. Psyko headphones deliver #3, the front sounds from well in front of your ears so they sound like they are in front of you. Likewise the rear sounds come from behind your ears so they sound like they should too.

Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced when you designed these headphones?

James: There were lots of challenges of creating a new technology. The most interesting is making a technology where the original prototype looked like an octopus on your head look good, or even looks great. My girlfriend at the time saw one of our testers with that prototype on his head and she whispered to me that guys that where that won’t have girlfriends. Well, the design has come a long way since then.

The Psyko technology replaces the many speakers around each ear and replaces them with speakers on top of your head and delivering every sound to the right location around both ears. That is a fundamental change in how to think about headphones. Psyko headphones are really a room system on your head.

Q: Obviously, with the sound the Psyko set purports to have, you will likely appeal to a wider range of people than merely those looking for a richer gaming experience.

James: Yes, but we love gaming and audio.

Q: While you may be developing headphones to relate the fullness of sound available, do you think that developer teams are doing their part to create a vibrant aural experience. Is the technology driving that in-game sound or is in-game sound driving the technology?

James: We have been a bit surprised to see that some games do a better job than others to deliver the realism of the sounds. In the future we hope to provide a forum to compare the various approaches developers and hardware makers are taking.

It is well known that the audio experience makes a huge difference in any game experience. There are studies that show that when the audio experience is improved people think that even the visual delivery was improved. That is stunning.

So, what is driving what? The drive comes from both sides. In my opinion, until now the delivery was the weak link in the experience. Traditional headphones don’t deliver it. And room systems are hard and expensive to set up properly, or can only be used part of the time.

Q: There is more to the technology of designing headphones than merely the aural element. How do you ensure that the fit and comfort of the headphones allows for prolonged use?

James: Lots and lots of testing. I found lots of traditional headphones to be uncomfortable. Some pressed on my ears and hurt after a while. We use the softest foam we could find. Traditional headphones that surrounded my ears always got hot after just a few minutes. So we made the Psyko headphones have pivoting vents that could be opened to keep your ears cool and comfortable. The best part is that these vents do not reduce the delivery of the sound direction. In fact it can enhance it.

Here is a hint for best game play. It is hard or impossible to detect the direction of low frequency sound. So, to be able to best tell where every sound comes from, whether it is gun shots, voices, or footsteps, turn down the bass. The bass is fun and creates a great visceral response, say, for explosions, but bass also detracts from the ability to detect the direction of sound.  

Psyko headphones come with an amplifier that gives the user the control of the master volume and the bass volume. Turn up the bass for the visceral effect, turn it down to best detect the direction of the sounds.

Q: What do you like the most about these headphones?

James: Hard to put into words. I just can’t go without them. I love using them. I find traditional headphones to be irritating because they don’t sound natural. I didn’t notice it as much before I got started on this project. I knew headphones didn’t sound real but thought that was just the way it had to be. People can get used to the incorrect delivery of traditional headphones but once you try Psyko headphones you’ll know what you are missing.

Good room systems are nice, but there are always times you need to turn it down so you don’t bother others. Psyko headphones are the only solution to all these problems.

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