What is 8D Audio: Difference Between 3D and 8D Audio

What is 8D Audio, how is it created and who invented it?

How can you listen to an 8D song with high quality, or more importantly, how can you record an 8D audio effect? Where can I get an 8D audio microphone, and is 8D audio dangerous? But seriously, WTF??? These questions are a little annoying to people who mix and record audio, because 8D Audio DOESN’T actually exist. It’s time to take the stance of “Suzy Soul-crusher” here, because even though there may be a lot of hype over the term “8D Audio” and plenty of  songs available to listen to on YouTube that are supposedly “8D” and even 9D audio now, these terms are highly exaggerated, and are completely erroneous! Furthermore, the final result of those 8D audio mixes are actually in stereo, which is 2D!!!

Ok, so how can 8D Audio NOT actually exist but we can still listen to it in headphones?

Because humans live in a three-dimensional space, and throw around ridiculous terms like “8D Audio”…while actually hearing things binaurally in 3D audio (in a 360-degree experience on this three-dimensional planet). 8D Audio is at its best an ATTEMPT to recreate 3D audio, but the final result is actually a stereo recording in “2D”, and not ever in 3D, 4D or any other D!

8D audio is really just an effect applied to a stereo recording to make it seem like the audio is moving in a circle around your head.

The “swirling effect” is actually just remixed audio using spatial audio reverb and 360-degree mixing effects software to make it sound like you are “in the room” or in the “3D space” (like binaural audio). In any case, if the audio is not actually recorded with a binaural microphone setup like the Hooke Verse, then it’s not even “3D audio”, let alone any other “D” besides 2D.

Is 8D audio dangerous? Yes, if you think 8D audio actually exists, then you may also have had your reality compromised in childhood. You may also think that scary monsters, Santa Claus and other fictional beings STILL exist past childhood, and that could be prove to be VERY dangerous at some point (at the very least, potentially embarrassing).

Ok, so let’s try and explain the concept of 3D audio the way a child would understand it. Or, let’s start with the basics, for people living here with us on this sweet, little three-dimensional planet we like to call EARTH:

1. How can you hear 3D Audio? The greatest, free, 3D audio transducer system in the world – your own head – is the best example. Your head has two ears, and those ears hear sound binaurally – with each ear grabbing all of the available sound from the environment in a 360-degree experience. So, let’s say you are standing outside and listening to nature sounds from Earth: you will hear sounds from every angle, from each ear. You may hear a bird singing off to distance on the left and the wind softly swirling. You may hear a plane flying overhead with both ears, and the rustle of the leaves from a tree behind you (or the heavy breathing from the scary monsters). The point is, you will hear sounds from EVERY angle and direction in the 3D audio space, which is called 3D audio. (Also, if you are listening to something that was recorded binaurally, you would have to listen in a pair of regular headphones to hear 3D audio properly – just like your own ears would hear it. No special headphones needed either, a regular pair of AirPods will do the trick.)
2. How can you make an 8D audio song? Newsflash!!! If you have not been paying attention…you CAN’T actually make an 8D audio song, but you CAN make a 3D audio recording of a song…and that’s what 8D audio is desperately trying to sound like – binaural audio.
3. What are some examples of 3D audio? Please put your headphones on and listen to this example of a binaural recording from Matthew Wang, “Recording every instrument in 3D Audio” to make en entire song. If you still have questions…please visit the Hooke Audio website – How to Record Binaural Audio.

What is the difference between 3D and 8D sounds?

See also from Quora: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-3D-and-8D-sounds

Conclusion:

8D audio doesn’t exist, and when people who do “8D audio effects”, which are really just 3D audio effects,  do them correctly – they try to mimic the reference point of the your ears in the 3D audio space. These mixing effects will try as hard as they can to provide an immersive experience, so it sounds like you are “in the room” or “at the concert”. Conversely, when 8D audio effects are done wrong, it just sounds like a bunch of lame panning to the left and right. But, if you actually record binaurally with the Hooke Verse, or another 3D Audio microphone system, you will achieve the full, 360-degree sound experience from the beginning, and not attempt to do so in the end, wasting time using special sound effects and software (and ultimately result in a 2D recording, which is just embarrassing!!!).

And please, don’t even get us started on “8D audio” speakers…sheesh.

For more information on how to record binaurally with the Hooke Verse mic system, please visit: www.hookeaudio.com