5 Facts About Don Dixon's Cardboard Binaural Head for R.E.M.'s Reckoning

  1. Don Dixon built a binaural recording head from a cardboard box for R.E.M.’s 1984 album Reckoning.
  2. The head used two microphones placed inside the box to simulate human hearing.
  3. Binaural recording captures sound the way ears hear it, creating a three-dimensional stereo effect.
  4. Dixon used this setup on several tracks to capture the band’s live sound in the studio.
  5. The cardboard head was a low-cost, DIY alternative to expensive commercial binaural heads.