How to Build a Hypnosis Office Sound System on a Tight Budget

How to Have a Hypnosis Sound Setup for Roughly $175

(or under $65 if you play your cards right)

[To download this article as a PDF, click here.  For a Shopping List for this build, go to the bottom of the page.]

My friend, mentor, and co-author, Dr. Richard Nongard, has posted several videos to YouTube explaining the sound setup he uses in his office, and I’ve also written a review of the same system he uses.

Of course, music, a microphone, and headphones are by no means a necessity for doing hypnosis, but they do add an element of "specialness" to the session, as well as facilitating the use of binaural beat technology, not to mention recording. A study commissioned by the makers of Hypnoke found that visual imagery was intensified in subjects who used headphones. For those of us who don’t have separate “hypnotic furniture” to move the clients to for the formal hypnosis, putting on the headphones is one way to mark that the hypnotic ritual is beginning.

Now, Nongard can be trusted to find high-quality equipment at moderate prices, and I will be the first to admit that his setup is more versatile, durable, and impressive than the one I present here. But many hypnotists know that starting a practice can be expensive; any way to save is helpful in the salad days of a hypnosis business.

So I have set out to discover just how affordably a new hypnotist can accomplish something similar to what Nongard has. It's important to consider that this setup is meant to sit in your office; it's not designed to serve a dual purpose as a stage hypnosis PA system. It also isn't meant to excite audiophiles; it's just meant to get the job done. That said, I’m very pleased with the result; in my opinion, the system described here sounds just as good as, if not better than, the one that I reviewed earlier.

I’m going to present a basic build that comes in just under $125. For slightly more, we’re going to add a recording function, and for just a bit on top of that, we’re going to add speakers so that you have background music during the intake. Even the deluxe version comes in just under $175. Of course, this build is modular, so it’s possible to build a less expensive system and then upgrade as you are able.

The basic build assumes that you are starting from scratch, but I’m going to include a few tips on how to utilize things you already may own to save yourself a few extra dollars. Then I’m going to tell you how I got the cost down to under $65.

So, what exactly does this setup have to achieve?

            *take input from your vocal microphone

            *take input from a music source (including binaural beats)

            *balance your voice and the music

            *produce output to headphones for you and your client

Other nice options would include:

            *produce output to a recorder, so that your client can have a session recording

            *upload the recording to Dropbox or Google Drive

            *produce output to speakers, so that your office can have ambient music

Lets discuss those steps one at a time, shall we?

Microphone for Your Voice

That's the most important thing, right?

Microphones come in two types: condenser and dynamic. Condenser mics are more expensive and have better quality, but are not as rugged and require phantom power in order to operate. While you can choose to upgrade to a condenser mic with this system (or even just a better dynamic mic), I’m going to recommend a very basic and inexpensive but sturdy dynamic microphone made by Nady. It can be had for only $11.

Now, I did test a less-expensive microphone, which I found to be unsatisfactory. The Nady actually sounds as good as the mics that come with Vocopro system.

Remember, you’re not recording your hit single here. You just want something that gets the job done.

A Brief Note about Wireless Technology:

You may be tempted to use a wireless or Bluetooth microphone, headset, or headphones in your office, especially because being free from all those wires seems really elegant and clean in your office. I admit, I’d love to be a bit more mobile during sessions, and I’d love for my clients to not have to deal with a headphone wire.

But I don’t use wireless in my office, and nor should you unless your office is in the middle of nowhere. I’ve learned from doing music gigs that wireless mics and similar tech can broadcast over a wide area. I’ve been at festivals where another band’s guitar was suddenly playing through my gear, or where my off-color jokes were being blasted at the joust field. While those incidents were inconvenient, broadcasting a client’s session is a violation of confidentiality; it’s unethical, unprofessional, and in some places, possibly illegal.

If your clients ever seem a bit bothered by the wires, mention that you use wires because you care about keeping your clients’ information safe.

A Music Source

Not every hypnotist uses background music, so I suppose I could have listed this as optional—but I really can't imagine why you wouldn't want some soothing music in your office. I even carry a CD of soothing music with me when I teach classes at the jail. Besides, a big part of the reason to use this arrangement is to employ binaural beats and other brainwave entrainment, and the easiest way to accomplish that is to incorporate them into your music.

You probably already have a music source, whether it's a CD player with an external output, an mp3 player, a smart phone, tablet, or even your laptop/desktop computer. If you have something like that, use it.

Now, in case you don't have anything like that, the least expensive mp3 player that I would consider using runs $13-$15 including shipping, though you’ll need to be patient as it makes its way from China. The nice thing about this particular mp3 player is that it doubles as a USB memory stick, and you can load music onto it just by sliding it into a USB slot.

The only downside is that it runs on a AAA battery, so you’ll want to have some spares in your desk drawer. By the way, if you want to be sure you never run out, you can buy batteries in bulk, without packaging, from Battery Junction and save a lot of money in the long run.

As an aside, I buy these particular mp3 players in bulk—and in my company color—load ‘em up with mp3s for stress release, better sleep, and so on, and then give them as gifts to valued clients. I send my clients to this video and this video to help them learn how to use the device.

If you are interested in a more conventional approach, you can use an iPod or Zune. When I set up my new office, I found that you can acquire used iPods on Craigslist for under $60. In keeping with our directive to do this project for the least possible, I've listed the mini-player on my pricing chart. Of course, if you already have some other device you are comfortable using, use it. (If you use a smartphone, set it on Airplane Mode so that incoming calls and texts won’t get blasted through your speakers.)

Any of these options have far more storage capacity than you will ever need for your hypnosis practice; you really don't need a thousand hours of background music.

On the subject of music, Dan Kern produces music suitable for hypnosis sessions with the binaural beats already mixed in. If you’re not in the place to afford Dan’s excellent work, I’m including a link to a few mp3s I’ve created using no-cost royalty-free music with nature sounds and brainwave entrainment tones.

A Mixer

Musicians are familiar with these. Basically, a mixer does just what it sounds like it should; it takes multiple signals and combines them into one output signal. Typically each input channel has its own gain control so that you can balance them; in other words, you can make sure that the music doesn't overpower your voice, and vice-versa.

Now, there is really no limit to how fancy and expensive a mixer can be, but for our purposes, I recommend a simple one made by Samson.  It takes five inputs of various types and provides two types of output.

The Samson runs on an AC adapter, which is important. I hate nothing more than having to change out batteries in the middle of a session. Also, it allows for upgrades to a better microphone in the future. Best of all, it’s just under $50.

Headphone Expansion

Of course, once you have your voice, the music, and any other nifty effects mixed together, you'll want to be able to send that signal to your client's headphones—and probably your own headphones, if only so that you can make sure the balance is right.

There are headphone splitters that will give you two signals, and for our purposes, that’s the least expensive route, running you under $4 after shipping.

However, for a few dollars more, you can get one that will split the signal five ways, like this $11 splitter from Belkin. After all, it's nice to be able to run headphones to more than one client and to record the mix you've created while you're doing the session.

There are also headphone amplifiers, which will take your one signal and split it into four while giving you more control over individual volume. These range from a $20 model from Pyle to a $40 model from CAD to the one I drool after, the ART HeadAmp4 Headphone Amplifier. It will send one input to four different sets of headphones, quarter-inch or eighth-inch, and costs about $65.

Headphones

This all comes down to your client being able to hear you, doesn't it? In addition to providing the sound, headphones help to block out external distractions and create the feeling that your client has entered a special, private experience removed from ordinary reality.

Of course, it would be lovely to use Bose noise-canceling headphones, but considering that each set costs more than I pay to rent my office each month, I'm thinking we can start out with an affordable bargain set.

Now, if you wanted to go really cheap, the mp3 player I’m recommending comes with free ear buds, as does the recorder. For that matter, you (or your nearest teenager) probably have some spare ear buds sitting around, or you may network with someone who gives them out for free. But seriously, you don’t want your clients all using the same ear buds, and do you really want to be that obviously broke?

So I’m recommending these headphones as basic and inexpensive: JVC HA-V570 Supra-Aural Headphones. They have good reviews on Amazon and have proven satisfactory in my office. The cords are long enough and have a volume control built-in, and they come with an adapter that increases their versatility. Finally, they’re under $9.

Of course, there’s no limit to what you can spend as your start upgrading headphones. A free membership at http://www.rakuten.com/will give you lots of opportunities to buy headphones at a steep discount.

Now, another option would be to get ART Headphone Amp and pay a little extra for the four sets of “free” headphones that come with it.

Adapters and Cables

Once you have all this gear, you'll need to connect it all. This task is made slightly more complicated by the fact that not all audio jacks and cables are the same. There are basically three formats that we'll deal with:

Eighth-inch (3.5 mm): This is what your iPod has. Most consumer headphones use this size as well.

Quarter-inch: This is what professional musicians use for their instruments and studio headphones.

RCA: This is what most TVs, DVD players, and home stereos use.

To save money on this project, we're using consumer head phones (eighth-inch cord) and a consumer mp3 player (eighth-inch output).

The mic I recommend actually comes with a cord that has quarter-inch output, unlike most mics, which use an XLR cable. However, I recommend that you upgrade to an XLR cable immediately. (There are also USB condenser mics, but those are not part of this build.)

The sticking point is that the Samson mixer has quarter-inch and RCA input and output jacks, along with one XLR input. Fortunately, a variety of adapters are available for next to nothing. (Of course, quality and durability increase with the price, but again, we're not pleasing the audiophile connoisseurs here, nor are we taking the show on tour.)

This is what you'll need in the way of adapters for the basic build:

            *an eighth-inch-to-RCA adapter, for plugging your mp3 player into the mixer

            *an RCA-to-eighth-inch adapter, for output from the mixer

            *an eighth-inch-male-to-dual-female splitter, for plugging in both set of ear buds

            *an eighth-inch-male-to-male patch cable (free with the digital recorder)

The good news is that these cables and adapters don't have to be top-of-the-line. They aren't going to be hauled all over the place in a tour bus or even in a teenager's backpack. So you really won't be spending more than $5 to $10 on connectors.

Optional: Recording

Richard Nongard doesn't record sessions for clients, preferring to give them pre-recorded CDs. Myself, I like to be able to give a client a recording of the session I just customized to the person in my chair; also, a lot of hypnotists starting out haven't built up a stock of pre-recorded sessions to handle every situation.

Now, I used to record sessions to my laptop using Audacity and then spend twenty minutes mixing in music and nature sounds, getting the balance just right, and then burning the recording to a CD. As times have changed, most of my clients are happy to get an mp3, which I upload to DropBox or a similar service. I then send my client a “public link” from DropBox that allows them to download their sessions.

(A lot of people ask, “Why don’t you just send the session recording as an attachment to email, like you would with a song?” Good question—the reason is that the average song is three minutes long, while my sessions tend to run about forty minutes. A three-minute mp3 isn’t much of an attachment, but a forty-minute mp3 is too big to send that way.)

With the setup described in this article, you can either run an eighth-inch cable to your laptop and record with Audacity (a free program), or you can connect a stand-alone voice recorder. Note that if you’re using your computer to provide background music, you can’t also use it record on.

That brings up another question: Why not just record the session live into Audacity and then use a headphone splitter to play it for your client? Here’s the problem with that: Latency. Unless you’ve really spent the bucks on a fast computer—and let’s face it, if you can afford that, you have no reason to be reading this article—when you and your client listen to what you are recording, the playback of your words will be delayed enough to be very disorienting. I suppose you could set up a system in which you record and only your client listens, but then you have no way to balance your voice and the music.

Because my laptop has been plagued with audio problems since the day I bought it, I prefer to rely on an external recorder. Being a musician, I have a really good digital recorder that is well outside the scope and price-range of this project. But for our purposes, all we need is a basic machine that has an eighth-inch input.

Searching the ‘net, I found one that fits the bill. It has external mics, so if you need to use it as a simple voice recorder, you can; but unlike many such devices, it comes with an eighth-inch jack (and cable), making it perfect for our project. It also has a USB cord to connect directly to your computer, allowing quick and easy uploads, as well as charging. And the price is under $40.

Now another option is to use your smartphone or tablet to record. Since I’m an Android guy, I’m going to tell you that it is possible with an Android using a free or cheap recording app—my favorite is Rec Forge Pro—and an inexpensive adapter.  The advantage is that you can then upload the recording directly to DropBox without going through your laptop or desktop.

By the way, if you don’t have an Android device to use for this purpose, you can get a used one rather inexpensively, even less than $85. If you are thinking that you don’t want to pay for a data plan, don’t. You can use a phone with no data plan to connect to the Internet via wifi. (This assumes you have wifi at your office.)

Optional: External Speakers

I like to have soothing music playing in my office at all times. At a recent workshop I did, I took my mp3 player and dock into the workshop room and set it to play my mix of pleasant music with ocean waves. People were trancing out before I said a word! So I'd like our setup to have the option of external sound.

Fortunately, that's easily accomplished. Any set of computer speakers will plug right into the headphone expander. (An adapter may be required.) For our basic build, I’m going with an older set that I acquired for under $14, but you might also step up to this $20 model.

Of course, there’s a decent chance that you have some used computer speakers gathering dust in your closet, or that you can find some at your local thrift store. Something to note when looking at computer speakers is that many of the new models use USB for power and data transfer. If they are using USB only for power, you can power them from the wall with a phone charger. However, if the signal is supposed to go to the speakers via USB, they won’t work for our purposes. Fortunately, that’s a more recent innovation, so you can buy older models that work for this build relatively inexpensively.

If hearing your voice come through the speakers during the session bothers you, you can always turn off or unplug the speakers when you start the formal hypnosis.

Wrapping It Up

So there you have it. Without the recording and external speaker options, the entire setup costs under $110, including shipping and handling. With recording, you’re still getting a great setup for around $130; adding speakers, we’re around $140.

Of course, none of this is absolutely necessary, but then again neither is an office. I've done effective hypnosis sessions in the middle of busy campgrounds. But just like having a comfy chair and a quiet space helps your practice, so does having a sound setup that lets your client know something special is happening. And now you don't have to break the bank to have one when you are just starting out.

Bonus: How to Build this System for Next to Nothing

All right, let’s say that even $125 seems a bit extravagant when you’re putting every penny you have into promoting your practice. Let me tell you how to get this system for under $65.

First off, you’ll notice in the chart that the components have come from three locations: The mp3 player is from AliExpress, the mixer is from Rakuten, and all the rest is from Amazon.

So, you’ll have to shell out $15 or less to get the mp3 player from AliExpress, unless of course you happen to already have some way to provide music.

The Samson mixer costs $49.99 at Rakuten.com. However, if you apply for a Rakuten credit card, you get bonus points equal to—drum roll please—thirty dollars.

That’s right: If you get the credit card—and even with my lousy credit, I got approved—you can get the mixer for less than half price.

You can do essentially the same thing with an Amazon Visa card, only you get a $70 gift card automatically applied to your account upon approval. Guess how much the Amazon portion of this build is? Seventy-eight and some change—and that’s the deluxe version with recording and speakers.

Now, there are a few caveats:

First off, if you can’t be trusted with a credit card, don’t use this method. There are no annual fees on these cards, but the interest is steep, and if you are late on a payment, you might as well bend over because you are about to get sodomized. So my suggestion is get the cards for the freebies, and then never use them again.

Second, Amazon will make the card into your default payment method, so as soon as you get approved, go to your 1-Click settings to change your default back to your usual method.

And that’s how you get all of this for very little money.

You’re welcome.

[FULL DISCLOSURE AND NOTES: The links to Amazon products in this article and in the following chart are affiliate links. If you use them, I will get a small payment from Amazon, so if you appreciated this article, please support my efforts by using the affiliate links. If you hate me but loved the article, look up the products and buy without using my affiliate links.

Also, all prices and offers are accurate at the time of publication, but they may fluctuate. Likewise, products are the least expensive versions that are still functional. In my quest to find the most affordable setup, I tested and rejected some less expensive options.

Finally, I want to express my gratitude to all those who helped fund this project. As promised, a final assembled version of this build will go to one of the contributors who was selected at random. Congratulations to Donna Carter.]

Shopping Chart

Item	Cost	Source
cheap mp3 player	$11.89 (w/ s/h)	aliexpress
3.5 to RCA (mp3-player to mixer)	$5.79	Amazon (free s/h over $35)
Nady Microphone	$11.00	Amazon (free s/h over $35)
XLR Mic Cord (20 ft)	$10.95 + ($3.95 s/h) = $14.90	Amazon (s/h NOT free)
RCA to female 3.5	$1.65	Amazon (free s/h over $35)
3.5 M to Dual 3.5 F	$1.30	Amazon (free s/h over $35)
JVC HA-V570 Supra-Aural Headphones (2)	$13.68 (x2) = $27.36	Amazon (free s/h over $35)
Samson 5-Channel Mixer	$49.99	Rakuten.com (free s/h)
TOTAL:	$123.88 (before recorder)	Amazon total: $48.32
Recorder	$37.99	Amazon (free s/h over $35)
TOTAL w/Recorder:	$161.87	Amazon total: $86.31
Speakers	$13.65	Amazon (free s/h over $35)
TOTAL w/Speakers:	$175.52	Amazon total: $99.96
With Rakuten Card	-$30.00
Amazon Rewards Visa	-$70.00
Final outlay:	$12 for mp3 player plus $30 Amazon plus $20 Rakuten = $62.00

MicroBeatMini

Title: MicroBeatMini, the Ultimate All-in-One AudioStrobe Light & Sound Mind Machine

Author: Innovex

Format: Audiostrobe decoder / L&S Machine

Source: www.microbeatmini.com

Price: $299

Rating: good

The MicroBeatMini (mBm) is a fascinating innovation in the world of audio-visual stimulation machines. All other "mind machines" have consisted of goggles, headphones, and a box they plug into—the box being the brains of the operation, the part that allowed you to select various brainwave frequencies or programs to experience. As an add-on to the typical pre-loaded programs, most L&S machines can serve as AudioStrobe decoders, allowing them to take any AudioStrobe mp3 or CD signal introduced through an auxiliary port and output the necessary sound and light signals. (If you're not clear about what AudioStrobe is, you can read about it here.)

The mBm cuts out the middleman: rather than generating and storing its own BWE programs, it just serves as an AudioStrobe decoder, plain and simple. Here's how it works:

You play an AudioStrobe file on your computer, CD player, or mp3 player. (Be sure it's at 320 bit rate—the highest quality.) Instead of plugging in head phones or speakers, you plug in the MicroBeatMini. (It looks like a pair of space-age super goggles that would be at home on one of the X-men.) Then you plug in the head phones to the goggles. Thus, it's entirely an output device, but it's also a completely self-contained unit that you wear on your face.

In keeping with that economy of design, all the controls are right there on the goggles: audio volume controls, a brightness button, and a "mode" button that switches the lighting between green, red, white, and any combination thereof. That's right—unlike the older photic goggles, which came in one color each, the mBm has a total of sixteen (16!) LEDs implanted in a mirrored, concave surface, for an unprecedented light show. So by dropping the pre-loaded content, mBm was able to really step up the quality of photic stimulation.

One of my favorite things about the mBm is the flexibility in the audio output. In keeping with its all-in-one theme, the mBm comes with a pair of discrete ear buds that can actually be stored in the goggles unit. No more fighting the inevitable cord tangle that comes with every other L&S machine I've ever used! For those who don't like ear buds, there is a head phone jack, and the mBm comes with a pair of light-duty Koss head phones that blow away the bargain basement head phones shipped with some mind machines. Of course, audiophiles might prefer even fancier headphones, like these.

Another nice accessory is the removable rubber shield that prevents bleed-over. As with the Laxman, this keeps the flashing lights from annoying my wife if I feel like using the MicroBeatMini in bed at night. For those who find the rubber a bit humid, the shield is easy to remove and re-install.

The MicroBeatMini runs on internal rechargeable batteries, much like an iPod; in fact it recharges with a USB cord that shares a port with the data input. It can take up to two hours to fully recharge. Having no on/off switch and no power saver mode, it loses power any time the input cord is attached. This arrangement has two disadvantages. First off, you can be either recharging it or using it; because both cords use the same port, it can't recharge while in use. Second, you can't store it with the input cord plugged in. Now, if you're a very organized person who always disassembles the unit and puts all of the cords back in the carrying case each time, that is not a problem. (By the way, the mBm comes with an excellent carrying case, complete with side pockets, that easily fits the unit, all the accessories, and the manual.) However, if you're like certain people I know who are genetically incapable of remembering to unplug a machine or stow the cords, this set-up is disastrous, especially when you consider that some of the necessary cords are not exactly available at your corner electronics store. So I'd say that aspect is my least favorite element of the mBm.

Although the mBm cannot come with any preset programming, the package does include a complimentary AudioStrobe sampler CD with some very enjoyable tracks. Now, if you rip that CD to mp3s, remember to do it at top quality (320 bit rate), or the photic signal won't come through, and you'll be wondering why the heck your machine isn't working. You'll also get a chance to discover, as I did, how polite and helpful the mBm customer service folks are.

Of course, the sampler CD is just the beginning. There are plenty of AudioStrobe recordings out there, and you can even get software to create your own (as I will discuss in upcoming reviews). There are also smart phone apps that will interact with your AudioStrobe device.

As a personal-use device, the MicroBeatMini is elegant and self-contained. Yes, it relies on an audio output device, such as a computer, phone, tablet, or CD/mp3 player, that must be purchased separately, but seriously, who doesn't have something like that these days?

As a device to use with clients, the mBm has a few minor most drawbacks, notably that it cannot charge while in use and must be disconnected while not in use. Fumbling with electronics during a session does not make the best impression on clients. On the other hand, operation during a session is simple—just hit play on your iPod.

My favorite use for the mBm is in conjunction with computer software packages such as Mind Workstation (which I will review in an upcoming post). It plugs right into the head phone jack on my PC, making it ideal for working software.

So, all-in-all, compact, efficient design combined with unprecedented photic quality make the MicroBeatMini a great product for the price.

FULL DISCLOSURE: The makers of MicroBeatMini were kind enough to provide me with a unit to review.

What is Brainwave Entrainment, and Does It Really Have Anything to Do with Hypnosis? A Brief Introduction

I still remember vividly that day in the early 90s when a student in the college freshman composition class I was teaching came by my office and said, "Sir, you've got to try this. It makes you feel like you're on drugs without any side-effects."

He handed me a little vinyl bag containing some headphones, some funny-looking goggles, a box full of electronic circuitry, and a power cord. Curious as to what it would feel like to do recreational drugs—something I've always avoided because I've observed the damage addiction can cause—I hooked it all up, turned it on, and put on the blinky-light goggles and the headphones.

About forty-five minutes later, I took them off, profoundly disappointed that I really didn't feel much of anything. The lights had seemed an awful lot like what I see when I stare at the inside of my eyelids anyway.

That was my first encounter with Brainwave Entrainment.

Now, the idea behind BWE is that by modifying our brainwaves, we can enter into different states of consciousness that may be beneficial to us. I won't go into great detail here because there is a lot of information on this topic on the web, and I'd rather let you learn about it from experts than from me.

After the electro-encephalogram (EEG) was invented in the early twentieth century, scientists were able to measure brain waves, and they began to categorize the waves numerically. Beta waves, associated with normal waking awareness, fluctuate from 13 to 40 Hz. Alpha waves, associated with visualization, relaxation, and creativity, range from 7 to 12 Hz. Theta waves, said to indicate meditation, are a bit lower on the scale, 4 to 7 Hz. Below 4 Hz lies the Delta brainwave state, associated with deep sleep. Highly agitated states are said to be associated with the over-40 Hz Gamma waves.

The theory behind light and sound machines (i.e. the headphones and the blinky goggles) and BWE audio recordings is that by flashing lights or playing tones at certain frequencies, the machines induce your brainwaves to synchronize with the input, thus causing states of relaxation, meditation, or even sleep. Advocates often trumpet brainwave entrainment as a way to get the benefits of meditation without the years of practice; teenagers caused a big scare a few years ago by claiming that mp3s with entrainment tones could simulate the effects of various drugs, a practice called "i-dosing." Quite a few hypnotists include entrainment tones in their recordings or live sessions because it is simple to do, and the worst case scenario is that they have no added benefit.

Now, an awful lot of hypnosis books like to start with a discussion of brainwave states, often with very scientific looking charts, because it makes what we do appear more exact and scientific. Many want to associate hypnotic trance with the Alpha or Theta states. However, as has been pointed out by some critics, a client having an abreaction or a stage volunteer dancing may very well be experiencing Gamma waves or other brain wave frequencies. Ultimately, beyond a little scientific window-dressing, measurable brainwave states are really not an integral part of most hypnotherapy.

Ultimately, I find that L&S machines are far from being necessary in my practice. Nonetheless, I've encountered the rare client who says, "The only thing that ever got me in hypnosis is one of those machines." Rather than argue definitions of hypnosis with the client, I give them the hypnosis they want, the hypnosis that works best for them. I also find that I enjoy using L&S machines, even if I'm not convinced that they always do what they claim. (I'd love to put them on someone wearing a brain scanner and just read the results to see how well they match.) In fact, I often find that an L&S machine, even one set for deep trance, can keep me in a light, focused trance state that is ideal for self-hypnosis and shamanic trancing; of course, beating on a shaman drum while trancing has the same effect on me.

Because the next few reviews are going to discuss brainwave entrainment technology, both hardware and software, I want to take the rest of this article to just cover a little bit of terminology.

Binaural beats, monaural beats, and isochronic tones are all different forms of auditory entrainment. Detailed and technical descriptions are easily available on the Internet.

Audiostrobe is another term that will come up. Most L&S machines can read an Audiostrobe file—it is essentially a uniform protocol that allows machines made by different companies to reproduce the same (or very similar) light shows along with identical music and BWE tones, much the way that any CD player can play any CD, or any mp3 player can play any mp3, even if the CD or the mp3 were not produced by the same company as the player.

Now, the reason Audiostrobe works is actually pretty simple. The video information is encoded as a sound at a supersonic frequency; in other words, it's too high-pitched for the human ear to hear, kind of like a dog whistle. However, any Audiostrobe-ready L&S machine can "hear" the tone and "play" it as flashing lights in the goggles. In order for the video programming to come through, the mp3 must be created at top fidelity.

Now, this format would be the basis for a whole new art form, except that the creators of Audiostrobe want a big slice of licensing pie any time someone uses their idea, and creators of software for Audiostrobe design also want hefty licensing fees. Industry insiders informed recently that a court ruling determined that anyone can use the idea and the technology; only the use of the term Audiostrobe requires licensing. Of course, a little searching on the Internet will turn up information on how to create your own license-free video programming for any device that is Audiostrobe ready, but it's not an easy process. More on that in a later article.

And that's about as technical as I want to get. Stay tuned for reviews of some really fun hardware and software for brainwave entrainment.

Headphone Review: VocoPro HP200

Item: HP200 Headphones

Company: VocoPro

Source: www.VocoPro.com

Price: $80

Rating: Excellent

When I acquired my VocoPro Hero-Rec Basic system, I knew I would need some good headphones to use with it, so I decided to review VocoPro's HP200 Headphones.

When I first tried them out, my initial thought was "Wow, the sound is incredibly clear." Then the bass kicked in, and I did apply a little equalization to pull some of it out. Still, I was simply thrilled with the clarity and quality.

These are not truly "over-the-ear" headphones, but they nonetheless provided excellent isolation. While listening to music, I was quite oblivious that my wife was walking around behind me, calling my name, and trying to get my attention for a list of honey-do's. I know they're good headphones if my wife hates them.

And that was at 30% volume!

In addition to great sound and sturdy construction, the VocoPro HP200 features interchangeable cords: one cord has a stretching spiral shaped (like the old phone cords), while the other sports an inline volume control. Either of the cords works with the custom 1/8" female to 1/4" male adapter, providing you with lots of flexibility.

I love putting these headphones on my head for a session, or putting them on my client's head and knowing that my customer is getting a top-notch audio experience.