Category: Music

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Chargers/Batteries Music

HiFi-Skyn combination case, battery, and amplifier leaves tunes silky smooth

If high-resolution music wasn’t on anyone’s mind last year, it sure will be this year with the onslaught of products aimed directly at the seemingly growing market, like the Pono Music Player and Sprout. It’s a great idea. Who wouldn’t want music to sound its absolute best? However, audio quality requires costly equipment to get the best sound.

This is doubly true for smartphones as none have the capability to do just that, leaving music lacking oomph even with the best quality headphone connected. The HiFi-Skyn wants to outfit all those sorry iPhone 5s, 5Ss, 6s, and iPod Touch 5Gs with the proper equipment. The product is a combination polycarbonate phone case, 12-hour spare battery, and high resolution amplifier. The amplifier routes all audio through proprietary technology and turns it into a powerful, clear signal a range of headphones can really take advantage of. A switch customizes the product to certain, popular headphones on the market to make the most important thing nothing but the music.

Unfortunately, the product’s ergonomics are a bit awkward-looking. Early birds can grab the product for $199, $200 off its expected retail price. A successful $12,000 Indiegogo campaign will have the product shipped by March 2015.

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Music

Sugr Cube wireless speaker plays music, offers sweet touch functionality

There are many Wi-Fi speakers on the market, but other than doing away with wires, they tend to work very much like old-fashioned wired speakers.

The China-based creators of the Sugr Cube Wi-Fi speaker have designed their product to directly stream online music, while also offering intuitive touch control functionality. The user just has to tap the speaker to play or pause a song, tilt it left or right for the next or prior song, double tap it to share the current song with those who have paired their own Sugr Cubes, and touch it and leave the hand there to share the current song with Facebook friends

The companion iOS app enables easy Wi-Fi setup, multi-room control, sleeping mode and alarm, and the ability to keep updating the speaker with new features. Android and other unspecified devices will be supported soon. Sugr Cube, which comes in wooden housing, currently supports iTunes music, Pandora and BBC radio. Other services may be added later. Backers who pledge $119 will get the speaker when it ships in June as part of an early bird Kickstarter discount. Its maker is looking to raise $50,000.

The speaker has a lot of promise. Although there are other Wi-Fi speakers that offer some degree of touch control, like the Aether Cone, Sugr Cube uses the feature more extensively. But it faces the same problem as any other speaker sold online by a new company: There is no way to gauge how good it sounds without hearing it in person.

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Music

Secure Grip Earphones stay in place while you run your race

Many people enjoy using earphones and listening to their favorite jams while exercising. However, not all earbuds are created equal.

The Secure Grip Earphones system was created with sports lovers and exercise enthusiasts in mind. The product has been designed with a focus that includes where the ear cushion and ear canal meet. Small treads have been added to increase the points of contact with the ear, which also reduces outside noise for a better overall music experience.

Seems like a great idea for indoor activity or at the gym, but using earbuds while exercising outdoors (such as running, cycling or hiking) can put a person at a bigger risk for being victimized by crime or bodily injury. Interested backers might also like to check out MagClip and Tiny Earin. This campaign seeks to raise $10,000 by February 10, 2015. Early bird backers get one product for $15 with an expected delivery of April 2015.

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Music

Leo Hahn’s Scratch Protector covers vulnerable bass or guitar backsides

Getting music gear to and from gigs without something getting scratched or broken can sometimes be a challenge. And the stakes are high since instruments and equipment are usually expensive.

While cases and blankets can usually diminish or even alleviate this problem, Leo Han’s Scratch Protector for electric and bass guitars offers musicians an option for keeping the back of their instrument a bit safer. The product is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. The felt-looking cover attaches to the strap knobs on the guitar to protect the back of the guitar from scratches.

Seems like an interesting idea, but not entirely convinced that it’s a particularly useful product unless the user tends to transport their guitar to gigs without a case, doesn’t use a guitar stand, or has a particularly large belt buckle. Interested backers might also want to check out Guitar Throne and bnd/one.  This campaign seeks to raise $25,000 on Kickstarter. Backers don’t get a product for their support, but there are other perks available with an expected delivery of April 2015.

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Music

Wallet Capo lets guitarists keep capo as close as cash

Being on stage and suddenly realizing that one’s capo got left in the guitar case puts a pretty awkward pause in the flow of a music set, challenging the lead singer to come up with some quick verbal improvisation that’s not necessarily clever.

Since a forgotten capo can be a real pain in the butt, Wallet Capo allows guitarists the benefit of always having a capo, um, somewhere convenient. It’s 3mm thick and is touted as being compatible with nearly any guitar neck, while also improving tone over the average capo out there. The product appears to be made of plastic with rubber fittings that go over the strings and against the back of the guitar neck.

While Wallet Capo is certainly convenient, it’s unclear whether or not the product itself is truly any better than the average capo out there. Interested backers might also like to check out Capo Clips. This product seeks to raise $5,000. For $10, backers get one capo with an expected delivery of March 2015.

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Music

Jack offers live guitarists option of Wi-Fi rather than cables

Every musician that enjoys doing live gigs dreams of one day having roadies for setup and teardown. In the meantime, affordable Wi-Fi options are often much coveted.

Jack is one such possibility. It allows for real time streaming over a secure Wi-Fi connection, eliminating the need for cables. In order to work, the Jack requires both guitar and amp. The Jack app is supposed to allow the user to connect the Jacks through any Wi-Fi enabled device. The app also allows users to record on their instrument, edit their music, and/or upload it to their Web site or social media profiles.

One downside here is that trying to run this through a phone or tablet is really going to put a drain on the battery. And normal use for your average laptop only offers about two –four hours of life without being plugged into an outlet. Nevertheless, as much of a pain in the butt as cords can be to lug to live gigs, this is actually a pretty exciting invention and seems worth checking into further. This project seeks to raise £20,000 (~$30,300) by early February. Early bird backers get one Jack for £95 (~$144).

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Music

Ukelation adds a bit of built-in amplification, effects to traditional ukuleles

When most people think of a ukulele, they think of relaxing on a Hawaiian island with a tropical drink, sunshine, and maybe a cool ocean breeze. As for the instrument itself, it’s generally thought of as acoustic in nature–until now.

Ukelation is a modernized ukulele that adds some amplification and effects without the amps or even an external effects processor. It’s all built in to the instrument, which runs on two AA batteries. The user just switches on the built-in speaker and  chooses the desired effects to enhance the mood of whatever song is being played. There are five effect choices available. The body is still made of natural wood, and there is an automatic shutoff that kicks in if the instrument has not been played for at least three minutes.

There is no clear indication as to whether or not that time can be adjusted so that it wouldn’t interfere with a live concert situation. Still, this a fun product great for the growing number of hipster ukelele players. This campaign seeks to raise $85,000 on Kickstarter. For $1,999 backers get one product with an expected delivery of August 2015.

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Music

Badger Brown Tone Bar offers steel lap players multi-genre freedom

Getting just the right sound on a guitar when playing country music means having the right tone bar. And many country music lovers who play a lap steel string guitar have multiple tone bars so that they can get just the right sound for every song. But carrying around multiple tone bars is pretty inconvenient, and it’s a hassle when it’s time to jam or do a live concert.

The Badger Brown Tone Bar lets country musicians get the sound they need all in one tone bar. The gadget has a rounded tip on one end for those Hawaiian, and jazz numbers, as well as a fluted tip dobro on the other end for bluegrass, blues and edgier rock styles. The comfort fit is one-size-fits all, but those who have shorter fingers may want to ask a few questions to make certain it will be a good fit. Musician backers may also want to check out Kiln, bnd stand, and SoulPedal. This campaign seeks to raise $10,000. Backers get Badger Brown Tone Bar for $35 with an expected delivery of April 2015.

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Music Technology

MÜZO Cobblestone is round and flat, plays music ’round your flat

MP3’s have long been the standard for all of our music playing devices but don’t do a fantastic job at replicating the depth and breadth of the sound originally recorded. There’s a renaissance in musical appreciation, and devices like the PONO music player are capitalizing on it by offering audiophiles lossless playback. The MÜZO Cobblestone is continuing the trend with an audio system with the capability of doing the same with any sound set-up imaginable.

The MÜZO Cobblestone acts as a hub that streams FLAC and other lossless audio formats over Wi-Fi to any and all types of wireless and wired speakers and speaker systems. Its proprietary Multi-Room Melodization supports muli-room setups to achieve true stereo sound all while adjusting EQ based on the type of music being played. The Cobblestone also sports Spotify, Pandora, and Airplay integration, just to name a few. Linkplay Technology, Inc. is looking for $100,000 to get the $59 device out to backers by January 2015.

The MÜZO Cobblestone is a promising addition to the Hi-Fi music scene. It’s ability to connect to any speaker is its biggest draw and really pushes this device forward, along with its gorgeous aesthetic. It’s in good company, too: check out the Core and the mBox to see similar executions of this idea, just without the Hi-Fi angle.

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Music

Capo Clips make open strings ring without the hassle of tuning

One of the more difficult things to work around when chording on a guitar is those open strings. Excluding them makes for less dissonance, but it also thins the sound. Capo Clips allows the musician to cheat and use open strings for a fuller chord sound without having to retune their guitar.  The product is an alternative type of capo that clips directly over the fret (as opposed to in between) and spans two or more in spacing to create a more melodic and fuller sound. A Capo Clip is also capable of giving the guitar a more full sound even when no chord is being played, depending on which Capo Clip is being used and the placement choice on the guitar neck. The moveable rubber fretters allow for many different chords from each Capo Clip.

While the product is touted as suitable for anyone from beginner to pro, beginners may want to focus more on learning chords and proper technique than on finding ways to cheat. This campaign seeks to raise $2,500 on Kickstarter. Backers get one Capo Clip for $7 with an expected delivery in January 2015.