“Music isn’t just something you listen to,” says industrial designer Jang Woojin. “It’s something you want to play yourself and with others.” A new multi-device speaker system and app, Hotcake, makes the potential of an impromptu – or scheduled – jam session a lot simpler. Bypassing the expensive fees of renting a studio or buying clunky equipment, not to mention getting everyone together in the same space, this new solution harnesses the power of digital communication and increasingly compact electronic technology to make the experience smoother and intuitive.
Developed with UX designer Hyeryoung Jeong, BX specialist Chaeeun Kim, visual designer Ilyeo Lee, and fellow industrial designer Eunhye Jang, project lead Woojin’s innovative solution comprises the streamline-configured and boldly colored Cake mechanism – a base woofer with three detachable speakers – and the clip-on Butter earpiece – syncing haptic vibrations into one’s body as they play an instrument.
Easily positioned around a room for full immersion, all of the elements are connected to the Hotcake Jam Session app – which also operates as a social media platform. One can choose to connect with friends or make new ones; find a keyboardist and bassists to fill out a set. Collectively, they can choose what songs they want to play based on similar music libraries. It’s almost as if everyone is in the same room but could actually be thousands of miles away. This multiprong innovation puts the haphazardly programmed interactive games many played on Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic to shame.
The session is recorded, and thanks to integrated AI, is turned into a dynamic music video at its culmination. “Perfect timing is very important for online jam sessions,” Woojin explains. “Cake makes sure there is no delay or freezing, so everything feels smooth. It stays connected through a wired Ethernet, delivering real-time audio no matter the distance. Each module picks up the live sound from the station via a 2.4GHz RF channel, making sure your online jam feels smooth and perfectly in sync.”
When it came to the styling of Cake and Butter, the designers opted for a trend-conscious orange and a sleek cubic formal vocabulary that accentuated how far the technology has come. Dieter Rams, eat your heart out. The modular elements fit together with the three detachable speakers propped-up by fully collapsible stands. Integrated rings within the speaker head light up as they mimic the pulsations of the music being played.
Though it might seem like there are a lot of components, it all seems manageable, especially when considering how cumbersome traditional band equipment setups can be. Hotcake is also a lot more realistic and true to form than say the Nintendo Wii Music game many played – manipulating a fake guitar with clumpy nobs and levers – in the late aughts.
To learn more about Hotcake, visit behance.com.
Photography by Dokyum Lee.
