SubPac (company)

SubPac is a tactile audio system, designed and developed in Toronto, Canada. The SubPac consists of a combination of tactile transducers, vibro-tactile membranes, electronics and textiles, designed to deliver a physical dimension of sound. SubPac is available in a wearable and seatback format. The device was intended to move music hardware technologies in this area past simple ‘vibrating devices’ to deliver a complex and nuanced experience, to create an accurate tactile representation of whatever audio input is used. Outside of music production and enjoyment, the SubPac has a wide range of applications such as gaming, virtual reality (VR) and film enjoyment. ^[1][2][3]

History

SubPac was founded by John Alexiou and Todd Chernecki and developed by members of the social venture StudioFeed. The SubPac was engineered by SubPac Head of R&D Sarosh Khwaja and electronics designer Andrew Kilpatrick.^[4]

The first model, the SubPac S1, was launched through a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2013, raising over $100,000.^[5] A wearable unit, the SubPac M1, then followed in October 2013.^[6] Early adopters and supporters of the SubPac included Kode 9, Adrian Sherwood, Hank Shocklee, Richie Hawtin, Flying Lotus, George Clinton, Gilles Peterson, Cevin Key, Mala, and Pinch.^[7] In June 2014, a special edition of the S1 was released in association with Richie Hawtin’s latest Plastikman record EX.^[8] It is the first time a record has been released with a technology designed to deliver the full impact of the experience.

In June 2016, Entertainer and music producer Timbaland and Google Android Co-Creator Andy Rubinhas partnered with Subpac. ^[9]

Overview

The SubPac frequency response is 5hz-125 Hz with a steep roll-off. The SubPac can be used with any line in audio source, and in conjunction with any speaker set-up or headphones. It weighs 3.8 lbs. The SubPac transfers low frequencies to the user’s body while still mainting the original signal to the headphones – it does not separate the audio signal into lows vs. mid/highs as a traditional subwoofer does.^{[10][11][12][13]}

Collaborations

SubPac has participated in a wide range of collaborations since its inception. The first event with the SubPac M1 was held October 2013 at an interactive showcase in partnership with AUDiNT (Toby Heys and Steve Goodman) at Unsound Music Festival in Poland ^[14] It was also released as an album bundle on a limited run with the most recent Plastikman release. This is the first time a product that explores physical dimensions of sound has been released alongside an album.^[15] SubPac debuted its ‘Silent Disco Solution’ with Dada Life, at an Insomniac event, adding another layer of immersion to the traditional silent disco concept.^[16] SubPac was also introduced to a movie theatre environment at the LA Independent Theatre through a collaboration with Brainfeeder audio-visualist Strangeloop in a new audio-visual show and new-cinema series. In July 2014, SubPac was integrated into fashion designer Gareth Pugh and musician Matthew Stone’s virtual reality project at Selfridges, as a demo for London Technology Week.^[17] SubPac has also partnered with the Muse Seek Project, in order to deliver the music experience (through vibrations) to members of the deaf community.^[18]

References