Wondering what Pioneer Pro Audio has been up to during the pandemic, when sales of their high-end speaker install systems have likely slumped due to venues and festivals being sidelined for a year? Turns out, they’ve put some of their energy into an incredibly cathartic mission to space for everyone who’s spent a year in Zoom meetings.
As a nod to the slow return of in-person events, they recorded the phrase “You’re On Mute” in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish, and played it on repeat through one of its XY-2 loudspeakers.
When describing the progress of the mission, the team explained:
As the XY-2 speaker rose and air pressure decreased, the loudspeaker’s sound progressively softened until the phrase, “You’re On Mute…” went completely silent. At the apex of the flight, the balloon burst, returning the speaker to Earth at a rapid 250mph, before the 2.5-hour journey slowed in its final stages by a parachute. Having been tracked by a team on the ground, the loudspeaker landed intact and silent near Retford, England, 35 miles away from its launch pad.
One small step for man, one giant leap for those working from home. What a way to mark the (hopeful) reopening of the world as we once knew it.
Good move, Pioneer. Thanks for the laughs.
