Some are all about that bass, while others believe it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. Not everyone will agree on what constitutes good music, but the fund campaigns in this week's Crowd-Fueled Kickstarter Thursday are seeking to change the way we interact with it.
ToneWoodAmp
Blending electronic textures into the natural sounds, the ToneWoodAmp brings effects like reverb and tremolo to acoustic guitars without the need for so much as a practice amp. The ToneWoodAmp can blend electronics into the voices of steel and nylon string acoustic and acoustic electric guitars.
"Simply switch on the ToneWoodAmp and start exploring the endless possibilities," says Ofer Webman, creator of the ToneWoodAmp. "Your acoustic guitar will suddenly have a new life. There is nothing else on the market that can make your guitar sound like this without the use of an external amplifier or external effect."
For users who want to explore more than the ToneWoodAmp's native effects, the unit has a pair of 1/8-inch ports to which smartphones and tablets can be attached. Users can saturate sounds with effects fed in from apps like Amplitube or MIDI Guitar.
With over two weeks left in the campaign, and 436 backers pledging more than $47,200, the ToneWoodAmp is well on its way of meeting its goal of $99,000.
Archt One
Packaged in a sleek, missile-like design, the Archt One uses an array of speakers to pour sounds out in every direction and fill every corner of a room. The Archt One is compatible with all common forms of wired and wireless connections, covering everything from AirPlay to USB input.
"This patented instrument allows sound to be distributed evenly, producing crisp, detailed highs and powerful rich bass," says Don Inmon, Archt One's VP of product development. "Listeners can literally be anywhere in a room and have the same sound experience -- it's truly amazing."
Archt One's 457 backers to date have obliterated the campaign's goal. They doused the measly $70,000 target with a cocktail of accelerants, coolly donned sunglasses, flicked a lit match backwards and walked away, without looking back, as it vaporized into nothingness. With a week left, Archt One's supporters have pledged over $198,000 to the campaign.
With the Archt One well on its way to market, only time will tell if it will be able to stand up to Amazon's aggressively priced, cloud-connected Echo unit.
BTunes
With the entry versions of premium headphones starting at around $100, many budget-conscious consumers are put off by paying twice as much to enjoy wireless connectivity.
The ability to detach headphone cables from the base of the ear cups and patch in longer cords makes it even easier to skip out on the more expensive Bluetooth-capable sets. But the BTunes campaign is offering consumers a chance to add on Bluetooth capability through the ports at the base of the headphones, using its adapter.
"You could go and shell out hard-earned money to purchase another pair of wireless headphones, but why? You own your favorite headphones already, you love their sound, make them wireless is the simplest and most economical solution," states BTunes' campaign.
You'll have to pair the headphone attachment, so to make pairing simpler, BTunes embedded an NFC chip. New owners can use their NFC-enabled smartphones to tap pairing.
So far, 289 people would like to see BTunes funded and have pledged over $17,000 to the campaign. BTunes has another month to go to reach its goal of $40,000.
We have plenty of Thanksgiving leftovers, so check out last week's Crowd-Fueled Thursday story to find out about some other promising Kickstarter campaigns.
