Introducing Hooke

Simple, affordable wireless headphones that let you listen to your favorite music, record, edit and trim 3D audio, pair it with your smartphone’s video camera, upload it your social network, and stream it live to friends.

What is 3D Audio?

It is sound captured identically to the way our ears hear it, so that when a recording is played back, it feels and sounds like you’re there. Conventional recording techniques leave sound flat and degraded. We should be able to record sound with its full depth and dynamic.

Hooke is Multifunctional

We live in a 3D sounding world, so why are we capturing it in 2D?

Most audio, via mobile devices and digital cameras, is captured in what Hooke refers to as 2D. It is often unintelligible and does not capture the feeling of “being there”. If sound occurs all around us in 3D, we should be capturing it that way. Most headphones, however, are not designed to record audio at all.

Binaural –  a method of recording sound that uses two microphones, arranged with the intent to create a 3-D stereo sound sensation for the listener of actually being in the room with the performers or instruments.

Hooke combines the discovery of binaural recording and exceptional playback within one stylish unit.

The logic behind Hooke is simple: why not put the microphones by your ear instead of in your hand? Our hands do not hear, our ears do.

Mission

Hooke dismisses filters and processing. We are interested in sharing the World, as it is meant to be heard.

The devices we carry are capable of flawless playback, but the media we run through these devices is subpar.  Sound design for the average consumer revolves around 2D audio on cheap headphones with basic bass and treble controls. Accessibility appears to overrule quality.

Imagine what a saxophone sounds like when the horn player is standing right next to you. Then imagine what the exact same saxophone sounds like on your current headphones. What was an alto sax just turned into a baritone sax because of the way it was recorded.  This is the accepted industry norm due to compression standards and technology limitations.

Hardware

The magic is in the mics. Each ear bud contains a microphone that is precisely positioned to capture the sounds around you, not only the sounds in front of you. You can record, edit, and trim 3D audio, pair it with your smartphone’s video camera, upload it to your social network, and stream live to friends — all via your smartphone.

For those devices that aren’t Bluetooth compatible, we’ve added a 3.5mm cable. The amazing part about using Hooke with your smartphone is its ability to tap into the camera and other already existing recorder apps in order to capture 3D audio with video.

What’s Inside

Hooke is the first wireless headset to allow users to both send and receive stereo audiowirelessly. In order to do this, we needed some serious electronics. In addition to Hooke’s custom bluetooth chip, we’ve added a rechargeable lithium ion battery and female 3.5mm jack for wired recording. Each earbud contains a speaker and a microphone, allowing users to both listen to and capture 3D sound without ever having to switch headphones.

Social Media + Hooke

Hooke is a beautifully designed online community. Sharing 3D audio with the world will be easier than ever.

Hooke + Smartphone

As soon as you pair Hooke with your mobile device, all audio you capture, whether it’s via Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or your built-in camera app, will be captured in 3D.

Hooke + Internet Browser

Hookeaudio.com is home to all things Hooke. Via the site you can explore new sounds, edit your profile, and purchase the Hooke headset. Think of it as the YouTube for 3D audio.

Hooke + Live Streaming

With the Hooke smartphone app, you can live-stream 3D audio. Simply visit the Hooke website or smartphone app and search by keyword or location to hear 3D audio with video from all around the world in real time. You can share your experience with your best friend or the world by choosing either public or private stream.

Why Do I Need Hooke?

It’s a no-brainer. If you’re going to be buying a pair of ear buds, headphones, or fashion headware for that matter, why not buy a pair that also enables you to record? How about record 3D audio at the same price? How cool is that?

At Hooke, poor sound, poor audio quality, or anything less than the truth is unacceptable. We’ve been lying to our ears. We’ve been capturing and sharing audio the wrong way, and Hooke changes this.
After non-believers hear Hooke, they’ll never want to go back to 2D audio again. It’s not just surround sound which requires 5+ speakers and expensive recording equipment. Hooke is an inexpensive, groundbreaking headset that can record the world the way it demands to be heard, from one ear to another!

How We Got Here

For the past year, we’ve been doing nothing but designing, scheming, coding, breaking, and building.

Where We Are Now

We have a functional prototype and have started beta testing Hooke by pushing it to its limits. We have a functional android app and a working production site. The packaging is designed and the manufacturer is ready to get to work.

We will be continuing to print prototypes for industry professionals to use in their own lives within the next few months.

Next Steps

Hooke is using HWTrek’s Project Development Hub to manage and monitor the project’s progress to mass production. They have been helping us source and prep for manufacturing.

Our Team

We’re a team of designers, engineers, and artists based all around the country, from San Francisco to New York City. Collectively we have built products and services that millions of people around the world use and love.

Rewards

Thanks For Listening!

Follow Hooke on Twitter, Facebook and our website!

Thank you so much for your support! From One Ear To Another.