The Idea
A whole bunch of elements come together to create party atmospheres. Perfectly balanced sound, all the homies in attendance, and a lil' something to drink are all staples of the best vibes. But the one thing that so often goes missing? Light.
When we looked at what was available, it became clear why this is the case. On one end of the spectrum, the simple, plug-n-play party lights available did anything but energize a crowd. On the other end, crazy technical options requiring rigging, complicated software, and rocket science level knowledge don’t exactly hit the brief either.
With nothing on the market that hit this sweet spot, our job became clear: we needed to create a party light that offered pro-tier performance for any party animal to use.
The Process
To make Lightboks as powerful, portable, and dynamic as possible, the team needed to figure out exactly what they wanted it to do. Aligning on a universal definition of what light is and what a good party light does was critical. Once set, our challenge was to figure out how to translate this vision into a fully functioning party light. From the initial prototype to the final product, a few specific milestones stood out.
Our first revelation was understanding spread. Working inside-out, we focused on the electronics required to power Lightboks before looking at the external design. This method optimized the product’s performance while producing the desired spread.
Once we figured out what was needed electronically, we began building the software and developing the shape. Using an acrylic laser cut plate with spots placed in different positions, we tested a few elementary prototypes to understand the relationship between the two.
As a starting point, we wanted to create something the same size as a record. Combined with the hexagonal shape, this allowed for easy transport and the ability to fit it into pretty much any backpack. After testing different designs at an office party and seeing the different interactions these prototypes catalyzed, it also became clear that Lightboks needed a handle.
Unlike current semi pro fractal disco lights which require specific placement and setups, the shape needed to adapt and work however Lightboks is placed. This is when the two-face design–one for projecting across an entire room and one for optimized spread in smaller, more varied spaces–was implemented.
The Algorithm
The magic of Lightboks comes from TrackSync: our bespoke audio reactive algorithm. Buying something off the shelf or licensing an algorithm wasn’t an option–TrackSync had to be custom built in-house. We focused on developing a system that reacts dynamically, works with any speaker, and delivers the goods in any setting.
Lightboks' mic listens to the entire frequency range of any genre of music at any volume. This allows it to grow and scale equally to any setup you use it with. After processing the audio through a range of filters, the audio signal is fed into the light engine. From here, the algorithm takes over, cutting up and categorizing the entire frequency range into bins based on 50+ calculations per second. TrackSync–its reactive component–analyzes this data stream and translates these bins in relation to the energy level in use.
This information allows Lightboks to combine the most suitable combinations, sensitivities, and effects to match your music and energy level. Rave, for example, is more sensitive to tempo, reacts more intensely to power events, and introduces far more white strobe (the most intense color) than the other levels.
The Freedom
We’re proud to be known for creating speakers that can survive pretty much anything you throw their way. Lightboks needed to follow suit. To allow you the freedom to party unrestricted, durability and portability bared significant influence over our decision making. This combination is something you don’t see on the market currently.
We placed a major emphasis on drop testing, resulting in the development of a smaller, more compact frame. Because of its size, Lightboks can handle higher drops better than semi pro and pro grade lighting. Another contributing factor is its lack of moving parts–these are susceptible to damage from even the faintest of knocks. Throw in the rubber bumpers and you have a party light that is down for the heaviest of sessions.
Like what you’ve read and wanna grab a Lightboks for yourself? Click here to shop for your party’s missing piece.
