Pioneer Pro Audio recently marked the return of in-person events by sending “You’re On Mute” — a phrase that became ubiquitous (and generated constant annoyance) in the pandemic era of video calls — to outer space via one of its XY-2 loudspeakers.
Specifically, the company recorded the phrase in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish, linked the recorder to the XY-2 loudspeaker, and complying with all regulations, launched the rig into space using a lighter-than-air gas balloon from a CAA-approved launch site in Sheffield, England. In total, the company states that the loudspeaker rose to an altitude of over 32,600 meters (more than 20 miles), surviving temperatures of -145 degrees Fahrenheit.
As the XY-2 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 loudspeaker to Earth at 250 miles per hour 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.
“The past year has been challenging to say the least,” says Kristian Van Haute, Sales Manager, Pioneer Pro Audio. “The closure of the event and nightlife industries has been incredibly difficult for everyone involved, including Pioneer Pro Audio. We’ve all experienced fundamental changes to the way we work, socialize and connect. Remote working has thrown up many expressions which have embedded themselves into our day-to-day language – not all of them welcome, and many of them increasingly tiresome!
“To mark what we hope will be the reopening of the world as we once knew it, we decided to symbolically ditch the very worst phrase to the furthest place we could think of – outer space. Our iconic XY-2 speaker did its job, so let’s hope we can all soon get on with ours without the need to say, ‘Can you see my screen?’ or, worst of all, ‘You’re on mute’!”
