PRODUCT DESIGN. MECHANICAL DESIGN, HW/SW DESIGN, BRANDING

2018

OVERVIEW

BUDGET LEVEL PROFESSIONAL RECORDING.

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After successfully launching the flagship model MDrill One Pro, Thronmax asked us to add the budget-level small brother of the family: MDrill Zero.  Starting the development of MDrill Zero, we had one thing we were sure about.

“Do not compromise the heritage of the MDrill One Pro: Carefully crafted engineering details and high-quality inner structure”.

To achieve this target, we kept the CNC-machines full-aluminum microphone head design, which also provided the improved performance of the Vertigain technology. The Vertigain technology increases recording and streaming performance 10% more clarity than other digital microphones. As sound waves move in a vertical direction, with Vertigain technology, the wave reaches the condensers without being scattered by any microphone mesh, commonly found in many regular microphones. Thus resulting in higher performance compared to the other digital microphones. 

The result? A successful family member and another Red Dot Design Award!

DESIGN

SIMPLICITY COMBINED WITH USABILITY

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One of the remarking  design features of MDrill One Pro was the use of LED lighting to match the device with various use environments. Our designers decided to carry this detail to MDrill Zero. To achieve this, we centralised the main knob by keeping it bigger and adding a very smooth lighting around it. To improve the functionality around the knob and LED lighting, the design team decided to propose a new UI system. The new UI approach gives the advantage of controlling  the 2 recording modes and mute function in the same knob. There aer three postions of the knob accompanied by 3 distinguishing. LED indication:

• The middle point of the knobs activates the mute function, while the LED turns to red

• Rotating the knob counter-clockwise activates the cardioid mode, increasing the gain level toward to end. The LED color turns to blue to give visual feedback

• Rotating the knob clockwise  activates the omni-directional mode, increasing the gain towards the end. The LED color turns to green.