Because Playing in Silence is No Fun

Upgraded PHASMA - Update May 2022

During the last months the PHASMA design has been optimized with a better microphone, better finishing, and better comfort. This update is just to show the details since all the shipped units share this design, even if the previous perk was chosen.

Because Playing in Silence is No Fun

Original campaign - 2021

Remember the passionate moments when playing video games with your team-mates where the game got so exciting you couldn’t tone down your voice?  Have you been told repeatedly to lower your voice and people in your home giving you a hard time?

The PHASMA isolates and dampens your voice so that the volume of your voice doesn’t become a nuisance to people in your household.  At the same time PHASMA ensures that team members of your favorite video game can hear you loud and clear.

• Soundproof: Why whisper when you could scream as much as you want? Your family and housemates can still sleep without being disturbed next door.
• Comfortable: Play for hours. You won't even notice that you're wearing a mask.
• Adjustable: Fully adjustable. Because there's no one-size-fits-all
• Headset compatible: Use the integrated microphone in the mask or use your own from your own headset.

Multi-layered Design for Soundproofing

To dampen sound, blocking alone is not enough. The waves rebound and remain in the closed space, reverberating, creating an echo, and affecting the voice quality.

To create an effective soundproofing mechanism, the sound waves must be absorbed first, and then dampened afterwards. The absorbed sound converts to heat energy which then needs to be expelled.

To meet these requirements the PHASMA is based on a multi-layer concept. The individual layers have the properties necessary for each of the functions, including sound absorption and sound dampening, assembled on a semi-rigid frame.

The composite structure with all the layers merged together has multiple advantages for functionality and design:

•  Optimal soundproofing properties 
•  Heat dissipation 
•  Flexible structure and customizable design  

Opposite to conventional masks, which tend to be usually too small, the PHASMA has a larger "mask space" to improve voice quality. 

This minimizes the rebound effect of sound waves, reducing reverberations and improving the microphone perception.  Also, the seal reaching down to the neck allows the jaw to more freely.

Play while your Housemates Sleep Next Door

Tests show a muffling effect up to 20 dB depending on frequencies. Sound dampening works better at higher frequencies, which are the ones people perceive as most disturbing. 

Especially in the silence of the night, the PHASMA allows you to play without bothering your family or your housemates. You are not restricted by time or place to train with your team, so you can play while your housemates sleep next door.

Comfortable - You will Forget that You are Wearing it

To ensure the best seal of the mask on the face without reducing comfort, the best materials have been used such as:

•  Acoustic memory foam for optimal pressure on the skin
•  High comfort PU leather for a great and smooth feeling

The acoustic memory foam has just the right thickness and is wrapped around with high comfort PU leather. 

The seal has a comfortable yet snug fit to match the contours of a face without creating unnecessary pressure points to pinch or to irritate the skin. 

Breathe Freely and Keep a Clear Head

Fresh air is inhaled through a one-way medical grade silicon valve that has no obstructing filters.  The valve is closed when breathing out to stop the sound.

The exhalation takes place through soundproof channels that allows you to breathe out without feeling pressure. The soundproof channels are in an ideal rear position, designed as a labyrinth for the air and filled with acoustic foam, so that the air goes out of the mask while maintaining the soundproof properties.

Thanks to PHASMA you can breathe freely and keep a clear head. The PHASMA is not designed for aerosol protection and has no filtering system.

The Desired Tightness for the Desired Fit 

The PHASMA fits to your face with the desired tightness adjusted with a strap at the back of the neck. 

Lower the mask easily so you can easily eat and drink without any mask interference:

It also comes with an optional second strap in case you need more support:

Magnetic buttons ensure a quick set up and easy release of this mask:

Customizable in Multiple Colors and Sizes

You can choose the colors for the seams and the color for the exterior layer. The available colors depend on the pledged amount.  Please check the table below.

The PHASMA is available in three different sizes: S, M, and L.

Headset Compatible

Use the integrated microphone in the mask or use your own from your own headset. To use your own, put the mic through the microphone port in the mask to best adapt the PHASMA to your preferred headset.

Since there are headsets with the mic on both sides - left and right - you can choose the preferred side for the microphone. The example below shows a picture where the microphone port is on the left side.

Detachable, Waterproof, Cleanable

Thanks to the waterproof textiles and the detachable parts, the PHASMA can be easily cleaned. To wash the mask wipe it with a washcloth. All materials are waterproof and no water will seep into the inside of mask, assuring durability. 

Check the Voice Quality and Voice Dampening Effects!

Experience in the next video the voice quality and voice dampening effects of the PHASMA! You will also see how to wear the mask.

Perks

You have the following choices:

•  Size: S, M, L (see table below)
•  Colors: base color, sews color (see table below)
•  Microphone port side: left or right
•  Shipping address for delivery

Other details:

• Ships to anywhere in the world
• No extra shipping costs
• Estimated delivery: January 2022

Choose your Size

You will have three sizes to choose from. If you are not sure which one to pick, we recommend to consider the "M" size, as this will fit a majority of video players. The mask frame is semi-rigid, and the seal sufficiently thick, so it adapts well to different faces.

Choose your Colors

Choose your colors for the exterior layer and for the seams.

Depending on your selected item you have multiple colors to select. With the standard option you have the black base color and five colors for the seams stitches to choose from. With the Extra Colors perk you have nine base colors and 15 colors for the seams to select your favorite combination.

Product development timeline

The idea of a soundproof gaming mask was born in February 2019. The PHASMA was born out of necessity, because without a comparable product on the market with such sound proofing characteristics, the only way was to create one.

Market research and the initial design was done during 2019 through a startup incubator.  The need for a mask was reassured and the initial concepts were tested and simulated. 

To make the PHASMA a product of the highest quality a team with in-depth experience in product development and manufacturing were procured.  The detailed first designs started during the first half of 2020 under the umbrella of the Metadox company.  

To accelerate development, prototyping started in the early stages of the developing process. The objective was to gain know-how as quickly as possible, improve the solution, and test the prototypes without waiting at the final detailed design.

Through 2020 numerous iterations and prototypes were built. The main objective was to pick the right materials, but there were also many parameters to consider, including thicknesses, shapes, etc.

Towards the end of 2020 the feasibility of the PHASMA was shown in the tests from prototypes. All features fulfil the engineering requirements while also featuring an exciting design.

Next Steps: Production and Shipping

After the Kickstarter campaign the PHASMA design and prototyping phase will be completed and prepared for production. At the moment production is being planned in detail and additional design processes are going to be streamlined. In spite the promising performance of the prototypes, additional minor changes may be needed to improve the mask further and to facilitate an expedited production schedule.

The manufacturing process has been considered in the design since the very beginning. For example, the layered design made of textiles not only work well for soundproofing but also has advantages for manufacturing: layers could be cut by hand for prototyping, being now this process is automatized with laser machines.

Similarly, a whole plastic case for the mask was avoided, thus no expensive and inflexible tools for molds were necessary. The only plastic parts are the frames and are made by additive manufacturing. This gives a lot of flexibility for any changes, and ease of manufacturing for different sizes and versions. 

Monthly updates will be sent to report the progress in this project. Transparency about the development of this product is important to our team and communicated through updates. 

About METADOX

Metadox was created out of passion and pure love for video gaming. Its chief architects are avid gamers and understand the needs and wants of their peers, pros and amateurs alike. The aim is to create the most practical and comfortable gaming accessories and environment while being considerate to the needs of your friends and your family.

‘Meta’ in a gaming context means beyond the best and in those clutch moments of a game it is often referred to as the "Most Effective Tactic Available". ‘Dox’ implies a belief or idea which centers around utilizing the best tools to help you improve at all times and become the very best.

With the introduction of our sleek gaming mask, The PHASMA stays true to the philosophy by providing you with an unparallelled voice isolation product to complement your gaming style, boost your ranking and to get that victory you in your belt that you and your team deserve.

Do you want to learn more about us? Click to visit metadox.pro

Our Mission is to enable gamers to play any game any time without disturbing their friends and families by providing a comfortable, yet soundproof mask.

Risks and challenges

The project is very exciting the Metadox team has worked very hard to get the PHASMA ready for Kickstarter. However, scale manufacturing and fulfillment comes with risks and challenges. Here are the principal factors that make the process challenging and we are prepared against the unforeseen challenges. In any case, you will be aware of the process through the project updates, being Metadox completely transparent for your benefit and for Metadox benefit.

▶ PRODUCT ADJUSTMENTS As the PHASMA gets ready for production, there will be some adjustments to improve the final product and for more efficient manufacturing, also to incorporate improvements by experienced manufacturing partners. This comes with multiple risks as delays or technical problems caused by unexpected issues. From experience, such "unexpected issues" always arise in some degree, therefore in the fulfilment timeline certain time is planned. To find solutions for such unplanned problems Metadox is ready to bring the broaden the team and find the needed expertise.

▶ FULFILLMENT Scaling production is a challenging step for the PHASMA considering the grade of customization. Lower than expected production rates and delays might exist. To be prepared against unexpected issues in production the manufacturing has been taken into account in the design process: manufacturing steps considering components and assemblies are clearly separated and can be smoothly scaled-up from hand made processes to automatic steps, giving the option of reinforce the bottle necks in production. Besides, regional manufacturing makes the supply chain easy between suppliers and factories. Although we rely on regional partners for most of the components there might be delays and quality issues, specially in these times.

▶ LOGISTIC Shipping and logistics are a complex step in bringing the product to your home. Difficulties and delays might happen, although the quality of the selected channels make this risk happening low. The delivery around the world has been planed but it might be problematic cases to ship to certain countries, because of compliance with laws and governmental regulations.

▶ GENERAL The performance depends to a significant degree upon the contributions of the Metadox co-founders. Likewise, our performance is largely dependent on the talents and efforts of highly skilled individuals contributing to Metadox. Although there might always be a major force case, Metadox is confident on the members of the team and close collaborations, being this an unlikely event. Because of the global pandemic there are difficulties for all the steps in some degree. This has brought some delays in the past 12 months and might still affect the project. The situation is better and the effects are expected to be small but there is still a certain amount of uncertainty.

Environmental commitments

▶ LONG-LASTING DESIGN

You need a mask that will never become uncomfortable during those long multiplayer gaming sessions late into the night. That's why the quality of the materials is not compromised.

The PHASMA is designed to last. The quality of the manufacturing and a strict quality control will assure you the durability. The Metadox team is confident about it given the many years of its co-founders in product development and manufacturing.

▶ LOCAL MANUFACTURING

Production of the PHASMA is based on a sustainable local manufacturing, being practically all components made and assembled in Spain. The local manufacturing approach increases operational efficiency by reducing costs and waste. The performance is improved and the resource footprint reduced.

Local manufacturing also ensures high quality products. Spain excellence in textile and industrial manufacturing is a guarantee for quality in form of professionals, collaborators and suppliers that contribute to the PHASMA project.

Questions about this project? Don't hesitate to ask!

You can also contact us directly per email: beop@metadox.pro