Singing Watermelons

Our cornerstone development is a family of compact, spherical loudspeakers — omnidirectional, multichannel, ambisonic, or beamforming — opening up vast possibilities for spatial sound creation and experimentation.

The lighthouse of sound

These instruments project precisely directed beams that sweep through space, shaping sonic sculptures that move and transform within a room — making spatial sound feel alive and tangible.

With architecture,
not against it

Unlike conventional systems, you don’t hear the speaker itself — you hear sound interacting with the architecture, creating evolving sonic sculptures.

Forget the sweet spot

Unlike ambisonic domes or conventional surround systems, the experience is not limited to a narrow sweet spot. Artists and audiences are invited to explore the entire sound field, with the environment acting as a co-creator rather than an obstacle.

Portable spatial sound

Conventionally, spatial sound systems used to be permanent installations, requiring large, acoustically-treated spaces, days of rigging, and a truck to carry.

Singing Watermelons are the opposite — fitting into just a couple of travel cases, they enable unparalleled mobility for live-performing sound artists or touring installations.

With their totemic character, they organize the space around them, creating interesting social dynamics, and facilitating listening together.

Our design principles

We prioritize adaptability and affordability, enabling more practitioners to engage with spatial sound.

The instruments have been parametrically designed as a family, and are built to order or in small batches. This allows for affordability and a high degree of customization.

Meet the family

Slovox Watermelons come as a family, all sharing the same principal design, but with a varying radiation power, form factor and speaker layout. Each of these models comes with a matched Juicebox amp rack.

Triglav16

With 16 × 6" drivers in a 1-3-9-3 layout, and a compact form factor, this is our entry unit for those looking for portability.

Dazhbog21

With 21 × 6" drivers in a 1-5-5-5-5 layout, Dazbog offers a slightly higer vertical resolution.

Svarog24

24 × 6" drivers in our preferred, 6-6-6-6 layout offer a great resolution, while maintaining a compact form factor.

Veles24

24 × 6.5" drivers in our preferred, 6-6-6-6 layout offer a great resolution, and a much larger radiation area than its smaller sibling.

Perun24

24 × 6.5" drivers in a 5-7-7-5 layout for maximized horizontal resolution. A beast of its own kind.

Standing on the shoulders of giants

This project wouldn't be possible without years of pioneering research at IEM Graz, and the work of Franz Zotter, Stefan Riedel, Matthias Frank, Gerriet Krishna Sharma, and others.

Their work not only realized the long-held dream of reproducing the spatial character of real instruments, as once envisioned at IRCAM, but also opened avenues for orchestrating space and beamforming with the IKO and several DIY offshoots. For us, it's been an inspiration, invaluable foundation and… the beginning.

Explore the OSIL/IKO project >

Born out of fascination for beamforming

For us, the project began with fascination for beamforming — one of the most advanced method of creating and controlling sound beams pioneered by IEM's research team.

Conversations with practitioners quickly taught us that people want to use these tools creatively, in ways we hadn’t expected — but which are entirely possible with our hardware.

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Beamforming

A higher-order ambisonic stream is decoded using IEM's beamforming approach to get the most directionality and control over sound beams across a range of frequencies.

Ambisonic

Encode your sound with existing software like IEM's plugin suite, IRCAM's Spat, etc… into a higer-order ambisonic stream, and decode to our Watermelon, enabling 3D diffusion with basic directivity.

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Multi-channel

Use each of individual speaker in the enclosure as a discrete channel. This enables simple, intuitive DAW or live workflows, and experimenting with your compositions freely, in a creative, unexpected ways.

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Volumetric

It is possible to use multiple speakers distributed in space to enable fully holophonic diffusion, for example using 4DSound's engine, Logelloop's Acousmonium, IRCAM's SPAT, or XP4Live.

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Omni

Use our Watermelons as a powerful omni source. One signal is fed to all speakers, producing uniformly distributed sound field. If you like.

Scatter

A spin-off of Singing Watermelons applies the same design principles to a conventional outside-in sound system, bringing spatial audio to a wider range of spaces and scenarios. This project is already designed and slated for development and testing later this year.

Juicebox

Our compact, portable multi-channel control and amplifier racks power both systems, delivering robust performance and exceptional value.

Ordering Process

Let's meet

We're a small team and value direct contact. Think of us as of the luthiers of 21st century — keeping it human and personal. Let's meet, and talk about your practice and motivations for getting and using our instruments. We'll build a better understanding of your goals, and recommend a suitable configuration.

Customization

If your project falls out of our tested solutions, we'll discuss feasibility of customizations — from the number, layout and count of transducers, through build details, to control racks and software approach.

Build

Once your order is confirmed and paid, we'll start building the instruments for you. The lead time can be anything from 4 to 12 weeks, depending on configuration and a degree of customization.

Tuning

Once the build is complete, we measure and calibrate each instrument individually, providing a set of filters necessary for optimal performance.

Delivery and training

The instruments can be picked up in person, or shipped. You'll get documentation in a digital format, and we will provide you with in-person and/or remote training. On-location training and workshops for you, your team or a wider audience are a great idea, available as a separate service.

Support

During initial consultations, we'll discuss your individual expectations for support and coverage period. We'll remain available, so that you can truly enjoy the gear.

Q&A

Can I hear a demo?

Please contact us to discuss current options or to arrange a visit to our studio in Southwest Poland. We also recommend running affordable spatial sound workshops at your venue, where artists can not only experience the instruments, but actively work with them in a creative setting.

How much does it cost?

Pricing varies depending on configuration, channel count, and custom features. If you already have suitable interfaces, digital-to-analog converters, and amplifiers, this can further reduce the cost. Please reach out for a tailored quote.

Do you offer setup assistance?

Yes, we can arrange on-site installation and workshops as additional services.

What are the dimensions and weight of your instruments?

The ‘Watermelons’ are typically 50–60 cm in diameter and weigh under 40 kg each. Please note that the total weight — including cases and amplifier racks — can be significantly higher. Contact us for detailed specifications

What are the space requirements?

While our systems are flexible, we can advise on optimal room conditions and setup during your consultation.

Do I need an acoustically-treated studio space?

Not at all. By design, Watermelons project sound outward to interact with the space before reaching listeners. Using them in a dry, acoustically-dampened studio would actually diminish the intended spatial effects. However, extremely reverberant spaces can blur spatial imaging quality. We’re happy to advise on optimal room conditions and setup during your consultation.

What software do I need?

The software you’ll need depends on how you plan to use Watermelons. For basic playback, any program that can output multi-channel audio will work. For advanced spatial audio — like higher-order ambisonics — you can use leading platforms such as IRCAM’s SPAT, the IEM plugin suite or XP4Live. For the highest level of control, including beamforming, we recommend Reaper (optionally with IEM plugins) and the dedicated filter set provided with your instrument. If you have a specific workflow in mind, we’re happy to advise on the best setup for your needs.

Where are the projects your instruments have been used in?

Our instruments represent a new generation of spatial sound technology, built on well-grounded research and proven principles developed through extensive R&D.

Originally created for our own artistic practice, they are now newly available to the public. While we don’t yet have published case studies, we are actively seeking visionary partners and early adopters to help pioneer their use. We look forward to collaborating on projects that will shape the future of immersive audio — and your project could be among the first to set the standard.

The Last Ear

Slovox is the R&D lab of The Last Ear, a platform dedicated to restoring the art of listening in an age of engineered distraction.

Our work is grounded in attentive sovereignty, creative collaboration, and the belief that listening is a radical, essential act for the future. Every project is an invitation to advance the art and science of listening — not just musically, but humanly.