Earwax entered the world of interactive audio in 1987 working with Lucas Learning, National Geographic and Apple Computer’s Multimedia Lab in San Francisco. With HyperCard and Laserdiscs we help provide music and a sound library for the Visual Almanac. Jim McKee in collaboration with Apple’s Advanced Technology Group, developed interaction design for the 3D mouse, typing interfaces and sounds for the Appearance Manager.
Soon after our introduction to Silicon Valley, Michael Markman, Director of Apple marketing asked Earwax to help create an audio brand for the then little know Apple TV. Sampling the Macintosh IIX hard drive and start-up chime, was the start of a knew and exciting form of composition and sound design. Integrating product functionality with branding identification, others followed starting in the late 1980 and beyond, among them Kodak, 3Com, Logitech, Avaya.
Everett Katigbak, one of Facebook’s Branding Managers and Earwax sound designer Jim McKee help create the F-A-C-E Messenger ping.
Fabulous is the science-based behavioral app for creating a health body and mind created by Sami Ben Hassine. The latest update is available on iOS and contains beautiful new graphics and sound design. For the past three years Earwax has been working closely with Sami to integrate music, branding and positive interaction to this award winning App. Transform you morning, organize your day, declutter your life and feel good about it. Read the full story on how it started here.
Working together with Belkin Senior Manager, User Experience Jon Plummer, Jim McKee creates a new audio brand and start-up for Belkin’s new Bluetooth speaker series. See the Belkin Fusive review.
Immersion Corporation is the world leader in haptics for gaming and now mobile advertising. Working with Immersion’s senior UX researcher David Birnbaum, Jim with colleague composer Kevin Gerzevitz help create a new audio brand and ringtone collection for mobile devices. Earwax has been working with Immersion helping them with various audio needs. This piece Immersion Touchsense is an audio rendition of haptics designed by Big Productions created nearly fifteen years ago. The sound design was by Earwax associate Andrew Roth. The pencil used here was a number 2 – soft.
Learning Circle Kids headed by Sheri Fisher and Ann McCormick have spent decades working with young children and creating tools to help them read. Over twenty-five years ago Ann founded and lead the software team at the Learning Company and worked with Earwax to create sounds for Reader Rabbit, a CDROM that sold over a million units. Reader Bee is a collection of Apps designed to help children read and write. The curriculum includes tracing, finding words in stories and writing words using the honeycomb keypad. The sound design includes fun drawing interaction and animation sound. The voice of Reader Bee provided by Susan Eggett was cast, directed and recorded by Earwax Productions. Songs by Nathan Paine where also recorded, arranged and mixed by Jim McKee in our studios in North Beach San Francisco.
Salesforce Creative director, Senior Story Producer Clayton Talmon de l’ Armée called on Earwax to help create three Podcast templates for marketing, sales and training. Jim with colleague composers Rama Kolesnikow, Juan Abel Elias, Kevin Gerzevitz and Alex Mandel helped to create a new sound and format of these shows.
Earwax has been helping corporations like Apple, Ariba, Silicon Graphics and Cray with various internal and external communications for more than three decades. We provide journalists, on-site recording services, along with whatever coaching needed to help get your message across.