However, the usage of mobile apps depends heavily on the mobile devices. With technology enjoying large growths, mobile devices of various different kinds have been making their way into the market. Each of these devices is likely to have operating systems that require different kinds of coding. In such a case, creating a mobile application that behaves the same way on every device becomes nearly difficult with traditional app development.

However, creating different applications for different devices is convenient and affordable with mobile app development platforms. Developing mobile applications is no longer a large investment and everyone can afford to develop several solutions to reach their consumers. How then can a business enjoy the benefits of the accessibility of mobile applications? A mobile application development platform allows for the creating and running mobile applications on various devices and OS platforms. A mobile application development platform takes care of the issue that arises due to the different operating systems that are present on different devices. A mobile application development platform is the best way to build an application that performs the same way, no matter what system it may be used on.
Versatility at Its Best

Mobile application development platforms have a cross-platform framework. This means that they perform functions in the same way despite the differences in devices and their individual software. Hence, there is no need to code the application from scratch for each OS software as traditional app development does. However, this can be accomplished due to the automation layer of the mobile application development platform that develops and deploys apps that AUTOMATICALLY work on iOS, Android and the Web.

HokuApps offers a mobile application development platform which allows applications to automatically function in the same way on different devices and operating systems. The automation layer of the platform makes this possible.

The platform also allows mobile app development at 10x speed, which means that applications can be developed and ready to use within 6 to 8 weeks. The lowered time for development also significantly reduces the cost of development. Development becomes affordable and is investment-friendly to small and medium-sized businesses as well.

Aside from this, the automation layer simplifies the process of mobile app development. The mobile application development platform designed by HokuApps comes equipped with a large library of business modules that may be used to create the application. Giving support are more than 500 pre-built technology components, such as a QR code scanner, GPS etc. can easily be incorporated into the application. They simply need to be dragged and dropped into the application as required by the business with pre-built connectors. They are then automatically integrated with the app, functioning seamlessly, post which, apps are customized to suit the business’s unique requirements.

The mobile application development platform also comes with Enterprise Backend Software. This enables customization of the internal hierarchy of the business, giving the management easy access to dashboards and data related to the business functioning. This allows them to track the progress of the business and eases management.

The mobile application development platform also includes scalability infrastructure which allows businesses to make changes and improvements to the application without needing to develop a new app entirely. This is accompanied by best-in-class security which keeps all the confidential data safe.

If you’re developing a mobile application, it would be best to develop it in a cross-platform framework such as the one offered by HokuApps.

Some pieces of studio gear show off the bling commensurate with their price tag. Think big consoles, shiny, large-diaphragm condensers, synthesizers with way too many knobs and faders. The creations from Pultec is a marked departure from this trend though. The dark blue/grey of the front panel presents an industrial facade, the knobs chunky, the font that identifies controls, utilitarian.

What the workmanlike front panel obscures, however, is sonic art at its most sophisticated. Since its 1951 inception, the Pultec EQ (EQP-1 and later, the EQP – 1A) has firmly installed itself as one of the bona fide staples of the outboard rack. And despite its elegant character, it couldn’t be more simple to use.

Musical Machine
To call an inanimate object “musical” obviously flies in the face of logic. Musicality in performance is innately human, yet, the Pultec is one of the rare pieces that is regularly praised as such. This inherent musicality is part of the Pultec’s soul and is mainly due to the things that it doesn’t do, namely, impart a harsh resonance when boosted to the extremes.

Many other EQ units, or sections fitted within console channel strips tend to focus on the analytical. This of course, is a fantastic quality especially when analysing sounds that might not be ideal.

Guitar sounds a bit woofy? Maybe reach for the low mid band, adjust the Q and notch out 250Hz. That vocal sounds too sibilant? Maybe notch out a few dB at 4-6kHz and a slightly boost it around 500Hz with a wide Q for more body. For a job like this, you wouldn’t reach for the Pultec. And that counts in its favour.

The Pultec EQ works better when you think of it more musical terms. Need to add some sheen? More air? More weight? These are the kind of descriptors for which the EQP-1 was invented. It’s more of overall tone shaper, rather than a radical renovator of sonic information. This quality makes it all the more versatile.

The controls make it extremely simple to use, which must have contributed to the EQP-1’s widespread popularity in the early days of commercial recording studios. A switchable low frequency dial that selects 20, 30, 60 and 100Hz, with a dial to boost and a dial to cut. The same is system is repeated for the high end, with the selected frequencies being 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12kHz (with 16kHz being added on the EQP-1A).

As an aside – these bandwidth selections were even more relevant to this time period than they are now. Multitrack recording as we know it today was non-existent. Multi miking drum kits, for example, would not have been possible.

Therefore the EQ challenges that we encounter today in the minutiae of specific sound sources (think individual microphones on kick drums, snare drums, guitar amps) were not a concern. Adding broad brush EQ enhancements to whole sections of an ensemble would have been far more critical at the time of the EQP-1’s inception.

The bandwidth control is right in the middle, simply marked Sharp and Broad. There is a minor quirk with the high-frequency attenuation – you only have three frequencies to pick from – 5, 10 and 20kHz. But this serves to give you more versatility when sculpting the top end.

But again, the simplicity and elegance of all the controls reinforce the point that running a sound through this EQ doesn’t require an in-depth technical understanding of mixing, or an intense familiarity with every nook and cranny of the frequency spectrum. It enhances the quality that is already inherent in the sound. But if you want a little more sizzle, some more heft, just dial it in.

Another idiosyncrasy that has long been exploited in the grand old lady is its ability to boost and cut the same frequency at the same time. If that has you scratching your head, well, it’s not actually the full story.

The boost has more gain than the attenuation has cut, plus, they affect slightly different frequencies. Therefore, it is slightly more complex than it gets credit for. However, because it lacks the detailed visual information that many other EQs offer the user, so even when ignoring the manual, you just have to go with what your ears tell you.

Intelligent Design
Pulse Technologies (which Pultec derived its name from) was founded in 1951 by Eugene Shenk and Ollie Summerland. And though it seems inconceivable, every aspect of the company’s operations: from engineering, production, through to marketing, was handled by this formidable duo throughout the lifespan of the company. It all ran out of their warehouse in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Anyone who comes into contact with Pultec devices can attest to the build quality. A mass of valves, transformers and capacitors protrude from the back. If you wanted to have a stereo setup for example, you’d need to spare 6U of rack space, and make a dent in your credit card of at least $10,000.

And about those transformers: there are a lot. They’re also key to its sound. There are three individual transformers in the signal path, with each adding their own subtle imprints on the tonal character.

At the time the Pultec EQ was first brought to life, passive equalisers were lossy devices. This means that when the signal passed through them, the output was typically attenuated by around 20dB. Of course, this kind of signal loss was unacceptable, but amplifying a signal was also a challenge. Shenk and Summerland settled on inserting a valve powered amp in the output of the EQP-1.

This tube driven circuitry in a large part accounts for the way the unit can be driven to seemingly extreme territory, but still not sound unnatural. As mentioned earlier, no woofy lumps in the bottom end, just a fullness, or a heft. No overly bright harshness in the tops, just a gloss and an almost imperceptible shine and excitement. In other words, just better.

The Modern Day
So if they’re so great, why doesn’t everyone have one. Well, as previously mentioned, Pulse Technologies was strictly a two-man show, with strict quality control and hand made from end to end. Not exactly a formula for mass-market domination.

Finding original units is nigh on impossible, but when they do come up, they can fetch close to $10K US in the insanity of the vintage audio market. There are a number of companies that have made replicas of the EQP-1A, including Manley, Warm Audio, Tube-Tech and more, which can be quite expensive themselves.

Plugin versions of the Pultec EQs are also plentiful, with brands like Waves, Universal Audio, IK Multimedia and more along for the ride. Of course, all the flexibility of plugins become an advantage – easy stereo implementation for aux buses and mastering applications, saving all your favourite presets, working entirely in the box are just a few examples that spring to mind.

Back to the Future
There is a tendency in the audio world to fetishize ancient relics. In the case of the Pultec, however, the story is a little more complicated. Sure the original EQP-1A is bordering on extinction in the wild, but over the decades it’s developed a life of its own, through numerous hardware interpretations and plugins. Hell, you can even build your own one.

We have all the tools to build more sophisticated EQs. And of course, the more complicated units and plugins have become classics in their own way. What keeps drawing us back, is something that Eugene Shenk and Ollie Summerland understood, all the way back in the primordial times of rock and roll – just plug something in and make it sound better.

Chucking on a pair of cans: if only it were that simple. The revolution of streaming has meant the world increasingly listens on the move, so choosing the best headphones for you has never been so important. It’s not just the hi-fi world that has moved into headphones—gamers also need that up-close and intimate audio detail and if you’re in the studio, it’s always been important.

Ask an audio buff and they’ll tell you having ‘too many’ headphones to choose from is a pretty good problem to have. So join us as we attempt to narrow it down to 10 of the very best to examples to emerge in 2020.

HEDD Audio HEDDphone
Being 2020 and all, we are awash in new-fangled tech. And while we can’t yet scoot around on hoverboards, at least we have Air Motion Transformer Technology (AMT) built the HEDD Audio HEDDphone.

Billed as an improvement over the traditional voice-coil and even Planar Magnetic technology, the HEDDphone pushes air four times faster than the aforementioned methods, resulting in unparalleled musical detail.

Visit HEDD for more details.

AKG K371
Austria’s AKG is no stranger to the best headphones and the best pro audio in general. But a proud history full of innovative models at either end of the signal chain hasn’t stopped them from innovating.

Take their new K371 cans. In this case, the biggest breakthrough was simply a change of shape from the common circular form to an oval, designed for superior isolation, extended low-frequency response and maximum comfort.

Visit AKG for more details.

Audeze LCD-1
A few years back, Audeze rewrote the rules with there LCD-X Planar Magnetic headphones—a sublime model which offered a mixing environment only matched by monitors. The only problem with premium headphones? A premium price.

This is a situation Audeze has sought to rectify with the LCD-1. Don’t expect all the luxurious bells and whistles that come with the LCD-X, but you can expect a much lower price for these premium mixing cans.

Visit Audeze for more details.

Sennheiser HD 25 Limited Edition
Like AKG, Sennheiser enjoys a long-established reputation (75 years to be exact) and an enviable back catalogue of classics. They’re also smart enough not to rest on their laurels and as such, they’ve relaunched one of their iconic models, the HD 25.

Starting its life in the Concorde (true story), it quickly spread throughout the burgeoning DJ scene of the ’80s. This new limited edition version comes with bright yellow earcups, is super lightweight and virtually indestructible.

Visit Sennheiser for more details.

JBL Club One
If you’re hitting the mean streets, it can be a battle to hear your favourite tunes over the noise. JBL has paid close attention to this perennial issue in their Club One headphones.

Aside from being the comfiest cans you can lay hands on, they ship with True Adaptive Noise Cancelling tech, meaning that no matter the environment, the Club Ones will automatically adapt to tune out those pesky extraneous sounds.

Visit JBL for more details.

Shure Aonic 50
For musicians all over the world, Shure is a name best-recognised for their nigh-on indestructible microphones for both the studio and the stage. This venerable American company, however, is also moving into headphones in a big way.

Case in point: the Aonic 50. Offering up studio-grade wireless listening, noise-cancelling and a USB-C input for Hi-Resolution audio, it bridges the gap between the recording studio and the outside world.

Visit Shure for more details.

Beyerdynamic Amiron
Beyerdynamic has specialised in making hard-wearing, all-purpose studio gear for decades, creating monitoring and mixing staples like the DT 770 and 990 along the way. With the Amiron, they’ve applied that same commitment to quality in a hi-fi setting.

Fitted with the Tesla system (modifications to the transducer to prevent problematic resonances) these open-backed cans are designed for a luxurious and larger-than-life listening experience.

Visit Beyerdynamic for more details.

Grado SR80e
Based in Brooklyn, Grado has been manufacturing headphones and turntable cartridges since the ’50s. Even with such a long history, they’ve continued to push the envelope of headphone design—a philosophy proven in the SR80e.

On-ear open-backed designs are highly unusual, but Grado pulls off the feat with ease, representing the full breadth of the frequency spectrum in a way that’s more hi-fi than heavy-handed. Top this with a strikingly handsome aesthetic—plus, a competitive price—and you’re onto a winner.

Visit Grado for more details.

Audio-Technica ATH-ADG 1X
Sometimes listening stretches beyond simply pleasure or analysis: it can also make the difference between winning and losing. Audio-Technica, the Japanese company that’s well-versed in the hi-fi and studio realms is also a big player in the gaming world and their ATH-ADG 1X proves that they take it seriously.

With massive 53 mm drivers, gamers will be able to track enemies and listen in to their most subtle of movements. Being a microphone company, Audio-Technica has also brought their pedigree to bear on the ATH-ADG 1X’s headset mic, making clear communication across a crowded multiplayer field easy.

Visit Audio Technica for more details.

Turtle Beach Elite 800
If you’re into esports, you’ll know the name Turtle Beach. They specialise in gaming peripherals, so headphones are very much front and centre for this company.

Their Elite 800 wireless headphones allow players to hear in 7.1 surround sound immersion, gain a competitive edge by switching on their proprietary ‘Superhuman Hearing’ and communicate with clarity. With models specifically designed for PS4 and Xbox One, it represented the industry-standard in gaming audio.

People who have high function brains can get lost in the avalanche of thoughts their brain spews ever second. This leaves little to no room for what other people have to say or are saying at the moment. This, albeit is a rather undesirable quality to have. People like to be heard, it’s considered rude not to. Don’t fret though, you are not completely hopeless. Here are a few tips for all the people out there who have trouble being a good listener.

Be mindful

It is important to be constantly aware of what is happening around you, be it in live conversation or on Chat Messengers. If you are the kind of person who tends to get lost in thought, it would be good for you to do a few mindfulness exercises to help you be more aware of your surroundings. This can be easy on messengers such as NEEO due to their notifications and textbase conversations, it’s harder to do up live. Try to stay in the moment so you know when and who to pay attention to.

Be more involved

Listen to people not just for the sake of it, but to learn new information. Pay attention to what they are saying and pick up as much as you can from what they have to say. Challenge yourself to be more informed about the subject of each conversation. This way you avoid having a conversation for the sake of it and start to be a part of the narrative. This shows people you care about what they have to say which translated into how much they matter to you.

Ask questions

Ask relevant questions. This way you can understand the context of the conversation. Asking people questions allows them to open up to you about their experiences. Inquire about the subject matter and pay attention to what the other person had to say. Being a better listener involves being informed, what better way to do that than to ask?

Wait your turn

Perhaps the biggest mistake people make is making the conversation about themselves. While a conversation is a two-way stream, you have to let the other person finish before you weigh in your opinion. This makes for a healthy conversation where both the parties get equal say. If you dominate the conversation with your opinion, you come off as selfish as and more likely than not, the other party will feel unheard. The best way to assess this is to see the length and number of your text messages as compared to theirs. On the other hand, if you let the other person dominate the conversation and not give enough input, you will come off as aloof and uninterested. The best way is to make it a 50/50 exchange where you both get a say.

Practice

Increase your attention span by doing a comprehensive reading. This will allow you to assess how well you pick up on things during a chat. If you find yourself drifting off after every few lines and having to re-read paragraphs to understand it, you need to work on your attention span. Having a good attention span will allow you to be more attentive in conversations. Having good comprehension skills allows you to understand the context of a narrative and contribute to the conversation.

Be honest

Do not pretend to understand and know things that you don’t. Having mindful conversations means knowing what is being said. If you do not understand what the other person is saying or what they mean, ask them for clarification. Moreover, being honest doesn’t only make you a good listener, but also a credible one. It shows that you have enough respect for someone to be able to put yourself out there for them.

Respond quickly

When having a conversation over Chat Messengers, like Neeo messenger, it’s best to be quick with your replies. Don’t keep people waiting for your response. The faster you respond the more attention you will pay to the conversation. Taking longer to respond could result in the other person losing interest in the conversation.

Being a good listener is an essential skill to have to be taken seriously. Even more so over a medium where you are not addressing someone directly.