Tag Archives: record player

Retro devices reimagined with fun 16-bit displays

Posted on by

Retro designs in technology continue to be a strong trend, from retro consoles to instant cameras to record players. Most of these products try to update the classic aesthetics to modern standards, reinterpreting them without straying too far from the original. In other words, they’re mostly modern devices simply paying homage to the past.

There might be times, however, the original designs still have a lot of pull, especially for eyes that have never seen them before. This series of concepts tries to imagine some of those with completely classic designs, save for the addition of 16-bit displays and a splash of 80s colors that make them funky and hip in their own unique ways.

Desigers: Ahmed Esmael, Marwan Abbass

1

Music streaming has pretty much replaced the radio for most people, but the medium hasn’t completely died out. Radios, however, have become rarer outside of vehicles, and most designs these days tend to make the device almost invisible. This concept, in contrast, is as loud as it can be, both in sound and in appearance with its pink body and clashing color combinations.

What sets it apart, however, is the square display beside the circular front speaker. It’s not a modern touch screen for controlling the radio, but more of a useless but fun embellishment to the experience. It displays a 16-bit video that looks at home in games of that era, rendering an accompanying visual to the audio, whether it makes sense or not.

Very few people these days listen to cassette tapes. Unlike vinyl records, there’s almost no special audio quality to these small rectangular containers for brown tape that all too often gets tangled up. That said, some people still have a collection of these tapes, and this cassette player concept adds a unique twist to the device without twisting those tapes.

The color scheme for the device this time is a faded yellow, complete with green streaks of corrosion. But just like the radio above, the flat tape player integrates a screen that can play 16-bit videos. Although it doesn’t serve any practical function, it adds a bit of fun flavor to the music being played, making you want to look at the device even when it’s lying on the table.

The record player in this Timeless Treasure collection steps farther back in time, adopting the form of a 40s gramophone. Its green, flower-shaped sound horn looks like copper that has aged over time, while the boxy platform has a mix of industrial and Art Deco details. Only the dominantly yellow color motif looks out of place and out of time, giving it an odd anachronistic flavor.

The large 16-bit display is again the center of attraction here, playing a pixelated video of an opera or orchestra performance. It could be related to the track being played, though it’s more likely a very generic clip for any and all kinds of records. It would probably be nice if each video was customized for different kinds of music, perhaps using some AI magic to make it happen.

Old-school audio devices aren’t the only ones getting this 80s retro facelift, though a watch is hardly that old to qualify. More like an old-fashioned kids’ digital watch, this particular concept adds a lo-fi feel to this somewhat modern wearable, particularly when an alarm plays. Like the rest of the collection, it’s a fun touch that doesn’t add any functional advantage but gives the designs a new flavor.

The post Retro devices reimagined with fun 16-bit displays first appeared on Yanko Design.

A turntable for picky audiophiles who crave high-end vinyl playback experience

Posted on by

Pro-Ject is the first name that pops up when we speak of high-quality turntables. The Austria-based company launched the entry-level T1 EVO range for audiophiles on a budget last month. Now they’ve revealed the flagship Signature 12.2 turntable for music lovers who want the ultimate sonic experience from their favorite vinyl.

This turntable represents the highest-level technology at the most accessible price, even though $15,000 is way beyond any normal audiophile’s budget. The audio accessory is a successor to the acclaimed Signature 12 turntable that made it to the top rankings of the most reliable audio equipment reviewers.

Designer: Pro-Ject

Known for their tenacity to bring high-quality record players to the audiophiles who can spend an exorbitant amount to follow their hobby, Pro-Ject has gone all out on this one. The turntable weighs around 80lb with the high-mass record platter weighing more than 25 lb and anti-resonant MDF made from stainless steel weighting 50 pounds. The platter is dampened underneath, spinning on an inverted ceramic ball bearing having a magnetic support. The use of more than 100 precision CNC-machined components provides stability and dampens any external interferences resulting in sonic sound reproduction that’s very close to how the artist intended.

According to Pro-Ject, listeners are in for a treat as the Signature 12.2 delivers “a deep, full and immersive sound quality that’ll deliver new sonic experiences — even from songs users have heard a thousand times.” The flywheel belt-drive turntable is loaded with a 12-inch S-shaped aluminum tonearm having a 3-point pivot bearing and a removable headshell for easy swapping of phono cartridges. If you are into choosing your preferred cartridge, the Signature 12.2 doesn’t come with one of its own. That said, the player is compatible with 33⅓rpm and 45rpm playback speeds. If you want to be precise between this range, there’s the electronic speed change option too.

The records are hooked onto the platter with a Signature Record Puk that comes included in the package. To enhance the premium appeal sturdiness of the unit, Pro-Ject hand-painted the record player’s MDF plinth in 10 coats, and it’s loaded with steel pellets to further reduce vibrations. With all the advanced tech fitted inside this beautiful vinyl player, you would expect it to do complete justice to your collection of records.

Rather than having a display for all the controls, Pro-Ject has opted to go with a hand-polished aluminum panel to avoid any unwanted electromagnetic radiation. The elegant analog look complements the whole look and feel. The high-end playback record player in piano-black finish will begin shipping in November 2024 for a retail price tag of $14,999.

The post A turntable for picky audiophiles who crave high-end vinyl playback experience first appeared on Yanko Design.

Vinyl player concept shows off transparent design

Posted on by

You would think that in this age when we mostly listen to music through streaming services, old school ways of listening to music would be all but extinct. While we probably won’t see cassette tapes make a comeback soon, we still see CDs and vinyls have a pretty niche but passionate market. So we’re seeing several music players that are able to still play these “relics”, mostly for the vinyls (sadly, I have yet to see excellently designed CD players with great sound quality).

Designer: Vadzim Sadouski

There is no lack of great-looking and great-sounding turntables out there if you’re in the market for one. And there is also no dearth of interesting concepts for vinyl players, ranging from retro to cutesy to premium to sci-fi/out there levels. This concept for a “record player transparent design” is one of those that catches the eye and would be interesting to see as an actual vinyl player (and hopefully it gets a specific name too). From the moniker itself, you probably have an idea of what it would look like even if you don’t see the renders.

There’s a certain fascination with transparent things now and seeing how the inside looks like as it does its thing. This one is inspired by the play of light inside ribbed glass as the light refracts and plays around. The designer says the starting point for the design are things like glass, lighthouse lenses, tableware, and even lamps. What you get is a vinyl player with its base showing off the light inside from the glass grills.

Now as to how the vinyl records would sound like from having a transparent design like this is a problem for another day. But the concept itself seems pretty interesting and is definitely eye-catching. But real music lovers would tell you that no matter how well designed something is, the important thing is the sound quality of course.

The post Vinyl player concept shows off transparent design first appeared on Yanko Design.

This metallic record player concept blends music and architecture to create harmony

Posted on by

Record players are en vogue again, and thanks to interest in the product, we’ve seen quite a few designs that go beyond the simple task of playing a vinyl record. There’s a wide variety of designs, ranging from minimalist to eccentric, from utilitarian to decorative. The requirements for a record player design aren’t many, as long as it’s able to actually produce the audio quality unique to the medium and have usable controls that don’t get in the way. Thanks to that, there’s plenty of leeway in how to interpret a record player design, and this particular concept takes advantage of that in order to create a fusion of an audio device and architecture, presenting a unique visual and tactile experience for audiophiles.

Designer:

The standard record player design involves a box with a circular plate on top, a tonearm that holds the head reader, and controls on the top or side of that box. There’s no hard rule for that design, of course, just that it’s the most efficient way to cram components and mix shapes. When it comes to space and shape efficiency, however, nothing is more precise than architecture, which is exactly the source of inspiration for this distinctive concept design for a record player.

Right off the bat, you will notice the slats that run across a section of the aluminum chassis that’s not covered by the platter. This design is reminiscent of many architectural forms, but it serves more than just a visual function in this design. One of those slats is actually the tonearm, giving this important part of the record player a home when not in use and preventing accidents due to leaving it exposed.

Three gaps between those slats also hide the machine’s controls in plain sight. While most record players use buttons and dials, the RYTM record player uses less ambiguous sliders for volume, speed (denoted by RPM or rotations per minute), and power. The sliders integrate so seamlessly into the design that you might not even notice their presence unless you look closely. At the same time, however, they offer a somewhat novel way to engage with the machine.

RYTM’s anodized aluminum body gives it a bit of a unique and almost industrial character. It’s not difficult to associate the motif with robot arms, similar to those used in automobile manufacturing plants, on a smaller scale, of course. In an age of mostly digital consumption of music, this interesting record player design concept offers a different and perhaps more memorable way to enjoy your tunes, creating a ritual that involves physical engagement to elevate your listening experience.

The post This metallic record player concept blends music and architecture to create harmony first appeared on Yanko Design.

Invisible turntable makes playing your vinyl look almost magical

Posted on by

Vinyl and record players miraculously resurfaced a few years ago, giving people of all ages a chance to experience or revisit the unique quality of this analog medium. At first, most of the products tried to faithfully recreate the experience, going so far as modeling record players after vintage aesthetics. Recently, there have been new designs that try to appeal to more modern tastes and younger generations, with styles ranging from minimalist to extravagant. That has given birth to a few interesting record players, some more unusual than others. This turntable, for example, doesn’t seem to actually exist, completely hidden from sight to put the spotlight on your vinyl and the music that is recorded in its grooves.

Designer: Miniot

Most turntables are rectangular boxes, mostly because that’s the most convenient shape for cramming electronics, especially the big parts from decades past. These take up unnecessary space and limit the ways you can place the machine on display. Fortunately, today’s pieces are so much smaller, and you can fit all of them inside something the size of the record itself. In fact, you can fit them in a shape that’s almost exactly like the vinyl as well.

Black Wheel, the latest iteration of the Wheel design by Miniot, does exactly that and hides all the electronics and mechanical parts under the record. They sit inside a thin circular body that completely disappears once you put the record on. This illusion is more effective if you stand the Wheel upright, but it still has this particular minimalist charm even if you lay it flat horizontally.

In addition to the peculiar design, the Wheel also has a rather unique control system that was also designed to be felt but barely seen. A tactile Slide Track offers all the controls you need in a single physical interface, allowing you to slide or push parts of the hidden wheel to select tracks, change the volume, or even set the stylus’ weight. Even with an incredibly thin body, the Wheel doesn’t make compromises in audio quality to satisfy audiophiles.

The Black Wheel itself is a thing of beauty, handmade using high-grade black materials and brushed metal. The slightly older Wheel 2 has a bit of an old-fashioned charm with a wooden base reminiscent of the turntables of old. But although it’s something you would definitely want to flaunt, its design is really meant to put the focus on the part of a record player that matters the most: the record itself.

The post Invisible turntable makes playing your vinyl look almost magical first appeared on Yanko Design.

This portable record player helps you focus on your inner light in a unique way

Posted on by

Vinyl records and LP players have experienced a renaissance in the past few years as the “newtro” fad gripped people of all ages. While most tried to be faithful to the designs and experiences of old, even if they are considered inconvenient by today’s standards, others saw the trend as a challenge to re-imagine what could be in light of what was. That’s particularly true of old media that don’t necessarily need to be constrained by the limitations of old media players. This vinyl record player concept, for example, still tries to deliver that same unique audio quality of LP plates but uses a device that is not only lightweight but also light-centric in a manner you might not expect.

Designer: Hyeyoung Han, Hanyoung Lee

LP or vinyl records have always had a place in music lovers’ hearts despite the limitations of the physical medium. Those limitations, in fact, are what endears these large black discs to its loyal fans, creating a unique tone and quality that’s difficult to reproduce perfectly even through digital means. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to enjoy these vinyl records, both old and new. Unfortunately, most of them seem to be designed on the presumption that they have to be as big as an LP or even bigger.

There are reasonable considerations why record players come as large, flat boxes, but it’s not a hard rule. In fact, one could consider it detrimental to the enjoyment of these records since they take up much space and, more importantly, aren’t exactly easy to move around. Luceren is a design concept that tries to bring that favorite “portability” feature to the record player in a way that is both interesting and elegant, all for the sake of finding your inner self through music.

At first glance, this boat-shaped device looks more like a minimalist tealight candle holder. The protruding bulb on one end reinforces that imagery, but, as they say, looks can be deceiving. As you might have guessed, this is actually a record player, and that bulb serves as the spindle that holds the vinyl in place. Whether on its own or with a record on top, Luceren evokes a sense of simplicity, calm, peace, and light. Plus, it also makes it easy to move the player around, even if just inside the house or room.

It isn’t just for display, though, since it’s supposed to actually play those records. Rather than having a tonearm on top, though, the design hides the mechanism underneath, inside the body of the device. This means you’ll have to place the record upside down, but it’s not exactly a novel idea with some more minimalist record players. It also helps keep the design simple and reduces the number of moving parts that could be broken when moving it from one place to another.

There might be concerns about the stability of a device that spins a disc larger than itself, but Luceren does tickle the mind in imagining other unconventional designs like this. Regardless, the design successfully conveys the message it wants to send, that of a lightweight device that brings light through the simple enjoyment of music wherever you are.

The post This portable record player helps you focus on your inner light in a unique way first appeared on Yanko Design.

Retro player concept recreates the experience of phonographs with a modern twist

Posted on by

The old vinyl experienced an unexpected renaissance a few years ago, along with a resurgence of interest in Polaroid-style instant cameras and photos. Some of that interest has waned recently, though, but it hasn’t stopped the generation of new ideas and designs that try to revive this old yet still loved format. Most of these revolved around recreating the full vinyl experience, including the flaws of the physical medium that make it sound unique and special. While some people do like that audio experience, not everyone appreciates the other aspects of using a phonograph, no matter how modern it is. This Retro Player concept has the potential to deliver the same listening experience and more, all while providing a user experience that is more in tune with today’s modern lifestyles and mindsets.

Designers: Ha lim Kim, Park JooHyung, Ryukyung Lee, YoonJeong Lee

Vinyl LP records have physical imperfections that may be considered acoustic flaws but have become a well-loved characteristic of this type of medium. While many modern record players try to faithfully recreate that unique sound quality, they do so by actually recreating the entire experience, from the needle that scratches the record to the very act of having to put in an LP every time you want to change an album. While there are those that actually love that kind of retro experience, there are also those that simply want to listen to that kind of music without the rest of the work involved.

In a way, this RE; Retro Player concept design gives such people what they want by mimicking only the look of a record player, without any of the parts that make such a machine special. That said, it does so in a rather interesting way that you could be forgiven for taking a shortcut. In essence, this device is designed to be a more general-purpose music player, except it offers to give the same acoustic and visual experience as the original.

The most important part of the RE; Retro Player is the CD-shaped plate that represents an LP record, except it doesn’t contain any music at all. Music comes from a paired Bluetooth device like a phone or perhaps some internal storage. You can play any music from this system, and the display on the disc plate changes into the appropriate album art, reminiscent of how vinyl and CDs look. Instead of a needle that “reads” from the disc, the head is instead a touch display that can be used to control the machine in case your phone is out of reach. There is another circular display for showing the time or visualizations while playing music.

To some extent, the RE; Retro Player pays homage to the phonographs of old in a very different way. It is unapologetic in being a modern device while still delivering some of the emotions of the old record player. Some might take issue with how it can only artificially recreate the distinct sound of vinyl, but at least it won’t run the risk of eventually damaging those physical plates until they’re no longer usable at all.

The post Retro player concept recreates the experience of phonographs with a modern twist first appeared on Yanko Design.

Vertical turntable idealised to present music in a way we wouldn’t think twice before taking home

Posted on by

A turntable skimmed the aesthetics and delivered music with additional gadgetry which perhaps record players did as a cohesive unit. However, the transition is more modern and timelier. Now, to fill some sort of void left out by the fast transition from traditional to modern; Blok is an aesthetic that visions turntable, and the notion of music, in a way you and I wouldn’t think twice before taking home.

Many form factors of turntables have been idealized, in the recent past, but have not really gained traction. If you reflect back, there are only a few idealistic designs that stay put; importantly, these are part of our routine because the ease of use and adaptation of embedded technology has been easier as opposed to the fancier ones that have crossed paths.

Designer: Josh Schwefel

Basing the Blok on the choice of the gen-z; designer Josh Schwefel presents turntable boasting mechanical looks with ultra-precise tolerance. That transpires a device with a simple user interface and a clean silhouette. It is not the usual beefy device; instead, a sleek square form factor with similar buttons and an enriching scroller knob for volume deliver a turntable worth your bedside table.

The difference here is not so much about how it looks, but how it functions! The turntable works as a vertical device with the vinyl record going into the middle like a disk in between the gaping lips of a DVD player. Understandably, the built-in spindle identifies the record and begins to play it. A visually pleasing setup – provided in midnight back, arctic white, and bumblebee yellow – has connectivity ports on the back that do not interfere with the façade and render the device apt for your lifestyle. At this point, I am not sure if the Blok loves your smartphone, but Bluetooth connectivity would certainly allow Blok to fill the void; permitting you and me to toggle the music from the comfort of the couch/bed.

The post Vertical turntable idealised to present music in a way we wouldn’t think twice before taking home first appeared on Yanko Design.

This retro-modern record player pits your vinyl against gravity in lofty style

Posted on by

Love the pure classic feel of a record player but always wanted the inclusion of a modern element to it? The element of unique styling for your living or bedroom in an upright turntable format? Then this concept will fuel your craving even more.

This is the Vertical Turntable designed keeping in mind the needs of modern audiophiles who want the pure sound of a record player with an aesthetic that fits their lifestyle.

Designer: Eun seok Go

The turntable doesn’t lose out on the analog sensibility and brings forth the design elements that would please the most finicky of buyers. That means the user will be able to listen to even the most subtle sounds in the wide music soundstage. Inspiration for the vertical turntable design comes from the typical appearance of the Ip when it is taken out. So, the designer thought of achieving a form factor that fuses the turntable and lp look into one.

One disadvantage that analog players have as compared to digital audio players is the wear and tear due to physical contact. This record player has an optical cartridge that minimizes the damage incurred by the tracking force in conventional cartridges. The driving method of the Vertical Turntable is the same as that of a DVD player – the lens detects the Ip and then connects it to the built-in spindle.

The transparent screen on the front superimposes the track time played and elapsed, play and pause status, artist name and albumart onto the visible part of the record in the background. Below the screen is the speaker, the volume knob and play/pause buttons. While the designer doesn’t make a mention of its Bluetooth connectivity feature, still I’m assuming it has the ability to connect to your smartphone for toggling any of the options from the cozy confines of your couch.

The post This retro-modern record player pits your vinyl against gravity in lofty style first appeared on Yanko Design.