The VinylRecorder T560: It Lets You Make Your Own Vinyl, at Home...
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
by paul
Why wait for some limited-edition vinyl release, when you can make your own limited runs at home! Enter the VinylRecorder T560, which has the power to instantly elevate anyone to über-hipster status. The T560 was conveniently on display at SXSW this year, and it's one hell of a concoction. Assembled and operated correctly, the VinylRecorder lets you groove your own blank platters, and even create colored or illustrated vinyl 'editions'. by paul
Actually, this thing has been on the market for years, and it's not the only do-it-yourself machine. But maybe now's the 'moment' for this previously-outlandish market niche. The VinylRecorder comes from Stuttgart-based team Fritz and Ulrich Sourisseau, and perks include multi-RPM recording capabilities (ie, 33, 45, and 78), multi-sized recording flexibility (5", 7", 10" and 12"), and the ability to listen to a track while it is being recorded.
A word of caution: this is definitely not an out-of-the-box solution. In fact, you'll be picking-and-choosing among lots of different components, and you'll also need your own turntable (ie, a Technics 1200 or similar) to fit the maker. You'll also need to navigate a roughly-translated website at vinylrecorder.com, which is actually part of the fun.
That said, price tags are not for budget-conscious music fans. The 'starter kit' is 3,200 euros ($4,230), and there are lots of multi-hundred euro add-ons to consider. Buying or waiting-to-buy a rare vinyl release seems comparatively easier, but that's not the point - especially if you have lots of time, lots of money, and endless passion to devote to something like this.
