Combining cutting-edge tech with a hipster retro aesthetic, designer Yves Béhar has created an awesome smartphone-connected compact turntable — which moves the arm, while keeping the record itself still.
Called the Love turntable, the results drag vinyl turntables well and truly into the 21st century, courtesy of a smart sensor-filled arm which scans the record and then lets you skip tracks using your iPhone. What could be better?
“While the classic record spins on the turntable, we added a modern twist by creating a linear needle that spins on top of the record; this not only adds visual interest, but it also allows the machine to learn album tracks, and skip songs, through a corresponding app,” Béhar told the website Dezeen. “When the arm drops on the record, the magic instantly begins when it floats on the record, spinning in place while reading the grooves of the album.”
Controlling your music can be done by tapping the top of the “arm,” which either skips to the next track or turns the player off entirely. You can also control it through a smartphone app, allowing users to skip between tracks or pause their music. Sound is transmitted to speakers using either WiFi or Bluetooth.
Whether the results sound as good as other traditional players — and would therefore have found favor with vinyl purist Steve Jobs — remains to be seen, but this is certainly an interesting idea.
If you want to get your hands on a unit, you can do so on Kickstarter, where prices start at $299. With vinyl sales overtaking digital ones for the first time ever in some places, this arrives at the perfect juncture!
