The wacky geniuses of Teenage Engineering are back with a new gadget that’s guaranteed to make your mouth water until the price tag slams you back to reality.
The maker of drooling synthesizers has just released the TP-7a tiny portable recorder with a “motorized tape reel” that rotates as it records audio and also functions as a click wheel.
Teenage Engineering infused this digital recorder with layers of nostalgia, covering both the early days of digital (such as Apple’s original iPod, Gizmodo points out) and the even more distant days of tape. The TP-7 also seems to draw from some iconic camera designs; the shooting indicator shines like Leica’s red dot, while the leather back seems to draw on Polaroid’s classic SX-70.
In other words: the Stockholm-based audio company is teasing yet another gorgeous, totally overbuilt and arguably unnecessary gadget. Are $1,499 and “coming this summer.”
I desperately want one.
Okay, okay, I’ll focus – promise.
The TP-7 also features record, play and stop buttons, a fast forward/rewind trigger, 128GB of storage and an internal microphone and speaker. The device also supports up to three external microphones (via 3.5mm audio jacks) and connects to an iPhone or laptop via USB-C or Bluetooth. Teenage Engineering says the battery lasts about seven hours.
The TP-7 is part of Teenage Engineering’s high-end “Field System” collection, alongside the ON 1 music maker and CM-15 microphone. But if you want a taste of Teenage Engineering’s quirky gear without the prohibitive price tag, you can still look at the pocket synths, which are largely “sold out” at its best. website but usually costs just north of $100 on sites like Reverb and eBay.
Better yet, nostalgia hunters yearning for the days of the cassette can simply opt for a bona fide shoebox or multitrack tape recorder.
