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Yamaha design labs turnt

Yamaha Design Labs Invents 4 Retro-Future Ways to Experience Music


Take a step in the front door of most Sydney townhouses and the would-be trendsetters probably have a record or two on the burn. According to Forbes, Vinyl has seen a huge resurgence in recent years, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that streaming won’t be moving out of the way any time soon. Yamaha Design Laboratories know this, so instead of reinventing the wheel, they’ve made the wheel work in their favour for a new generation of music lovers who long for that tactile feeling. The brand is ‘stepping out of the slate’ and back into the physical with four new products that work in symbiosis with smartphone apps.

Related: Sony WH-1000XM5 Review: Still THE Headphones to Buy?

1. Turnt

The first of the four products is the Turnt, which works just like a record player but on your smartphone. It’s minimalist as they come, and the process is as simple as placing a stylus on the screen and the music starts playing. Swipe the phone screen and the song will change, and you can also re-position the stylus as you would with vinyl. This is our favourite device of the lot and the physical process of placing the needle on the screen is enough to trigger a rush of nostalgia.

2. Winder

Think of this one as a USB stick with the capacity to play just one song. It’s not the most practical solution by any means, but the physical task of winding up the machine to play a song is reminiscent of many a childhood toy. We love the fact you can flutter the spring to change the tone and feel of the song, interacting with the ‘clockwork’ is our favourite part about old winders.

3. MusicLight

Ok, now if there was an award for the coolest device on the list this would be it. Light the candle and your music will start playing, the sound will then waver subtly based on the direction of the flame, and when the flame goes out the music fades away.

4. RhythmBot

This is one for the musicians out there. RhythmBot is an evolutionary form of metronome that supports your performance with rhythm created by four small robots. These guys play unique acoustic sounds and can be linked to your smartphone and accompany you in real-time as you create. Expect to see these in a few music teachers’ classrooms in the future!

As it currently stands, the concepts seen above are not available for individual sale. Think of them like your favourite concept car, a glimpse at the future while looking back at the past. The concept for the Yamaha Design Laboratories builds were to reflect a belief that “there is still a longing for more substantive and tactile interaction that cannot be achieved with touch panel operation.” We love the idea and hope to see the Turnt put into production in the future. More information can be found via the link below.

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