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 just announced the TP-7, a 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, evoking both the early days of digital (as Apple’s original iPod, Gizmodo highlights) and the even more distant days of tape. The TP-7 also seems to draw from a number of iconic camera designs; the recording indicator shines like Leica’s red dot, while the leather back seems to draw from Polaroid’s classic SX-70.
In other words: the Stockholm-based audio company is teasing yet another gorgeous, totally overbuilt and arguably unnecessary gadget. It’s $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 OP-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 check out its pocket synths, which are largely “sold out” on their website but usually run for just over $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.