Phonocut is a home vinyl recorder for cutting your own records at the push of a button

Cassettes, a.k.a. the worst audio medium in history (sorry, hipsters), had one redeeming feature: the mix tape. It was insanely easy to make your own compilations, before drag-and-drop and streaming obliterated such concerns. Now, Phonocut (from €1499; blanks from €55 for ten) brings something similar to vinyl fetishists. A dream of record lovers for decades, Phonocut frees record production from high-tech pressing plants with their demands for runs of many hundreds of units. Instead, you plonk a 10in blank (inspired by the original shellac record format) on to Phonocut. Connect an audio source via stereo minijack, press a button, and the device starts cutting sound waves into grooves – in real-time. A few minutes later, you’ll have a beautiful black disc housing your favourite tracks – or a super-rare white label of you singing in the shower.

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Craig Grannell Contributor

About

I’m a regular contributor to Stuff magazine and Stuff.tv, covering apps, games, Apple kit, Android, Lego, retro gaming and other interesting oddities. I also pen opinion pieces when the editor lets me, getting all serious about accessibility and predicting when sentient AI smart cookware will take over the world, in a terrifying mix of Bake Off and Terminator.

Areas of expertise

Mobile apps and games, Macs, iOS and tvOS devices, Android, retro games, crowdfunding, design, how to fight off an enraged smart saucepan with a massive stick.