You might have heard of Tiny Vinyl, the delightful 4-inch records that launched last year. Well now the company has launched a dedicated turntable on which to play them.
The Tiny Vinyl Player is only slightly bigger than a shoebox, and was built with the sole purpose of playing Tiny Vinyls. It is also completely unnecessary, as Tiny Vinyls play on most full-size 33⅓rpm turntables. But where’s the joy in only doing what’s strictly necessary?
The Player wasn’t part of the initial plan for Tiny Vinyl. Co-founders Jesse Mann and Neil Kohler were keen to make the format as versatile as possible. But once sales took off – they just pressed their millionth Tiny Vinyl in only around a year of being on sale – both fans and their biggest retailer Target were urging them to make a dedicated Tiny Vinyl turntable. So here we are.
No small task
Creating a turntable from the ground up – especially one this titchy – is no small task, no pun intended. But, being based in Nashville, the duo are surrounded by music industry peers only too willing to lend their expertise.
“We hooked up with someone who makes the Marshall Bluetooth line of accessories,” says Mann. “He sent us some amazing initial drawings, and then it was off to the races.”
As you can imagine, it posed a bit of an engineering challenge, not least because it boasts its own built-in speakers as well as Bluetooth for playing your vinyls wirelessly on an external speaker.
“We thought adding Bluetooth would be straightforward, but it was a bit of an exercise,” admits Kohler. “It was worth it though – as well as built-in speakers, we wanted the option of playing on your own Bluetooth speaker for more versatility.”
These challenges also opened the pair’s eyes to the intricate workings of a turntable.
“One of the technical things that was interesting to watch from a testing perspective was the rpm (revolutions per minute),” says Mann. “It had to be calibrated to 33⅓rpm, and seeing it being measured with the calibrator to ensure it ran perfectly at that tiny size, that was really fun to see.”
Broadening vinyl’s appeal
Not all the parts had to be created new – the cartridge and needle are off the shelf (though they wouldn’t tell me who makes them). But lots of elements had to be made especially for this product, including the tiny tone arm, the platter and the control panel. The result is something as fun and adorable as the 4-inch vinyls themselves.
“It’s not something you sit down with to listen to The Dark Side Of The Moon,” says Kohler. “It’s not that kind of product, and it was never meant to be.” Rather, it’s an on-ramp to the world of vinyl, helping to broaden the appeal to those shut out by a traditional deck’s greater complexity or higher pricing.
This accessibility is a big part of the appeal. “When we go to vinyl conferences, we’re always surprised by the number of people who thank us for getting more people into vinyl,” says Kohler. “One thing they always say is ‘Thank goodness they’re not on Spotify!’”
The pair have also launched the Frame for displaying Tiny Vinyls on your wall, and the Crate for storing your Tiny Vinyls. The Player sits on top of the Crate in a satisfyingly space-saving way. They are also launching custom, artist-themed Players next year, making another way for fans to connect with their favourite musicians, and all through the medium of vinyl.
The Tiny Vinyl Player is available now from Target for $50 (around £38 / AU$73), with a UK launch hopefully in the autumn.
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