Yves Béhar has designed a smartphone-connected compact turntable that plays music by spinning on top of a still vinyl record.t
The Love turntable, which launches on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter today, aims to make it easier to play vinyl records. Béhar designed it for the new company Love Turntable Inc.
Unlike traditional record players, Love is capable of skipping tracks. This is because its single arm is equipped with a sensor that scans the record and determines its size and number of tracks before playing it back.
The arm sits on top of a smaller, circular base, forming a compact and portable player. Like another recently crowdfunded project, the Rokblok, Love leaves the record still while its arm rotates to scan the grooves.
"While the classic record spins on the turntable, we added a modern twist by creating a linear needle that spins on top of the record; this not only adds visual interest, but it also allows the machine to learn album tracks, and skip songs, through a corresponding app," said Béhar.
"When the arm drops on the record, the magic instantly begins when it floats on the record, spinning in place while reading the grooves of the album."
Users turn the system on by tapping the top of the arm's shell. The same action turns the player off, as well as skipping to the next track.
Alternatively, they can access controls through an accompanying app, enabling them to pause, skip and play tracks remotely. Sound is streamed to speakers via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
"It is an exciting provocation, and an enormous challenge, to reinvent something as timeless as the turntable," said Béhar. "While technology has greatly improved since the era of vinyl, the experience you get when playing a record is something people still crave."
"The physical, tactile act of pulling a record out of the case, dropping the needle, and listening to the warm and rich sound is not something that can be replaced."
Love's design is based on that of classical instruments, with Béhar likening its shiny black finish to that of a grand piano.
Béhar's past projects range from a number of internet-connected products – including a smart thermostat and robotic furniture – to a "boutique" co-working space in San Francisco.
Recently he was among a group of designers commissioned by the Design Museum for the New Old exhibition – for which he created clothes that help the elderly with mobility and an "emotionally intelligent robotic companion" named ElliQ.