Record Player
Reconstrained DIY #2
The Record Player represented a more challenging prospect. The original idea was to use a direct drive for the turning of the disc through a carefully engineered system of gears and friction. Unfortunately this proved beyond our skills (although remains a motivation for the future) and we resorted to an electrical motor powered by the same system as the Gravity Lamp. The concept did, however, leave the legacy of the vertical layout for the disc and the linear tone arm and cartridge. As with the lamp, the record player also used local sand cast concrete and acacia wood.
These objects are early prototypes and continue to be developed. Once sufficiently refined we will release all the plans with the same motivations as Enzo Mari had when Autoprogettazione was published. There are two added points. First, we plan to publish using open-source methods meaning that others can add knowledge to the subject—already an extremely rich activity in the culture of record players—and second, we acknowledge that the complexity of these objects means that their production would be limited to those with tools, space, and skills. The reconstraint here is to build a network of local makers, fabricators and sources of materials—a process already underway on the island. Ownership in this case changes the consumer to a sort of project manager through the interaction and engagement with the parties necessary to realise the object. This experience both elevates its value and also provides solutions to repair should something go wrong.
