Cast your minds back many years, to the days when Vestax did crazy stuff that never got beyond a wooden prototype. The circular PDX-01 turntable was one such item that I coveted badly. Sadly, it was not to be, but dutch turntables lovers Miniot have taken this one step further to the point of ultra minimalist vinyl play. Behold Wheel by Miniot, a turntable that quite literally turns playing records on its head. And it can be yours via Kickstarter.
Wheel aims to hide the trappings of turntables, and makes it a frame for your vinyl. It can play horizontally or vertically, and eschewing conventional controls, playback is managed via the spindle.
Externally, there’s not so much as a start button — just a beautiful polished wood and metal carrier for your precious platters that matter.
THE GUTS
Inside Wheel is where the magic happens. It’s a belt drive platter based around a liner motion mounted cartridge, the Audio-Technica AT95E, which has a solid reputation for punching way above its weight for the price. This is a modified part — you won’t be able to change this, but it does use standard needles.
The limitation of wheel is that it only plays 12″ vinyl running at 33rpm. So for those of you out there pandering to your 45 fetish, Wheel is not for you. But God knows there’s enough turntables out there that serve your needs. That said, I’m imagining how pant-wettingly sexy a 45 Wheel would be with a small slot for a crossfader.
KICKSTARTER
The great news is that the Kickstarter project is already fully funded. But there’s still plenty of Wheels for you to go at, from the regular €472 model that is 38% off retail (79 left), which then steps up to €568 for the next 400 Wheels. The special edition indian rosewood-champagne edition still has 31 left and will set you back €663.
I wish Miniot every success with Wheel. It’s a stunning piece of work.
It’s not often that I get news tips via Twitter PM. So thanks to @Peaseispants for this little gem.