Vinyl killer

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A soundwagon and its box

The vinyl killer (also known as a soundwagon or record runner) is a small record player which sits on top of a record and plays it by pushing or pulling itself along the grooves.

History[]

The earliest known example of the vinyl killer was the Chorocco, from 1976. Produced by Sony in Japan, it was used as a promotional item and never sold. A unit is on display at a Sony museum in Japan.[1]

A version of the product called the soundwagon was demonstrated at the Invention and New Product Exposition in 1982. It was being promoted by Jay Lance who was looking for a distributer in the United States at the time.[2] The exterior of the product was shaped like a Volkswagen campervan.[3]

The concept was reused by the RokBlok, a product launched on Kickstarter in 2016. It included bluetooth functionality, as well as an internal speaker.[4] In 2017, the product appeared on an episode of Shark Tank.[5]

Design and operation[]

The product plays music by driving around the record, following its groove. A lever on the side starts and stops the machine. It was capable of playing records at 33, 45, and 78 RPM, and in reverse.[3]

The name "vinyl killer" stems from the general opinion that the device can damage records more quickly than a standard turntable.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ "失敗の歴史を誇る　ソニー歴史資料館　その１" (in Japanese). 博物館行き. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  2. ^ Kalson, Sally (3 May 1982). "These inventors are patently creative". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 25. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b "A secret record decoder?". The Spokesman-Review. 10 July 1982. p. 14. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  4. ^ Hoddinott, Helen. "New portable record player lets you listen to vinyls anywhere, without a turntable". The Independent. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  5. ^ Carter, Brooke (26 July 2018). "RokBlok by Pink Donut After Shark Tank - 2018 Update". Gazette Review. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  6. ^ Gartenberg, Chaim (5 December 2016). "The RokBlok is a portable vinyl player for listening to records anywhere". The Verge. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
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