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Great Design: This Audio Recording Device with Analog Controls

Teenage Engineering's TP-7 Field Recorder nails it

By Rain Noe - May 15, 2023

in UX

Combining their signature sleek design aesthetic with a focus on UX, Teenage Engineering's TP-7 Field Recorder is an audio recording device with wonderfully tactile controls that solve a lot of problems for those who record interviews. The company refers to the TP-7's UX design, accurately I think, as "zero friction."

With a smartphone recording app, there's three steps until you're on: Unlock your phone, find the app, hit the record button. The TP-7 has one step: Press the "Memo" button on the side (indicated by the orange square) and the device instantly turns on and starts recording.

For situations where you can take your time, there are also conventional Stop, Play and Record buttons at lower left.

The TP-7's user feedback is highly visible and welcomely redundant. When recording, not only is there a red light that illuminates, but the central wheel (meant to recall a tape reel) spins, a digital counter rolls numbers and two VU meters indicate audio levels; the user can have no doubt that audio is being captured--a crucial piece of reassurance to those of us who've lost interviews due to tech fumbles.

The spinning reel isn't merely symbolic, but functional. Should you wish to momentarily pause the recording—if the subject wants to go "off the record," for instance—touching and stopping the reel also stops the recording. Release it, and you're back on.

The rocker switch on the left side (or top, in the rotated photo below) is for scrubbing through footage, forwards or backwards. The wheel turns in concert.

Conveniently, a companion iPhone app transcribes recorded audio into text.

The TP-7's rechargeable battery is good for 7 hours, and the 128GB of storage is enough to record "Five minutes of ideas a day for 20 years."

The asking price is a hefty $1,500, and the device is slated to debut this summer.

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Dee An

a year ago

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An interesting homage to pre-digital times, to Nagra and Sony. A homage, not a tool. The interesting concept is that it considers the interviewee, not just the interviewer.
However, that spinning wheel steps over the line into gimmicky territory. Such mechanisms tend to fail or collect dust, and any moving mechanism can make noise - meaning that using integrated microphones for a quick voice note could pick up noise.
The battery life appears a bit on the low side.
When it comes to reliability, professionals have a range of tried-and-tested models from Sony et al to choose from, many much less expensive. Standard practice is to use two different recorders during each interview.

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Roly S

a year ago

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crumbs, tough audience.
I really like the attempt at turning the functions into physical form. It looks well executed.
A quick peruse of the website shows a range of dedicated audio mixers/synths/sequencers etc... and this item is one of 3 components of a field/portable system.
I don't know the market is like, but it appears a case of dedicated design for electronic music creators.... although I'm sure trust fund influencers might also use it.
If you're doing something infrequently, as an amateur, then a modern smartphone hugely expands your capabilities for cheap. But doing the same thing, frequently, for a living, will quickly make the rational for dedicated devices apparent.

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david copeland

a year ago

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Simply beautiful and thoughtful, but basically un-attainable to mere mortals.

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- Ryan Cee
  
  david copeland
  
  a year ago
  
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  Yep, it's a toy for trustfund influencers to play reporter. Utterly inconsequential.
  
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  - david copeland
    
    Ryan Cee
    
    a year ago
    
    Z
    
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    Makes me wonder what their business model is...make a few, charge a bundle, and eke out a modest profit? I would think that would make for a challenging product pipeline.
    
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steve hassler

a year ago

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very reminiscent of braun devices. I want one but don't really need it. :)

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- Dee An
  
  steve hassler
  
  a year ago
  
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  Check out the Nagra tape reel to reel tape recorders. They date from the early fifties onwards, and became the de facto standard kit in the film industry. They have long been held up as objects of desire.
  Dieter Rams' designs for Braun start a little later, and they they are simpler in form.
  Teenage Engineering have also taken influences from Sony's back catelogue of 1990's, and the simple pleasure of playing with a dismantled HDD.
  
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