PS-F5 for repair on eBay March 22nd, 2011
This is worth a look if you’re in the USA and after spares for your PS-F5 or one to repair:
retr0bright instructions March 10th, 2011
I’ve started gathering the ingredients to mix up some retr0bright, but still some way off. Today I found this Google translated French article describing the process:
Thorens Excelda Portable Gramophone March 7th, 2011
This week I visited the Ardingly Antiques Fair. While I left empty handed, I did spot one of these Thorens portable turntables:
View a 3D rotating image from the British Museum here
It looked like it was complete, but wasn’t in great condition. Originally made in Switzerland in the 1920s, surely this has to be one of the earliest small portable turntables made. It was known as a CameraPhone due to the fact that it looked like a folding camera when folded up. So it was the first Camera Phone too 
Thorens Exelda “CameraPhone” Portable Phonograph ~ Switzerland c1920 What a cool little device this is: a hand cranked motorized portable phonograph that stores in a case that masquerades as a folding camera. Made in Switzerland by Thorens of St. Croix, this is the Exelda 78 rpm portable gramophone often referred to as the CameraPhone. Measuring only 28 x 12 x 6 cm (11 x 4.5 x 2.3 inch,) the turntable tone arm, head, and crank all store neatly inside the ornately painted metal case. The turntable has a nut that holds the record in place and it also acts as a closing lock for the case. There is an on/off speed lever on the inside and it comes with a packet of extra needles. It is in excellent condition and plays perfectly and is actually quite loud for such a little thing. Taken from Victor Phonogrpahs
While trying to find what it was online, I also found this portable Thorens, which is the best looking suitcase turntable that I’ve seen:
New PS-F5 YouTube Video February 8th, 2011
Shonky quality, but good to see another one in use.
Interesting how the user inserts the records in their sleeves. Not sure if that’s really necessary, specially as he seems to pull them back out to see which way round he’s put the record in.
Vinyl’s Good For Your Health (like we didn’t already know that) January 27th, 2011
The idea behind the concept is to create an environment that takes these early Dementia patients back to a time that they hold dear, and the sound of vinyl records play an integral part.
From The Daily Vinyl’s Vinyl Helping Dementia Patients In The UK
New PS-F9 Video on YouTube January 12th, 2011
A happy new year to all. It was made especially happy for us here as our first child was born last week. Both mother and son are healthy and doing well.
As for the subject of portable Sony turntables- this video of a PS-F9 in action was posted to YouTube yesterday. Enjoy 
What is the PS-F5 & PS-F9 Cartridge? (It’s not P-Mount) November 23rd, 2010
Well, having wondered for a while about the type of cartridge used, I had read somewhere that it was a P-Mount (also known as T4P), which was a standard mount used by Technics and other Japanese manufacturers on some of their turntables in the 80s. I’m now certain it’s something else.
I saw this UK eBay listing for a P-Mount with a decent photo:
This is what a VL-44G cartridge from a PS-F5 turntable looks like (with stylus installed):
The difference is plain to see
So the question remains, is there another Audio Technica model number that these cartridges go by? That would surely help in tracking down replacement/ upgrade cartridges. The quest continues…
Turntable Animation November 11th, 2010
Some clever animations made using the strobe effect gained by filming with the correct shutter speed under household lights which are strobing undetectably at 50 or 60hz (depending on where you live). This is the same principle as the red dots that are used as a speed guage on the outside of the platter of some turntables.
The illusion of movement with a record player.
Watch as hidden animations come alive by using a specific frame rate and shutter speeds of a camera and RPM of a record player.
To me this is one of the ultimate illusions.
Definition of Illusion: something that deceives by producing a false or misleading impression of reality.
I used a Numark turntable set to 45 RPM and the camera was set to 24 FPS. The shutter speed was set to around 840. With that combination of settings a 30 frame animation would appear to stand still. I used the slider to increase / descrease rpms which caused the images to move foward or backward.
The sequence of the guy jumping on the blocks was the most difficult but turned out the best, in my opinion.
The images of the guy jumping is me. I recorded myself jumping in the living room then took 30 frames from that footage and traced the images in photoshop and filled with black. Then printed out the 30 images and cut each one out. I used 30 wooden blocks and glued them to a piece of construction paper then taped the images of the jumping guy to the clear sheet and aligned them with the blocks.
I also love the pac-man animation. It’s so simple but just has such a cool feel to see the mouth opening and closing.
brasspup on YouTube
Columbia’s Portable Mixing Rig November 11th, 2010
Recently spotted a Columbia GMX-3 mixer on eBay. A portable mixer from Japan which is designed to be used with a pair of GP-3 portable turntables. Interesting piece of kit, but from what I can find online the turntables are only mono although they do have pitch control and built in speaker. Each device runs on either 100/110VAC (with built in tranformer) or batteries.
Going on recent eBay prices it would cost over £350 (US$560) to buy a pair of turntables and a mixer.
Thank Timberlake For That October 8th, 2010
BERLIN — Justin Timberlake says he thinks vinyl records sound better than digitalized tunes.
The 29-year-old pop musician and actor told German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau on Thursday that he loves putting on records featuring oldies from the Beach Boys and early Beatles, claiming they “sound warmer” and “more vintage” than digital versions. The Associated Press
