Teenage Engineering teases the tape recorder of my dreams, only it’s digital

The kooky geniuses at Teenage Engineering are back with a new gadget that is guaranteed to make you salivate until its price tag smacks you back to reality.

The maker of drool-worthy synthesizers just announced the TP-7, a teeny portable recorder that features a “motorized tape reel” that spins as it captures audio and also functions like a click wheel.

Teenage Engineering imbued this digital recorder with layers of nostalgia, evoking both the early-ish days of digital (like Apple’s original iPod, Gizmodo points out) and the yet-more-distant days of tape. The TP-7 also seems to pull from some iconic camera designs; its recording indicator beams like Leica’s red dot, while its leather back seems to draw from Polaroid’s classic SX-70. 

In other words: The Stockholm-based audio company is teasing yet another gorgeous, totally overbuilt and arguably unnecessary gadget. It’s $1,499 and “coming this summer.”

I want one desperately.

Okay, okay, I’ll focus — promise.

The TP-7 also features record, play and stop buttons, a fast-forward/rewind trigger, 128 GB of storage, and an internal mic and speaker. The device also supports up to three external mics (via 3.5 mm audio jacks) and it can connect to an iPhone or laptop via USB-C or bluetooth. Teenage Engineering says its battery lasts around seven hours.

The TP-7 is part of Teenage Engineering’s high-end “Field System” collection, alongside the OP-1 music maker and CM-15 mic. But if you want a taste of Teenage Engineering’s quirky gear without the prohibitive price tag, you can still peep its pocket synths, which are largely “sold out” on its website but typically cost just north of $100 on sites like Reverb and eBay.

Better yet, nostalgia-chasers who long for the days of cassettes can also simply opt for a bonafide shoebox or multitrack tape recorder.