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TP–7 Field Recorder

teenage.engineering

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Re: TP–7 Field Recorder

#51

Post by nebula8804 »

soperj wrote: post #15
dvt wrote: post #8

I know everyone's going to complain about the price (which is ridiculous), but I think Teenage Engineering is the last company around that has that sleek Apple aesthetic and extremely premium feel. I get giddy every time I see them on the HN front page. They've been around for a while, so I assume there's a decent professional audiophile community that is supporting them. I hope they continue doing well!

I mean, look at the newest Sony phone: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/05/sonys-1400-xperia-1-...

That little microphone hole at the bottom is not lined up with the other items nor is is evenly spaced out like on the iPhones. Its bugging me.

Re: TP–7 Field Recorder

#52

Post by njharman »

chamakits wrote: post #27

Is the target audience for teenage engineering products people that like extremely sleekly designed products that also have nice features; or do people in their industry hold them as highly regarded products that have unique features and perform well beyond their sleek design? I'm asking without judgement and out of ignorance of the field of audio engineering. I absolutely believe that there is a market for sleekly d…

The marketing and fan hype is exactly same as for other lifestyle companies. Hence you buy these products so you can show and be seen having bought them and receive validation from your perceived peers.

Re: TP–7 Field Recorder

#53

Post by mandmandam »

larvaetron wrote: post #42

I feel like I'm the only person who isn't a fan of Teenage Engineering's design. It's all a bit too uncanny valley for me.

You are not. It's like Patrick Bateman's Fisher-Price to me.

This thing in particular is purely for posers, even more than their other stuff. I find it condescending, and nebulously offensive.

Re: TP–7 Field Recorder

#54

Post by thewataccount »

mandmandam wrote: post #53
larvaetron wrote: post #42

I feel like I'm the only person who isn't a fan of Teenage Engineering's design. It's all a bit too uncanny valley for me.

You are not. It's like Patrick Bateman's Fisher-Price to me. This thing in particular is purely for posers, even more than their other stuff. I find it condescending, and nebulously offensive.

I have literally no experience with music or any of this stuff.

I've seen a few videos and the OP1 looks cool - how do these things perform?

Are they decent but expensive, or are they just pretty but trash?

IMO Apple pulls this off well because their devices work really decently while also holding that premium look.

Re: TP–7 Field Recorder

#55

Post by armadsen »

smoldesu wrote: post #2

$1,500? For a field recorder? That's not a crazy number for a digital synthesizer. It's eye-watering for a pocket-sized mixer. For a microphone though? This is madness. You carry a cell phone with you every day - if you need more, you buy a Zoom handheld for maybe ~$150. There's no shortage of pissing-and-moaning about Teenage Engineering hardware, but goddamn . They are really betting on people not wanting to open t…

I will very likely buy one. I don't need it, or any field recorder really, although I do already own a "regular" Sony field recorder that I use occasionally, but not professionally.

I'll buy it because I love well made, beautiful, functional things. It's the reason I own and regularly use a Leica camera, a (custom) mechanical keyboard, specific reel to reel tape decks and turntables, etc. I also have a particular interest in recording and playback devices of all kinds. Fundamentally I just enjoy and appreciate them. By contrast, I don't care about cars and drive a cheap 15-year old one.

I do of course realize that for many people price must be a primary consideration. I'm grateful and lucky to be in a position where I can (carefully) spend more on certain things. For other people, price is just more important than the things I cited even if they could afford something like this. That's completely reasonable and understandable, too.

Re: TP–7 Field Recorder

#56

Post by leviathant »

chamakits wrote: post #27

Is the target audience for teenage engineering products people that like extremely sleekly designed products that also have nice features; or do people in their industry hold them as highly regarded products that have unique features and perform well beyond their sleek design? I'm asking without judgement and out of ignorance of the field of audio engineering. I absolutely believe that there is a market for sleekly d…

They found a niche in selling aesthetically striking, slightly unwieldy products to people who have more money than sense. The OP-1 at least had a unique set of features (arguably, you're better off with an iPad), but these widgets they're cranking out are really just a tap into the luxury money firehose, and in a way, it's hard to knock them for it.

No one who's using Zoom field records (and that's mostly everybody who does field recordings) is going to buy this unless they've got nepo money - or tech & exec salaries, which is why I'm completely unsurprised by the appearance of this story here on HN.

Teenage Engineering - it looks cool

Re: TP–7 Field Recorder

#57

Post by dylan604 »

fnordpiglet wrote: post #34
amelius wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ultra sleek design.

Looks like my iPhone and every other phone since the iPhone was released - am I missing something? The minimalist slab with a screen isn’t exactly unique any more?

except it has a zoom lens.

also, being able to use the phone as a screen via cable vs latency ridden wireless connection as a video screen is interesting

Re: TP–7 Field Recorder

#58

Post by smitty1110 »

larvaetron wrote: post #42

I feel like I'm the only person who isn't a fan of Teenage Engineering's design. It's all a bit too uncanny valley for me.

You're not alone, and I'm kinda glad you posted. It's some sort of failed minimalism that just bothers me. It's like the bad Ikea manual of the music world.

Re: TP–7 Field Recorder

#59

Post by jelder »

I love physical buttons. My keyboard has the exact right keyswitches for how I type. On the other end of the spectrum is my car's absolutely cursed touchscreen and capacitive buttons.

The TP-7's buttons look really great, until you get to the part about the motorized wheel. That thing is going to jam with lint or sand or beard hair and that's the end. Or something is going to accidentally touch it and you'll miss a key moment of an interview.

I wonder what the battery life would be without that thing.

Re: TP–7 Field Recorder

#60

Post by mandmandam »

fnordpiglet wrote: post #36
dvt wrote: post #8

I know everyone's going to complain about the price (which is ridiculous), but I think Teenage Engineering is the last company around that has that sleek Apple aesthetic and extremely premium feel. I get giddy every time I see them on the HN front page. They've been around for a while, so I assume there's a decent professional audiophile community that is supporting them. I hope they continue doing well!

It doesn’t seem ridiculous if you’re a professional whose life revolves around voice recording. Seems like prosumer quality pricing.

If I saw a professional walking around with this thing, I'd avoid them like the plague. It screams "I care more about looking cool than making quality recordings" to me.

Prosumer pricing for these features would be €450-500 max. €1500 for €150 of audio quality is just smh.

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