3D printable records

If you thought downloading music from the internet had nothing new to offer, think again. One of the tech editors over at Instructables — Amanda Ghassaei — has put a new twist on the digital delivery of music by 3D printing a record. Ghassaei developed a technique that converts digital audio files into 3D printable (33 rpm) grooved plastic discs, that actually play on regular turntables. Not only that, she printed some functioning prototypes as proof of concept. The printer used was relatively high-resolution, with 600 dpi on the x/y axes, and layers just 16 microns thick, but the audio quality is still somewhat low — 11KHz, with a 5 – 6bit resolution. The important thing, however, is that it worked — highlighting even more uses for the burgeoning technology. Want to know what it sounds like? Skip the needle past the break for a lo-fi (or is it “warmer”) demo that includes Nirvana, New Order, Daft Punk and more. Want to make your own? Head to the source for the blow-by-blow instructions.