FAD GADGETS

Rhodri Marsden on three of the latest must-have gizmos currently putting the prog in progress…

DVINA

It may look like a broken window frame, but trust me, it sounds much better than that. Geeky gadget-meister Vlad Kreimer has built this tribute to Hindustani classical music using a couple of bits of wood, one of them forming the neck of the instrument, the other forming a prop for your arm or leg. There’s no pickup; the signal is taken direct from the two strings (“pure vibration”, as Kreimer calls it) and YouTube video footage demonstrates the instrument’s aural similarity to an extremely angry cello. Rather wonderfully, he’ll make one for you if you send him some money.

www.somasynths.com

BLUETOOTH TURNTABLE

As we sashay effortlessly into a cablefree future, Sony is helping us on our way with this catchily-named record player (PS-LX310BT) that transmits directly to a Bluetooth speaker. The tangled cords of yesteryear are miraculously replaced by thin air, and while there may be arguments over whether you lose audio fidelity by using Bluetooth, I would suggest that we stop arguing about it, unquestioningly embrace innovation, and cough up

£200 to keep the economy moving.

www.sony.com

MODULAR POCKET OPERATOR

Swedish firm Teenage Engineering has unveiled some flat pack versions of its modular synthesisers, providing a visceral thrill for kit-building enthusiasts who like to receive their technology in bits. There are three different models to choose from, and according to the instructions you should be able to “bend, assemble and patch” them together in 15 minutes. So, not a project to keep you sustained throughout the spring — but in theory, it does open the door to a world of musical adventure. IKEA made it work for furniture, so why not for synths?

www.teenage.engineering