FAD GADGETS

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

VOC-25

Swedish designer Love Hultén hits the back of the net once again, with this voice synthesiser that comprises a keyboard, discreet knobs and 25 sets of chattering plastic teeth. Ahhh, oohs and mmms emanate from the disembodied mouths, each of them accompanied by a satisfying clack as they open and snap shut. Once you’ve got over the slightly nightmarish vision, it’s a truly marvellous thing to behold. Of course, it satisfies no practical purpose whatsoever, but somehow that only makes it more wonderful. www.lovehulten.com

FENDER MUSTANG MICRO

Back in the day, amplifiers were things that took up way too much cupboard space and were unusable in domestic environments because of the fear of being served with a noise abatement order. That’s all changed. In the steps of similar tiny amp emulators from the likes of Vox comes this new gadget from Fender, which packs 12 amps and 13 effects pedals into a form factor that’s about the size of your hand. It comes with a rechargeable battery, Bluetooth connectivity and the undying gratitude of everyone you live with. www.fender.com

GEARBOX AUTOMATIC TURNTABLE MKII

Some believe that the inner workings of electronic devices should remain a mystery. Others make a beeline for transparent gadgets. If this record player’s see-through body, moving magnet cartridge and valves doesn’t sucker you in, there’s the onboard music recognition technology, which magically makes your vinyl records appear on Spotify playlists. Some might say that just negates the point of having a record player at all, but they’re just a bunch of spoilsports. www.gearboxrecords.com