Mighty Tiny - Smallest record player in the world?

The Mighty Tiny is a very small record player from the 1960s that claimed to be "The smallest record player in the world", but was it?
Relevant Links:
A video featuring the Japanese version that played sound effects: • トミー ビックリレコード & OHIO AR...
An article on History's Dumpster: historysdumpster.blogspot.com/...
The mighty tiny on Discogs: www.discogs.com/label/400744-...
Queen Mary Dolls House Gramophone: www.rct.uk/collection/search#...
00:00 The beginning
03:29 The repair
11:31 First play
12:22 More repairs
13:32 Another go
14:59 A bit of history
17:14 The true smallest records
19:06 Pointless experiment
21:09 Wrap-up
21:58 Patreon credits
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[@BManningtree]

Analogue audio enthusiasts will appreciate the price and warm sound quality of these; clearly superior to mini-discs.

[@Robert08010]

Ooooow-snap!

[@herbiehusker1889]

Vinyl is always better than digital.

[@ryanblakeslee1406]

Well, it has a lot better longevity and repairability than any mini-disc player I've ever owned.

[@craigduncan4826]

Totally agree. Far superior to CD’s with its analogue nature and infinite range, rather than CD’s digital limitations.

[@mxbishop]

The only thing needed here are better audio cables. :-)

[@albema_music]

Huge advantage of this one : absolutely no risk of content match !

[@Nightenstaff]

I dunno... when it comes time for me to listen to Oh! Susanna, this is definitely gonna be my 'go to' spot. Take *that* music industry!

[@kumquatqueen5975]

Channeling some of that Rocky 8-track energy. 😂

[@alasdair4161]

I think the YT content bot is still smoking...

[@michael931]

BBC is already at work copyrighting it.

[@trevorbrown6654]

That's exactly what i thought too

[@owensmith7530]

I love the way every record sounds pretty much the same regardless of what is meant to be on it.

[@uncaringbear]

It's a little sad that we won't see these kinds of electro-mechanical toys produced any more. There's a certain kind of ingenuity and efficiency in how these devices and designed and produced, not to mention their quaint charm!

[@videolabguy]

When children inevitably disassemble toys like this, they learn a great deal about engineering. Putting them back together for the first time teaches them to be technicians. Very inexpensive education if you ask me.

[@Uhohlisa]

@@videolabguyyes!!! I would have LOVED this as a kid, and loved to take it apart.

[@EeekItsSnek]

Yeah it's alright if you subtract the mass amount of land waste that these trinkets create after they've hit the bin in a week. It's hard to grasp how much waste a couple nicknacks make. But it is substantial. And there are tons of fun and inexpensive STEM and STEAM kits out nowadays like Kiwico that have actually semi usefull engineering kits for kids. And they may not get chucked in the trash right away.

[@captainp.2721]

Literally all of these scratch that, most of retro/90s tech are hot garbage. Especially these that were marketed for kids. I mean that kind of sound ? An insult to hearing itself. They use that trash for torture in north Korea.

[@captainp.2721]

​@@videolabguybackbone of engineering. Indeed, it's exactly what our top minds would do if an alien craft would land. Only way to back engineer is take it apart and put it together.

[@Fatgerman]

My heart goes out to the parents who bought their kids one of those and then had to spend the next weeks listening to what sounds like rubber bands being tortured, over and over again. You managed to make a very entertaining video out of it though, so perhaps it was all worth it.

[@terencehill2320]

No it doesn't stop the fake courage

[@FMCREPAIRARMAGH22]

My dad would have smashed it to bits lol

[@Chris-tn9bf]

rubber bands being tortured is a perfect description

[@matthiasbreiter4177]

Something sounding like this is called a "mice chorus" over here. But tortured rubberband is a more fitting description XD

[@lakrids-pibe]

In my family there is a tradition of giving every newborn a very noisy and terrible "duck piano" as a gag. The parents tend to remove the batteries and "forget" where they put them.

[@jajwarehouse1]

The box art accurately depicts the look of horror any kid would have when they hear the sounds emitted by one these little coffins.

[@MrJC1]

hahaha little coffins! got me there.

[@alexkuhn5078]

we need a compilation video, like "10 hours of Mighty Tiny music to chill to" with just a still image of that box art

[@jasoncarswell7458]

Friend: "What's this?" Child: "INEVITABILITY..." (demon torturing noises emit from the speakers) Child: "LISTEN TO THE MIGHTY TINY. TAKE YOUR PLACE ALONGSIDE THE DARK LORD." 👹 Friend: 😨😨😨

[@button-puncher]

Kid pictured is torturing another kid.

[@shuflie]

@@alexkuhn5078 With runtime of less than 30s per record and only 40 titles listed on discogs there's going to be a few repeats in there.

[@Deckardrick007]

The coffin mold was for a vintage Japanese board game called Horror House. The game had a main character called Death Head. On the board game was a this exact player but had a green Death Head mold on top. You would stick crucifix's inside his mouth and spooky sounds would play. Inside was a small record with multi sound spooky effects. I know this because I finally found the game after years of searching. I eventually restored it to perfect working order. Cool to see it as another children's toy.

[@NickWeissMusic]

Somehow, I knew it was a factory parts bin thing, Mat nailed it!

[@tvfromvcr8331]

I love that you pushed this thing that little bit further by playing it on a regular record player. As always, Techmoan, your content is superior 🙏🏻

[@EeekiE]

I wanted to see a Wow and Flutter test 😂

[@NigelGentry]

Plus pushing it even further by recording it and speeding it up to the correct speed.

[@Rock48100]

I was genuinely surprised at how good it sounded

[@gabrielv.4358]

it would explode the Meter @@EeekiE

[@MK-lk7nc]

The audio quality of the Mighty Tiny perfectly matches the emotional tone of the box art. One is the sound of madness, the other is the image of madness.

[@IstasPumaNevada]

I've never heard a more thematically-appropriate rendition of Dixie.

[@RyoHazuki224]

Play the music while very slowly zooming into the box art, while also slowly fading in a harsh red filter over the video! LOL fade to black... hear screams

[@brintonsdad]

I now know the root of my childhood trauma.....

[@doktorspock8910]

What would happen if the record could be played backwards?

[@ericmendenhall2867]

​@@doktorspock8910the end of humanity

[@gigaherz_]

The Mighty Tiny scared the shit out of my cat. He was staring at the computer speakers with wide open eyes and then decided he was better off in another room.

[@MartGC]

Oh i can imagine that, poor cat. But still very funny, this comment made me laugh so hard 😂

[@RevRaptor898]

Startled my one too. He didn't leave the room but he did react much like your one did.

[@ItsMrAssholeToYou]

Well duh. Would you want to stick around and listen to one of _your_ kind getting brutally murdered like that?

[@raulglez]

🤣🤣

[@BTGDelta]

You are a monster for subjecting your cat to this horrible noisy torture! :D

[@theSam91]

I liked the fact that you could play the entirety of the records without any chance of hitting a copyright strike.

[@jinky0u812]

As I was watching, I thought to myself, "I sure hope he attempts to play that somehow on a regular quality turntable in an attempt to check the actual quality of the pressing!" I KNEW you wouldn't let me down! 🥰 You are, by far, my favourite KZbinr!

[@TheRolandS69]

The comic timing and facial expression on needing to tap it to start playing at the end, was spot on.

[@mandrakethemadcoder]

That was a truly perfect ending. 😄

[@steveglasby5774]

I had a chuckle at that expression too! 😂 Perfect end to another video about a dodgy sound outputting kids music toy!

[@Colaholiker]

That's the subtle humour I so much love about this channel.😄

[@leonerduk]

That sound will haunt my dreams for days to come now

[@jamesgockel854]

@@leonerduk Just your dreams? I'm hearing it still.

[@niek024]

That sounded even worse than I expected. Although I'm not sure why I had any expectations at all :-)

[@shaunclarke04]

I mean I at least expected it to be audible 🤣

[@snicklefritzsnicklefritz5069]

I've never winced and laughed so hard at the initial sound coming out of one of your unique formats Love the channel, keep up the great work. Tefifon is my all time favorite .

[@Padraigp]

Reminds me of the BBC news story where they aired the first ever recording of clair de la lune. Its hysterical and I won't tell you the real clincher at the end so you must look it up. 😂

[@andyjdhurley]

That's considerably bigger than the 'record player' inside the action figure I had in the 70s. It was built into the torso of the figure and the disc was removable and reversable and IIRC had several grooves so the character 'spoke' different lines each time you pressed the button (or it might have been pulled the cord, I don't think it had batteries).

[@bigboomer1013]

I belive most of the traditional pull string toys have mini record players in them. They don't run with digital speakers. It's probably the reason why the old toys make a demonic sound when the battery is running low as the record player is slowing down.

[@philtowle4683]

My brother used to have a dalek with a small record player in it. Think it was battery powered.

[@Ancientreapers]

In ending, Don Poynter passed away on August 29, 2021 at the age of 95. Not bad. "In a 1988 interview with Scripps Howard, Mr. Poynter mused about the device he wanted to invent for his own tombstone. “When you walked up to it,” he said, “you’d activate an electronic voice. And it would say, ‘Come on down.’”" RIP Mr. Poynter.

[@chronicallykat4920]

Aww how sad he went but I hope he did manage that for his tombstone. I for one would buy one for my own

[@hk-rob]

So maybe the coffin shape was deliberate all along...

[@sunbeam8866]

That or "Room for one more, honey!" (Twilight Zone - episode title '22', 1960)

[@admirerofclassicalelectron2858]

It has to be that warm analogue sound that vinyl enthusiasts always rave about.

[@simonpeteradkins]

Which is why they're listed on Discogs.

[@blakksheep736]

Yes, "warm", in the way a friction burn is "warm"...

[@bkzach]

The fact that the image stuck with you for a decade and your only concern was getting a hold of one is just one of the many reasons I love this channel

[@darkally1235]

That's one way to avoid copyright strikes! Imagine what vocals would have sounded like.

[@rogerdonne6769]

I'm amazed this video hasn't been tripped up by copyright matches. The quality of the reproduction is astounding!

[@rockerseven]

I read this before watching. Now this comment is hilarious lol

[@fridaycaliforniaa236]

@@rockerseven Same 😂

[@AlyxxTheRat]

The idea of Banjo Pete's Greatest Hits being on Spotify is hilarious to me.

[@asciimation]

I made a "Steampunk record player" as a joke (that almost no one got). Literally a steam engine powered record player playing the Sex Pistols God save the Queen. Badly. You can find it on KZbin. Sounds about as good as this and I got hit by a copyright match!

[@radioflyer2030]

@@asciimation - Hilarious, thanks for that... but your Steampunk God Save the Queen is squeaky clean compared to this abomination. As a live sound & recording engineer, I was genuinely horrified by the Mighty Tiny. I felt like my ears were watching the most terrifying horror movie in human history...

[@bushidiru]

the lengths you went to in order to play it on a standard sized player and make it (roughly) listenable was admirable. thank you for your efforts.

[@downumop]

Don't recall if you've ventured into 3D printing, but a one-off adapter for this setup would be quick and easy.

[@bojcio]

@@downumop or you know, just some tape...

[@volvo09]

​@@downumopthere is no point in printing an adapter... It's a kids toy. Pretty much a nail on a "record", precision is not in the design.

[@totalmarh]

Next we need to play a full-sized record on the toy

[@erwindewit4073]

@@totalmarhYes, perhaps cut it down slightly in size? Drill a larger hole in the centre. Oh wait. why are all those pesky grooves so far away?

[@lexluthermiester]

@Techmoan I actually had one of those. Grandmother gifted it and she included 5 sets of the records. When new out of the package, the sound was audible and we readily hear what was intended to be played. Sadly, due to the cheapness of the mechanism, it degraded quickly. The model you have uses a metal stylus, mine was plastic. You did bangup job getting it working again! And solids props for thinking up a way to sample the recordings from the discs. Thank You doing this one! Took me back to a time in life I had forgotten. I'll raise a toast to you, Cheers!

[@billglynn4883]

Back in the early 50's Noma Plastics produced a train station sized for O gauge model trains that played 3 inch 78 rpm records announcing train departures. Both steam and diesel sound records came with the unit. It used 2 D cells for rotational power and had an acoustic reproducer with a steel needle that could be replaced.

[@alaricsmith5558]

That's one of the best Banjo recordings I've ever heard. Terrifying. It was like watching Deliverence.

[@telebubba5527]

Oh Suzanna however did sound how I remember it being played on an old wind up record player.

[@user-co6ww2cm9k]

It's the first time I've ever heard a banjo in-tune!

[@FreejackVesa]

Don Poynter was an incredible engineer. Yeah, these designs are simple, but they've stood the test of time with truly minimum components. That's hard to do

[@mangobrainify]

Did you listen to the same thing I did? I'm not sure it "stood the test of time". 😂 With all due respect to Poynter, I think this one is best left in the past.

[@LordSandwichII]

@@mangobrainify Not this one, maybe, the other ones! 🤣

[@orbatos]

I suspect it was roughly based on the versions used for automated voice systems at the time. There were several versions made by Japanese companies including Nissan. These had tracks and much higher quality audio though.

[@melody3741]

Stood the test of time? Not exactly

[@FreejackVesa]

@@mangobrainify I meant more the designs themselves. Almost everything on that list is at least familiar to me. Actual implementation of the designs are just old. Intuitive designs may seem like they're easy to come up with, but I don't think they really are. You need to have a knack for creating stuff that is simple and makes a lot of sense that no one has already come up with. Get what I mean? Cheers

[@the7569]

This is so cool! I love that it can make sounds that somewhat kind of resemble music if you had perhaps some sort of horrific ear-related injury

[@mx.blackhole7615]

Truly amazed they manage to capture the sound of a wind up flash light onto a tiny plastic record disc.

[@WatanabeNoTsuna.]

That tap on the lid with the deadpan face! 😂😂😂😂😂 Never change, Mat! 😂😂😂 Also, one of the many good things about this channel is how Mat always predicts the weird questions we might have about the stuff he shows us, like how the vinyl sounds on a regular player. My Saturday lunch is always a blast with these videos to keep me company! 😀

[@BertGrink]

Yeah, Mat surely knows his audience by now :D

[@Robert08010]

Saved me having to leave a comment. But now I've gone and left one anyway. Dang it all!

[@WatanabeNoTsuna.]

@@Robert08010 We all gotta do our part to help with the algorithm! 😊👍

[@kirminator]

I think that if Mat didn't tap it and we only got that half a second of noise, combined with Mat's deadpan expression, it would make the ending even more hilarious 😅

[@briankeenan4901]

When I was about 7, my older sister (about 22) , bought a doll from a co-worker and it talked. It has the same mechanism in it as you've shown here. They always sounded like that. Being the smart kid that I was, I opened up that doll as soon as I heard it. I was amazed that it had a record player in it. Everyone teased that I was a boy playing with dolls. But it was 1964 and GI Joe wasn't prominent yet. And I found a doll with a record player in it. It eventually led to my career as a communication technician.

[@chaos.corner]

That's a good point. Matt should probably look at some of these mechanisms.

[@td4dotnet]

Never thought I'd see the day where my passion for playing the Banjo and for watching videos on obscure vintage tech would appear but as usual Techmoan delivers! Thanks for this absolute treat! :-)

[@VJFranzK]

It's incredible to see them working on a full sized player!

[@Crazy_Borg]

That tap on the lid at the end was just the icing on the cake. Brilliant.

[@MrEverton2004]

“What’s the wow and flutter level?” “Yes” 😅

[@nrdesign1991]

This is strikingly similar to one of those early record-playing voice boxes used in talking toys (end even in some of the cars made by Datsun) before electronics took over. Of course, in this design the record is easily interchangeable.

[@JimTheZombieHunter]

This brings back memories of being a lad and taking my sister's talking doll to bits. The mechanism was pull-string and clock spring instead of motor driven, but for voice only I recall the sound quality wasn't horrible - certainly no worse than one would find in a 'talking fish' or similar modern novelties. To this day I use it as an example of engineering elegance. Thoroughly enjoyable video!

[@bill_the_duck]

Pretty amazing how far we've come in terms of personal music just within our lifetimes, or our parent's lifetimes. We went from "here's a novel thing: listen to 15 seconds of horrible quality music in a bulky plastic coffin" to "1000 songs in your pocket" to now, listen to basically any music at any time from anywhere, in pristine quality as good as your sound equipment can support. I'm not sure there's much farther we can go with it now, short of beaming music directly into your brain.

[@gabrieldarcy1744]

And brain-music beaming is probably on the way in our lifetimes, too! 😂

[@martinkf]

I'm not so sure about the "pristine quality as good as your sound equipment can support" about streaming, bro

[@trashtrash2169]

For most people at most ages that is true.

[@d_vibe-swe]

​@@martinkfStreaming is not a measurement of audio quality.

[@solinus7131]

​​@@martinkfUnless the streaming service supports "lossless" audio quality (such as Tidal or Apple Music). Not sure if it's really loseless sonce I haven't had either...

[@HPPalmtopTube]

There were actually dolls for little girls in the 70's that contained small records, where you pulled a cord to wind up a spring, and they played sound effects from the little disk, fully analog, similar mechanism to this. The sounds were the doll crying, laughing etc...

[@mhoppy6639]

Same as my Palitoy action man talking commando. _”ENEMY TANKS APPROACHING!!!”_

[@PaulTaylor1]

And the Talking Dalek! My brother had a talking police car, and there were several "radio backpacks" for Action Man. I think all of these were Palitoy.

[@adamdavies163]

Yes, i've seen similar mechanisms in toys. Good old days!

[@MayaPosch]

Indeed, seen channels like MyMateVince disassemble and repair a number of those, as well as newer mechanisms. Those 'talking doll' mechanisms are pretty amazing insights in how far technology was being pushed at the time for what would have been very affordable toys. My favourite part about those mechanisms was how they managed to pick a random sound sample from the record with each pull. It's a toy, but it can still be genius.

[@unanimousowlcouncil7377]

there was also a Dalek toy that worked the same way, recording of Exterminate etc

[@45oldies10]

I planned to do a quick watch for about a minute and would watch later. As always you got me sucked into the video and I couldn't stop watching. There is something about the way you bring your video's, either it's the way of it's symplicity of the fact you go very in depth about the information about the products. Thanks you for many lovely enjoyable days of watching Matt 👌👌

[@salis-salis]

These kind of videos are my favorites! I get that Techmoan has covered almost everything, but I appreciate the dedication to find *every* format ❤

[@DickDawsonTheShills]

What a super cool yet horrid little thing. Love it.

[@chinabluewho]

Definitly needed a wind up key on the outside like the old Disney player had.

[@DickDawsonTheShills]

@@chinabluewho that would have been perfect.

[@marcus_w0]

I love those high end audio gear videos! There's something special about the art and craftsmanship that goes into these kinds of devices. The engineering is driven by the enthusiasm for fine audio. The music they're producing has a special warmth, that simply couldn't be replicated by modern digital media.

[@sunbeam8866]

Like fingernails on a blackboard!

[@colombianguy8194]

My sarcasm detector just exploded 😂😂

[@metacob]

I finally understand what all those audiophiles have been talking about, it's magical!

[@lowlightpiano7110]

Repent and put your trust in Jesus. We've all sinned and deserve Hell. Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected, defeating death and sin. Since we broke the law, Jesus paid our fine. Since he paid it, we can be let go. We must repent and trust in Jesus to be saved. Revelation 21:8 Romans 3:23 John 3:16 Romans 6:23 1 Corinthians 15:3,4 Revalation 3:20 Romans 10:13❤❤❤😊

[@itoibo4208]

fun fact: the etch a sketch had better quality audio than the mighty tiny

[@phinok.m.628]

I was so hoping you would try to play it on a normal record player and (assuming the record player isn't fast enough) digitally speed it up. And you did! ❤ I just wanted to say, I really appreciate the effort you put into your videos. I'm sure applies to most of the people watching your videos. Thanks for showing interesting little things from the past, in such detail.

[@SharpblueCreative]

The Techmoan Museum has to be a thing in the future with all these items you have collected.

[@BertGrink]

Flippin' 'eck. Yes, we need that!

[@fenceup07944931177]

I'd go!

[@kavyman1066]

We need to crowdfund!

[@fmphotooffice5513]

If not crowd funded at least curated. I'm sure there is a university somewhere near to him with the proper facilities and means to search and use the original to (reverse engineer, etc) in the future.

[@voiceofraisin3778]

Dunno, Sam Battle might have got in early with the Furby organ and taken that spot?

[@ICantStopMakingNoise]

That speed control is fascinating. I love "non component" bits like that. I dismantled a cheap milk frother where the switch was just a plastic pad that nudged a wire into the side of the motor housing, and this feels like the same spirit.

[@RingwayManchester]

Your videos never fail to impress. Brilliant as always Mat

[@trevoreb]

The 1982 Nissan 200SX and likely a few other nissans at the time had a tiny record player mounted behind the passenger seat that played announcement about seat belts, low oil, and other important items. At the time I found it to be pretty cool.

[@jamesten]

I had that very gadget in the early 1970s. The record I remember played "Turkey in the Straw" (which you can see with the little girl and wagon wheel cover and which our friend Techmoan demonstrates). How nice to see it and hear it again!

[@bojcio]

Did it sound better? This one is old, I doubt its representative of the sound of a new device.

[@roby827]

Do you remember if it sounded better when new? 😂

[@perry92964]

i had one as well, i just commented turkey in the straw was also my favorite.

[@perry92964]

@@bojcio i dont know if this will help but the sound was about as good as a cheap pocket am transistor radio.

[@GuyAllenMusic]

@@roby827 I had the same, it sounded MUCH better (I mean not like a real record, but like a bad transistor radio)

[@AKB67UK]

Don’t know if these have already been mentioned here: I had a laughing bag in the 70s, which was essentially the same kind of set up. I was thrilled to discover that the record - clear vinyl, no less - could be flipped over. The ‘B’ side was a female take on the more familiar laugh track used for standard laughing bags. I’ve yet to track another one down, it’s always the male version.

[@stepheneyles2198]

Was that those things which had a pull-cord to activate them? I remember seeing them, but never had my own! The sound was very similar to these records!

[@windyleecarr]

Had one myself when I was young around the late 70s / early 80s. Was the male version. I do remember taking it apart and seeing the clear disc but don't remember a female version. Long time ago and it's all a bit vague now 😊

[@invisiblekincajou]

Was it that thing used by Nicolson Joker?

[@krikorsahakian4955]

When I was a child a friend of mine had the mighty tiny record player and we also went to the school together and we listened to the mighty tiny record player after school one day after Xmas vacation.

[@JoeOrber]

What a fantastic and thorough production you achieved in this video, thank you for sharing your passion and dedication! The rendition of the creepy grin was the cherry on top lol 😂 thanks mate! ❤

[@lynncowan9864]

In the USA we had the "Close & Play" record player in the 1960s. It was essentially the exact same thing as this little gizmo, but it played regular 45 RPM singles, and ran on two D cells, if memory serves...and (naturally) it was physically larger. It has a speed control also - just a simple rheostat.

[@fromthesidelines]

Kenner's "Close 'n Play". Here's a 1967 commercial for them: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a53Ie5lpf9qhjdE

[@azmax623]

My mom said we had one, and she knew where I was from the playing of records of the close & play.

[@Bellinose]

This is easily one of your most hilarious video, the creepy art, the awful sound, what an memorable "HiFry" experience! 😄 But what's more impressive is that with your usual care and dedication, even for the ugliest device, you managed to get some nearly usable sound. Thanks for the laugh! 🙂

[@LeftoverBeefcake]

That's why I adore this channel. The care that goes into these videos, even for crappiest of gadgets, is awesome.

[@1A9lis]

The case remains me of the shape of a 1930s microphone , and if nothing else it proves we were easily entertained back then . Being a product of the early 50s , I had to make do with a spud gun and two bake bean tins and a length of string . 😂. What a wonderful channel this is and how it can evoke such childhood memories . Best wishes and kind regards

[@remixandkaraoke]

That was a lot of fun, Mat. Thanks so much for this and for all you do and are, my brother. You're a blessing to the world. Much respect to you.

[@killercarpcatcher]

No Wow & Flutter measurements? 😊

[@whitslack]

>100% wow & flutter. 😆

[@niek024]

and infinite harmonic distortion.

[@mcm3069]

Just when you think there couldn’t be any other interesting formats to have a look at - Techmoan pulls this thing out of history! Thanks!

[@tannarbuck7908]

I am glad you’re able to preserve this history and share it with us thank you

[@elvisonwax]

How empowering this video is. To think of the trepidation I felt only yesterday, fitting a Beverly Craven mini CD single into my Denon. I imagined it being gobbled up, followed by an audible burp. Matt, you are fearless.. ‘I’ll just disassemble this bit..’

[@antiphlex]

Matt, you have your low-key comedy chops nailed to the floor. Excellent work, good sir.

[@mrrandomperson3106]

That zoom in on the packaging with the horror music spike was excellent!

[@Davecat]

That version of Dixie at 13:33 is the best rendition of that song ever recorded.

[@joshuahadams]

It’s like the sound a saloon band would have after getting blown up in a Looney Tunes short

[@R2DHue]

This video was great to watch from start to finish, with the entire repair process shown in detail.

[@bennyfactor]

Truly a hall of fame episode of Techmoan. Loved it.

[@basketballadigonzalez5561]

Child of the fence?

[@gadgetman36]

I really enjoyed the video. It’s by far the worst sound quality of any device you’ve ever demonstrated. It sounded fine on the Numark.

[@robbo5life]

This was bad, but I still think the mikiphone was the worst sounding device he ever had

[@01chippe]

Maybe it would have sounded better with a direct feed 😅

[@antonio_carvalho]

He did run his finger on the needle several times, I bet that didn't make things any better

[@MrRoeler]

And thát ladies and gentlemen is the reason why Techmoan clearly is the upper class when you keep thinking during the first half of the video.... " I hope he is going to find a way to play these records in a better capable system and 'brush' them up in audacity" ... 19:40 mins ...This guy always delivers. 🎉

[@chvasdek]

At the end of 80's a neighbor's daughter had a doll that could sing. But it broke and she asked me to take a look. Imagine my shock when I opened the doll to find that it used a mini record player and a two side record to hold the song. When I turned the mini record the other side the doll sang a different song the girl had never heard before from that doll! It was the only time I saw a mini record and player.

[@highchampking]

I remember visiting my grandfather, and coming across an old doll that must have belonged to my mom or my aunt. I noticed it had a velcro seam on its back, which I opened. The thing I saw inside was something not unlike a small pink record player with discs as big as the ones you're showing. I had seen "pull-string" crying babydolls, but I never knew how they worked. Apparent this is how.

[@bobafettjr85]

8-Bit guy goes over those in a video about speech synthesizers. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqSwg6uEiKmWmcUsi=mTAdX1cPhvKCxI4t&t=121

[@gabrielv.4358]

wow

[@neilcaldwell870]

I was going to comment on the same context. My sister had a gorilla soft toy with a pull string. Inside was a little box and inside that had a tiny record with a plastic diaphragm speaker and a tiny point for a stylus. I mean... Hey It worked until the cord snapped! Audio quality was not too important. It had 3 sayings on the record each time you pulled the cord to wind it up. Very similar construction, I'm sure he got the idea from such a mechanism.

[@ajvonline]

Despite the creepiness of the presentation and overall results, that little player is surprisingly well engineered!

[@MrManniG]

Thank you, that was my thought as well. I'd say ot was also build quite well considering it was at one point nothing more than a Toy...

[@freeculture]

Fits the Addam's family theme, maybe it was renamed at the last minute. Would explain the coffin shape...

[@ethanpschwartz]

You should take a look at FranLab repairing her Pee-Wee Herman talking doll. Similar stylus and diaphragm, but it ran off a string in the back that needed flywheels and whatnot to regulate the speed as it retracted. It also somehow managed to randomize which phrase it played all with mechanical parts stuffed inside a doll.

[@Charlesb88]

After looking at the creepy girl in the picture and the coffin shape of the record player, I was hoping he he’d play some the the records backwards so we could see if a hole in the ground revealing the pity’s of hell opens up.👹👺👿🔥🪦🕳️⚰️

[@timhartherz5652]

If this was made out of higher quality materials it would have become famous. I feel like the engineers efforts were wasted on a penny pinching company which just wanted a disposable cheap toy.

[@82726jsjsufhejsjshshdjso]

I love your videos man, thank you for taking the time to make them for us.

[@endymallorn]

All jokes aside, I was a decade too late to ever see one of these, but I think it’s kind of neat. The versatility and durability of some audio formats astounds me to this day. Considering the decency of the sped up recording, I wonder if you could bypass the built-in speaker and plug it into something that would have a better sound output. Thank you for showing this neat historical device off!

[@Zerbey]

The quality was surprisingly good through a modern record player! Silly device, but I like it.

[@Madjed2024]

Laughed so hard at the analogy between the box and a coffin 🤓 I admire how passionate you are in doing all the research you do and how generous in sharing the results As always thank you so much Mat

[@dani25801]

me too , hahahahh !!!!😆

[@Cyromantik]

That grimace! Fantastic and entertaining watch as usual, it was fun exploring tiny records!

[@MetalLazer1980]

You're my favorite restoration channel that isn't a restoration channel.

[@2Nu]

Matt, you never disappoint in making lemonade out of lemons when it comes to showcasing fascinating yet utterly mediocre products from a bygone era. Cheers mate!

[@hjalfi]

This is amazing. It's got the highest jank:mass ratio of any device I've ever seen.

[@MaxSMoke777]

Good to see you're still alive, Mat! I owe you some tapes.

[@POPDELUSION]

My jaw dropped when the contact solution worked. I was pretty much yelling at the screen that the motor was dead when you were trying to pry it apart 😅 never knew dead motors can be revived this way

[@firesurfer]

Quite often fans and similar are just dirty from use or debris from the carbon brushes. Cleaning them can bring them back to life.

[@kevodowd5282]

I have some of these mini records from when I worked at Woolies in the early seventies. I managed to play them on a laughing bag machine which runs at the same speed, I still have it and yes it still works!

[@marqsee7948]

reportedly, Frank Zappa wanted to release Alice Cooper's first record in this format, with one song per side and a stack of discs for the whole album in a little cylindrical tin with a pull-top. The lack of players in people's homes was an issue that helped cancel that. He also wanted to release something on PlayTapes, he loved technology and was the first guy to have a fully stocked digital recording studio. Many of his recordings are at risk now from incompatible playback systems and redundant digital technology, so the effort continues to transfer archived material safely. Official release #126 was released recently, and it goes on...

[@valedictorianism]

When I was a kid, my sister had a doll that could say something, or sing, and I vaguely remember one day I took it apart (I used to do that to all my toys to find out how they worked) and there was a tiny record player inside it, and it didn't seem to be an electronic device, it looked like it was purely mechanical. After many decades, I started to wonder whether I hadn't imagined or dreamed up the whole situation, and now, thanks to your video, I see that is a real memory, not a figment of my childish imagination!

[@songsthatarecatchy]

You should try and find that doll again that would be cool

[@ericschulze5641]

The old talking GI Joes had the same thing

[@rossrian6037]

I, too, tore all my toys apart to see how they worked. My fave was the "speak n play" things that were round with a carrying handle on top and a pull string to make it work that housed a tiny recordplayer and the "record" had many lead-in grooves so when you pointed the arrow at the corresponding picture on the toy it would set the needle for that groove! Of course i tore the recordplayer out and had more fun watching it work than playing with the actual toy itself, lol!

[@lurkerrekrul]

I've always been fascinated with miniature things, and I remember when I was quite little, I saw a cake in a local store that had a miniature record player and records on it. I really wanted it, even though I knew it was just a plastic decoration. I honestly can't remember if my mother got me a set of them or not. I have a vague memory of playing with it, but it could just be my memory playing tricks on me.

[@CyclicscoobyFlyer]

Even as a 'Child of the 70's', i'm pretty sure i'd have been disappointed with that horrific noise as a 6yr old... 🙉😂

[@shaun5552]

There were also toys circa 1970's with a pull cord or windup mechanism which played a few seconds of sound when operated. Inside there's a tiny record player mechanism with one record permanently fitted and working on the same principle as this.

[@Wishbone1977]

Your mention of that brought back an early childhood memory. I remember having a toy as a kid, also a novelty item like this, of a similar nature. It was a "bag of laughs", a small canvas bag which, when you shook it (or pushed a button on the thing inside, I don't quite remember), would emit a sound byte of cartoonish laughter. Inside was a plastic contraption containing a battery and a small electrical record player. The record was quite thick and two sided, so it could be flipped around. The other side of it contained a sound byte of birds chirping.

[@JesseBrohinsky]

That's how the Fisher-Pice "See N Say" worked as well. "The cow says.."

[@rastislavzima]

"There's a snake in my boot"

[@len9518]

Remarkable. Great job. I commend you for doing this with a straight face. Any child would have been bored with this, in less than a minute. No measureable rumble!

[@jongarzamx]

A tiny coffin that reproduces the sound of souls in sorrow trapped in little discs

[@WorldCupWillie]

13:35 listen to those lovely warm tones. Vinyl's superior sound quality shines through yet again.

[@StarvedBrainSlug]

I'm so happy that you tried playing it on a regular player. You even thought of speeding it up was about to suggest that but hay no need. Great video as always.

[@smashoklw]

Wow! Now I need to know just who was Banjo Pete? An absolute banjo virtuoso, whose nuanced playing makes my spine tingle.

[@Nicholas019]

I'm loving the quality of the image from your new camera setup, what are you shooting with?

[@pancudowny]

Stopping at the initial inspection of the player, I'm reminded of a series of storybooks that had grooved discs adhered to the inside of various pages containing audio that kept in with the story on the page, which could be played with a player of similar design when set over the record.

[@starbase218]

Thank you for covering this piece of high end, state of the art audio engineering. It is really a shame that so many people do not know what they are missing out on. Why mess around with silver cables when perfection has clearly already been achieved?

[@Superknullisch]

Well put Ox, well put! I couldn't have said it any better myself, good sir! 😉🧐

[@tempestfrost]

My God Mat! The sound, when you first started playing it, was so much worse than I had imagined. lol. I'm still laughing just thinking about it. Is it weird then that I somehow love this new toy of yours? Anyway, another great video as always. Thanks.

[@YouennF]

The last bit with the ’'light percussive persuasion'' on Banjo Pete record is comedy gold.

[@GWN_Garage]

Absolutely brilliant! Why we moved beyond this and into digital audio is beyond me! That warm, soothing vinyl sound cannot be replicated 😊 (insert sarcastic emoji here) Cheers Matt!

[@harveywallbanger3123]

Albums with less than 25% wow and flutter are passe these days.

[@j__r0d]

I don't know that I've ever been so let down and yet enthused by the sound of one of these devices you show off! 😆

[@_specialneeds]

The monitor you have is absolutely obscene, I love it.

[@MrEddiedk]

I had a laughing box placed in a pouch that was sold as toy in the 80's, that was based on this system somehow. It was also a mechanical needle and a membrane, pressing down on a small record, that was driven by a little motor and batteries. It was VERY close to this complete mechanism, except that the record couldn't be changed (the housing was two parts, mounted together with screws).

[@Crusader1089]

It would be kind of interesting to see what kind of precision engineering could achieve in this form factor in the modern day.

[@mandowarrior123]

What, like a mini disk?

[@paulwilson6357]

I'll bet you could 3D print most of that and get it working!

[@Crusader1089]

@@mandowarrior123 Yeah I kinda realise that was the end goal, or those mini hard drives ipods had. But I was thinking analogue audio.

[@app0the]

Well, back in the day there was Nagra SN which wasn't a vinyl player but got to similarly impressive form factors

[@alasdair4161]

Imagine what the 3d printed record surface would sound like with 90% wow and flutter.@@paulwilson6357