RetroTech: Play vinyl records with CD functionality - Sharp RP-117

[@LycanWitch]

I always found it weird how unlike Cassettes, CDs, etc.. when they came out with new technology for the players, it became a common feature that moment forward including eventually being adopted by the cheap budget brands (i.e. anti-skip on CD, program memory, etc) or with casettes, highspeed dubbing (if dual deck, etc).. However vinyl, they come out with the greatest record playing feature, the ability for the player to reconize and skip tracks, and it's only limited to a few models and completely disappears after a couple years and most record owners (especially ones who got into it during the 90s and after) are totally unaware it ever existed.

[@cnsmooth]

To be fair to "skip" forward a track on a standard record player, isnt really that hard a feat to do. Also a record player is a fairly straightforward simple device, the extra cost of making and purchasing this contraption wouldn't be worth it for most people.

[@MrDuncl]

The issue was that by the time this came out CD was the future and playing records just became something manufacturers half heartedly offered in order to keep the people who already had records happy. Look at the cheap, all plastic decks offered with 1990s systems to see what I mean.

[@rossco7214]

if im listening to vinyl im listening to the whole album, if not i just connect to the bluetooth function on my studio monitors. plus i cant deny myself dropping that tone arm down and hearing the lovely pops and crackles as it settles in to the grooves.

[@perfek101]

A

[@salemcripple]

have one of these, was my parent's when I was a kid in the 80's. I love the sound, and look of classic Hi-Fi so much

[@remykramer6582]

O

[@LGR]

Fascinating as always! Good point with the whole mid-range record player no longer being common. I see so many '80s machines in thrift stores with extraneous features, but can't remember the last time I saw a modern one with such doodads.

[@hellogoato]

The modern record player market is just a huge beginners trap. Most people will just fall into buying a cheap Crosley from Target and then proceed to spend 20, 30, or even 40 dollars on nice vinyl releases that are done no justice on such cheap built-in speakers. If they just ponied up a little of that money into their player budget, they can get a decent mid-end Audio Technica turntable or even find a decent used one on Craigslist. Heck, I see decent old turntables at thrift stores almost every time I go, cheaper and better than any Crosley you'll ever buy.

[@Malvictis]

Fuck right off.

[@Nobody59300]

Do all tech youtubers watch each other?

[@DannyJonesUK]

Only the good ones

[@pauljs75]

Seems like a good segment of consumer electronics completely disappeared after the "bad caps era" and around the time portable MP3 players were just getting established. It's as if they all forgot how to make good stuff closer to the budget range. So now it seems it's either super crap-tastic, or overpriced for what you do get.

[@SailorLoonie]

This video was invaluable in helping me repair my own RP-117! I had to replace that second belt as well, but I'm so happy with the result. Thank you Techmoan!

[@sirp0p0]

I'm always so happy when you have a problem but some guy somewhere makes that specific part. It's so satisfying.

[@bandombeviews6035]

sirp0p0 I know!

[@margin606]

Wonderful video! Must admit that I'd had my fill of vinyl (scratches, warping etc) by the time musicassettes came out, so I was happy to migrate to that new format. I have never had any nostalgia for vinyl, but it was great to see you bringing this machine back to life!

[@EffectOneProductions]

techmoan , you remind me of my dad who passed away many years ago. He was an electronics engineer and i used to run around his attick between old technology in the 80's . Tv's everywhere for repair and the good old free/pirate radio he used to have. Man those were the years. I just wanted to thank you for bringing back a piece of nostalgia in my life. good memories. I am happy i subscribed many months ago. Still watching , keep up the good work !

[@momatt]

I love how you're a golden era hip hop fan. Can never get enough Eric B & Rakim. I remember being really impressed with the stack of awesome hip hop tapes you put in that multi-changer too.

[@DimentiaOfficial]

Please never stop making these retro reviews. I've become quite fond of them.

[@stclairstclair]

I'm was a GM auto technician for 20 years, I dont know how you have the energy to lead a normal life and still manage to do all this, I'm amazed at the huge amount of ground you have covered! Well Done!

[@mikeonfreeserve2926]

You just know that somewhere in the Sharp building a manager said 'it can't be done', only for some boffin engineer to prove it can. Props to the company for putting it into production!

[@markm0000]

The group of engineers that made this masterpiece knew it would be the best.

[@spacefolder]

What a lovely machine. And being able to stack it is so convenient! Glad you could bring it back to life. Cheers!

[@JacGoudsmit]

10:35 It may be meant for stacking but it doesn't look too happy with the other equipment on top of it :-)

[@williamgawthorpe6215]

Jac Goudsmit 7

[@fiream773]

A friend of mine had one of these in the 80's. We used to stack two singles in it and set it to play sides A and B so we could hear both hits without having to open the drawer and switch the records. I do recall the styli collecting huge wads of dust and having to open the access covers on the sides to brush them off and restore function. Great video as always!

[@texas2cv]

Blast from the past! I actually owned one of these and it was excellent to take back and forth to college (university) and stack with my Kenwood cassette player and then my Magnavox CD player (once I got one of those) :). I would like to add one thing (two actually). (1) - if you played a record with a great deal of bass and you had your volume too high on your amplifier, the reverberations would cause the record to vibrate, in accordance to whatever wavelength of sound was pummelling the case. This would ultimately end your listening experience and the unit would lift the arm off the record and you would be done. (2) @ everyone who commented about the "bend" in the case - this is how mine came out of the box and, despite it being annoying, was something I came to live with. I wonder where my turntable ended up. I may have to ask my younger brother ...

[@larrylarry1]

I had a more basic version. It looked like a standard player but was linear tracking one side at a time. The tone tone arm would sweep one side then play tracks in any order. You have to manually flip the record to play the other side. It was basically a CD player type player for vinyl, one side at a time. Great info in your video!

[@silversurfergamer]

you know what surprises me about Techmoan.. his taste in music.. Somehow doesn't seem the type for heavy rap. Must be a ghost from his youth from the 80s.. My ghost is ACDC and Motorhead and Judas priest from the late 70s :)

[@beetooex]

Silver Surfer Gamer I'm waiting for the day when he takes us through his record collection. From what we've seen over the years I really want his recommendations. Weirdly I also seem to share his tastes in cars.

[@BoyAditya]

Silver Surfer Gamer I'm surprised too, he got Eminem on his collection! and I'm even surprised Eminem release a vinyl LOL

[@jotceka77]

Hello Techmoan, I just wanted to tell you, this is one of the most interestic Channels, I've ever seen. The stuff that you're showing here is totally wicked. Please NEVER Stop, Enjoyinng it so much.

[@TurboLazer007]

My Lord I never knew these existed!! That's absolutely amazing and exactly what I need :) Fab video as always dear Sir,

[@thuggathuggababy]

Have fun paying 500-800$

[@wintrockg8265]

Great video! I also have one of these, it's model RP-107 if I remember correct. Only difference I know is that 107 has a synchro button in it. My mother bought it new back in the 80's. It had same problems: broken belt and gear. I glued the gear back together with epoxy and it has lasted almost 4 years now, works great. But yeah, it is really nice to see that someone else is repairing these too, thanks for the video!

[@nightw4tchman]

1:29 Good to see you're still wearing the HP watch. ;)

[@YT32-16branch]

My dad had one of those upstanding Sharp turntables that you showed in the beginning. He had the ghetto-blaster version with tuner, tape and speakers. I loved that thing as kid. Remember you could crank up the volume for each channel individually.

[@mclaine33]

Wow now that's a really smart record player! Very cool especially for 1983-1984!

[@willyappel7722]

There never has been any cd functionality to play a track from the other side. So this record player has even more functionality than a cd player. Wish i had one back then. Great video. Love the way you can fix it.

[@ds99]

I’ve never seen anything like that. It’s quite an amazing record player. I have a huge record collection from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. It was the biggest thrill of the CD player to skip directly to a track. Never knew it existed for records.

[@Kochiha]

Well, I did it! I finally bought one of these, secondhand for AN AMOUNT OF MONEY. All it needs is a new belt, and thanks to this video I know more or less what it takes to change that, and what to look out for as I continue to use this thing! Thanks so much for introducing me to this wonderful piece!

[@Mario-yk7ej]

This is an amazing and fascinating piece of engineering. Though, I wonder if anyone had ever asked for the so called "program" feature to play tracks in a dedicated order. When CD players came up, it seemed to be a plain demonstration of what could be achieved with this new medium. And it actually was fun to use two or three times assure oneself of extra control. But I never saw a point in consequently programming my favourite play order for each medium I had just inserted. Since play time was limited by the medium, I was either willing to listen to all tracks or I copied the desired ones to another medium. Nevertheless, the "shuffle" feature was a useful innovation and has for good reason survived in nowadays MP3 players. I suppose hardly anyone missed this "program" feature when it had almost disappeared by the end of the 1990s. Therfore, Sharp's well engineered "computerized turntable" reminds me of a cartoon I also came across in the 1980s: Sure they do have the Know-How. But do they also have the Know-Why?

[@KhalidNaseem]

When I was a student, I bought an Optonica (posh version of Sharp ;-)) RP7100 turntable. That had two arms, one of which had the same sensor tech I suspect to the Sharp that you've demonstrated. Thanks for another entertaining review.

[@BaconMinion]

That's a serious case of the 80s you have there ma'am at 0:17.

[@lemonslice2233]

She got that costume from The Institute! The Institute!!!!!!!

[@dansassenberg1438]

Thanks to you I figured out I could fix the sensor on my old automatic turntable with just some compressed air! I've had it for years and just got it working right for the first time. Thanks!!!!

[@Jingleboy14]

Love the restoration parts in your videos, so nice to watch.

[@warriordrum]

I love the repair sections more than the functional descriptions....but both are full of geek joy, especially if you remember this wonderful period of audio tech.

I think that $10 cog would be my ultimate push in the direction to buy a 3D printer :D

[@Crlarl]

+Jessy Landry 3dprintingindustry.com/news/now-can-print-metal-3d-printer-85255

[@jelteklaswijnja4055]

If you use a metal cog on a plastic rail, the rail will wear out a LOT faster than if you were to use a plastic cog. Also, plastic is self-lubricating, as opposed to metal. There's a reason why it's plastic in the first place, not only the cost.

[@Crlarl]

***** I don't think there are steel filaments for plastic FDM printers. You'd need a _real_ metal 3D printer for that.

so let's see your logic. You would have to spend time (which is money ) to design the cog. Then you need the printer which how does a couple thousand dollars and equipment and materials justify making a shitty plastic cog? I could literally and have done so, manufactured hard to find parts like cogs with my bare hands, even that cog he had was still useable if he spent more time fixing it it was not broken into a million pieces.... That still takes time but you don't need to invest in a pile of garbage which will just break down / or run obsolete in time anyways. Terrible logic dude.

a metal 3-d printer? You mean a milling machine?

[@sbbinahee]

As always very interesting man. I love the practical dialog approach with no bullshit. Nicely explaining everything for us non techies. Great voice and easy to listen to you. I love watching you fixing up old gear and always keeping the viewer fully engaged..THUMBS UP!

[@Helderhugo]

The weight of your 8 track are bending the top of the Sharp turntable!

[@therandomthink]

Yeah, that's only a thin sheet there. I used to sit a Realistic 10-band Graphic EQ on top of mine.

[@Wilson84KS]

This channel is just perfect, not only because you show this wonderful pieces of technology, creativity and just a lot of abilities, like physical understanding, that gets lost because now you just write a program into a microcontroller, but more because you open the things. Thank you a lot!

[@JohnDoe-qx3zs]

I believe the Soviet Union published a lot of uncopyrighted vinyl before 1989, because they didn't believe in the capitalist copyright system. Most were classical music performed by state employed musicians and orchestras. Unless they were somehow retroactively copyrighted, it should be possible to find them used, as they were incredibly cheap in the tourist shops.

[@Agoodguy77]

I have some)

[@randomstuff-cu4of]

Imagine techmoan blasting Soviet anthem over some record player he found

[@michaelmartin9022]

By contrast I've seen pre / during WW2 Japanese music getting copyright striked all the time. Even the land of capitalism, America, lets you have 50's radio dramas for free.

[@samkinison2375]

@sbcontt YT no shit Sherlock, because Communism IS a religion. To quote Jewish Rabbi Harry Waton "Judaism is Communism"

[@samkinison2375]

@sbcontt YT "Islam says it was there" < Islam can't "say" jack shit!

[@MrHal44]

Great video as I was looking to fix mine I had bought in Germany in the 80's. It was the cog gear but it was not until 2022 as you did saw it on Ebay. Long story short got the new belts and cog gear and it works great. Thanks for your video.

[@yorickhunt3371]

9:06 Ouch! I hope you moved the 8-track & minidisc players off the top of it; there's a hell of a bend in the top of the turntable case!

[@dalebills9470]

Before I seen your comment I was looking at the same thing and started scrolling to specifically find a comment like this and found it. We are observational..

[@CT-vm4gf]

Not observational enough or you would have observed that the bend is there BEFORE anything is placed on top.

[@PAULLONDEN]

*@chris toey* ......Yeah at 1:28.....not as pronounced though with the 8-track & minidisc players on top....which still was far from "a hell of a bend" that wouldn't prevent me from using the stack place.....it might be advisable to put a firm plastic or iron plate on top to prevent it from becoming "a hell of a bend"..... Anyway...it stood there for "demonstration purposes" as Techmoan stated......

[@kolinevans9127]

chris toey plot twist !

[@thesmiffable]

@@CT-vm4gf hero

[@MattKrogmeier]

I have learned so much about defunct and alternative tech from your channel in the last couple weeks - and it all started when I searched for the RCA-TCR100 video deck. Thorough and informative - cheers!

[@ynjlky7121]

Sharp also created the gigantic VZ-V2, the vertical full-automatic turntable boombox.

[@ThomasGrillo]

God! I miss those big, easy to see, and use buttons! Thanks for sharing this. That's an amazing turntable.

[@CandyAppleBlue]

That was great! Thanks for the information! Your channel has got me hooked! So informative, educational and sometimes amusing! Bravo Techmoan!

[@robertcartier5088]

Thanks for this stroll down memory lane! Saw this machine in a store just before they were discontinued... I was obsessed with getting one! I never did, however, because someone convinced me that being able to play the underside was dependent on some spring-loaded mechanism that would surely end up damaging my records! Which was a serious consideration back then, as I was still convinced that my record collection would have to last for my lifetime... How cute! Now I carry more music in my phone than I had in my whole album collection at that time! Ok, maybe not THAT much... still have over 500 vinyls! I own a USB turntable now, to rip them all to MP3, but after all these years, I'm way too lazy for that monumental task! ;-)

[@julien2983]

Was not expecting Eric B and Rakim! All around awesome video

[@SVHome]

I love these videos which are very informative and well done, mixing the technical with the practical and adding in great humor at the same time. On this one, I had one of these that I bought new as surplus and really liked it. As described here, its gear eventually broke and that was pre-Internet where looking online for a replacement wasn’t possible but fortunately I was a Journeyman prototype machinist so I simply made a new one from an aluminum blank that already had the proper teeth so it was a simple matter of putting the proper center hole in it. Since the mate rack gear was plastic, it was still very quiet when opening and closing. Now I have a Stanton STR8 digital turntable and have used it for the digitization of a series of 1943 78 rpm disks from South America which was then released onto CD and I’m thinking of a vinyl release too.

[@drwisdom1]

This reminds me of run-flat tire technology. In an effort to solve minor problems, the end result is a product that introduces greater problems than it solves.

[@GotthilftIMMER]

Bought in 1984, we still got these one in our guest bedroom. Works just perfect, although many children have played with it. First Set of belts. Don't forget to mention, this is a tangential turntable: A tangential tone arms needle is always exactly tangential to the groove. There is less distortion because the stylus scans at the same angle as the cutting tool that forms the groove when the record is made.

[@leopold7562]

Damn it! You've made me want a front loading turntable. I've not wanted one of those for a quarter of a century.

[@BrBill]

A contemporary of my still-working Technics SL-5 linear tracking turntable, which has been a beast since I bought it in 1983, largely due to its direct drive. It's amazing that it still works so well 33 years on.

[@RadioKilla07]

Sip the Juice, I Got Enough to Go Around / and the Thought Takes Place Uptown ~ RAKIM CLASSIC. Techmoan keep that record in good shape man. Thats Holy Grail classics

[@Olltymer]

This channel is simply amazing. Being a teenager in the 80's there is so much nostalgia AND loads of things I've never seen. Oh and production quality is awesome!

[@djelielcroce]

30 years and the Japanese already had a laser disc player for vinyl records. This proves two things: First - Japanese love vinyl records. Second - The Japanese are extremely intelligent.

[@skay9443]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. We had one of these for years and the linear tracking was fantastic!

[@Sheepy007]

How come modern Turntables are so freaking expensive when they are basically nothing more than a disc, an arm and a motor?

[@Pauldjreadman]

Sheepy007 like a lot of the vinyl at the moment, over inflated prices. In some cases like direct drives they are worth the price and better quality parts

[@Liam3072]

Mass-production has stopped, so, economy of scale has been lost. It's become kind of a craftsman work again (that's a bit of an understatement but you get the idea).

[@VinylRescue]

Turntables with less bells and whistles are of higher quality giving you better sound quality. More tricks on a turntable only degrade the overall quality. Those manufacturers use higher quality materials that pay off in the end. But, not everyone can afford the better high end turntables like me! I've just had to modify mine to a higher standard to please my ears.

[@mescko]

A really good turntable has *never* been inexpensive. As technology of record payback improved, the market widened considerably, creating more gap between the extremes. If you were to study the actual mechanics and the effects of physical influences on the process of playback, anyone of reasonable intelligence could readily see the advantages of higher-quality construction (diminishing returns principles notwithstanding). A really good vinyl playback system would simply stun most people at it's sound.

[@jeffmassey4860]

People with lots of money want things that cost lots of money. We,the common-sense citizen,want long lasting quality at a price that doesn't fund small countries.

[@bubbamcgullicutty8966]

Your videos are incredible. At the time this player came up i was in my early twenties, very interested in HiFi, even built a lot of speakers by my one. Anyhow, until today I had no idea that such a device ever existed. Thanks very much for the enlightenment !!

[@StormcloudLive]

Another amazing video, love the positive attitude and your genuine love of the electronics you're working with shines through in your videos. Subbed for more of this awesome content.

[@fordtechchris]

That is the coolest thing ever! that really makes vinyl fun! the repair was so satisfying, watching you face three points of adversity and knock them all out! however im convinced these videos are driving up the prices of retro tech on ebay...

[@DonDiesel885]

really interesting, i was pumped for ya when you got it running!

[@filmdyret]

Very interesting! You obviously know what you do when dismantling and putting together these devices👍🏻👍🏻I got an old Beocord 5000 from 74 with 3 heads still working and a TCD330 . Like music on vinyl !!

[@skatcat743]

now find a cd player that acts like a vinyl.

[@SMGJohn]

There is actually but its such a silly thing that my God, just why? Also they still have protective casing on them but transparent because lasers not good for your eyes at all

[@stefankoopmans2200]

Yeah it instead reads from the inside to the outside... but again, is there some device that plays cd's where you have to manually put the laser in position like a needle on a vinyl ? Somehow I like the idea though it is rather silly I agree ;)

[@corncobjohnsonreal]

Chevy Monsenhor gee whiz it's a joke

[@scottjacko87]

If you hold up a professionally pressed CD to the light correctly you can indeed see the tracks on a CD.

[@BastetFurry]

And then there are special DJ CD Players where you can actually move the CD around by hand if you insist. No clue about actual brands, just saw one once.

[@edifyguy]

I remember seeing this type of player promoted, and while I have never owned one, though I do own many players and records, I always thought this was a very cool idea. Thank you for sharing this! I always wanted to see one.

[@therealjammit]

That damn cog. I'd probably loose my mind after a few days and enlist my machinist friend to mill me a new one out of steel. And then replace all the caps...

[@ttarst149]

Love watching your reviews on all of the products that you obtain. Thanks for sharing with all of us. Take care.

[@nakedflames]

great way to spend my afternoon

[@ColinsCity]

this is a really cool invention even today, being able to play side a and b without having to get up and physically change it is great especially with the newer vinyls that are 2 LPs and only have 2-3 tracks per side

[@lain328]

Honestly if I ever get into collecting vinyl, I would want a player like this.

[@jayvee2163]

Nice demonstration! Thanks for showing it, Especially The Juice Soundtrack Record, I was shocked and wasnt expecting it! That was an awesome move!!!

[@BasBoyRC]

A bit concerned as it does not look that stack-able as the top is bowing.

[@AttilaTheHun333333]

Basildon Trail Blazing Buddies It also looks like that without anything on it.

[@BasBoyRC]

That's not so bad that is just a plastic warp with age then.

[@robinsonsmay]

Glad I'm not the only one who noticed that issue

[@YS_Production]

Looks more bowed when on the shelf than in the previous shots.

[@evilutionltd]

A lot more stackable than a normal top loading record player.

[@camarykaren]

Absolutley love this device. I love the repeat and playing both sides. I will love to have this right now with a better sound like my current lp player. Great vid. Thanks

[@amacleod457]

I just saw this demo, and it sounds like a really neat machine. I am totally blind, and have little experience dropping the needle as it were. I’ve worried about damaging records by trying to locate a track by repeatedly picking up and dropping the arm. This machine would have solved that problem for me. Excellent work as always. Although I missed this vid for three years, I’m generally listening to all your content.

[@JamesJohnson-ok1hn]

i really love the pioneer 8 track recorder. my dad had one and i had a panasonic 8 track recorder. i still have the tapes but like a fool i let the machines go when i was younger so... this turntable was the one i had the hots for too. but here in the states it was not cheap so no way did i get one back then. its real nice to see a few have survived.

[@audiocrush]

try superglue, that stuff actually welds the plastic kind of together. Epoxy resin just relies on adhesion, and since the cog is under tension it just flies apart again.

[@deanwhiteside6339]

audiocrush super glue repairs these fine i have repaired some myself with super glue and works perfect. as you say you shouldnt use epoxy on a item like that.

[@westelaudio943]

Super glue + acetone applied on surfaces before gluing...

[@EclecticLensYT]

I've been binging on your channel for a couple weeks now. Just enjoying the video's and I try to always give a like when I'm done. Then I came across this video. I currently don't have a working turntable. So I haven't played any records in years but I do remember seeing one of these when I was younger at one of my parent's friend's houses. I can remember how cool I thought it was! It still is! Wish I could find one I could afford. Beautiful piece and quite a conversation piece! Thanks for sharing!!

[@gorfodemensagem4135]

You can also replace that cog with a Raspberry Pi

or you could bake a real apple pie and have real vinyl as well without having to enter the matrix.

[@VinchVolt]

But you have to replace the caps first.

[@gorfodemensagem4135]

game4brains ' Probably the source of the problem was just bad caps.

[@LaTortuePGM]

*FUCK YEAH NICHIJ-* _* c o u g h s *_ sorry

[@atakdragonfly1675]

This is interesting. Sharp had some weird stuff. I'm really loving this channel. Thank you for delving into machines that I had no idea even existed. Really great stuff.

[@jetegtmeier71]

what an amazing unit it reminds me of the "linear tracking " turn tables :)

[@jasonbehm3081]

jetegtmeier71 That's not surprising considering it is a linear tracking turntable.

[@The90sGamingGuy]

Very interesting piece of technology. Some people out there in internet land just have no idea that vinyl records have made a big come back. Great video as always!

[@CoolDudeClem]

I'll take vinyl over CD any time, if it gets scratched it will still play, albeit with a pop or crackle, any CD can get to a state where is doesn't play at all. Trouble with those old plastic parts, such as that cog, is that they shrink over time, that's why it snapped.

[@orkhepaj]

easier just to download

[@martindavis6115]

Remember a family friend having a hifi system with this type of record player and I was always keen to see it working but sadly never got to. Therefore am so grateful to you for uploading this.

[@randomcow505]

The rubber in the belts is turning back into oil, if you leave them long enough they turn back into dinosaurs

[@H.EL-Othemany]

Fossils then dinosaurs

[@jfakoggl]

If I only had known years ago of this machine - I wouldn't have sold lots of my vinyl - exactly because the continous play of side A and B and even more the selectability of tracks on CDs was the thing I always had hoped for. But thanks for the video, better late that never to learn cool stuff!

[@fritzcolburn]

We as creators need to get on KZbin/Google to back off their copyright gestapo campaign. Your use of copyrighted material here is well within the "fair use" protections of the DMCA. I'm very serious about this because their selective enforcement of other corporation's copyright is stifling users ability to continue producing quality product. I know several musicians. I'll see if we can put together some vinyl and CD products for you to use.

[@Robertcowart]

I remember the two sided approach, with a tone arm (so to speak) first being used in the jukeboxes of the 60s and probably 70s as well. The only difference was it was only for 45 RPM records and the record was held vertically rather than horizontally. All the mechanics of the record selection (robotic arm fetching the disk), the disk being clamped to the motor, and then the tone arm bringing the needle and cartridege into contact with the vinyl were visable to those of us gathered around this miracle music-making machine. A bit like a pin-ball machine, half the fun of putting your quarter into the machine was watching it work through the transparent glass case! I had no idea that this Sharp double-sided LP player existed even though I sold hi-end audio at the time. Well, I didn’t know about this probably because I was selling ‘high-end’ stuff and this was cool but not high-end. What we need now is a gadget like this that will couple with Gracenote online music database (or other) to look up all the metadata on each track, convert the analog to uncompressed WAV files, output over USB to good software on a desktop computer, save on local hard drive or cloud-based drive. Voila! Instant archiving and use of all those vinyl LPs we don’t bother to dig out of the basement closets!

[@IllPropaganda]

"I do work with these, like Hercules" apt motto for you!

[@allglorytogod12]

I had one of these. The seek function was useless on some records if the gap between songs was to small. One thing I loved was the ability to place it anywhere in my "stack" of components and not having to place it on top of everything else.

[@toku7319]

I feel your pain with disintegrating rubber. I have a stack of floppy disks and they were being held in a rubber band and when I went to get one the band fell apart and the floppy disks were all over the floor.

[@elephystry]

awesomesauce296 I had a rubber band around a tube of lip balm, and in a span of a few years, it gunked itself to the tube.

[@orkhepaj]

maybe time to throw them out?

[@fordtechchris]

gasp! what will you use for a coaster at the computer desk!? an america online! sample cd?! LMFAO

[@jasonmurawski126]

Oh gosh, at least they were not hard drives with lots of important info

[@djelielcroce]

Besides working perfectly, the equipment is beautiful! Note the delicacy of how the tray goes back with the vinyl. S2

[@amurican35]

Sharp seems to bend with that monster 8track pioneer hanging on its back.

[@gunnarparment5050]

I actually had one if those turntables for a short time. I actually rented it with a buy-out option. Good idea, if it had worked, but there was one annoying problem. The light emittor/receiver on side B always got dusty and I had to dust it off every week. Unscrewing the service hatch, remove dust, remount hatch. That meant that the skip-track function almost never worked on side B. I returned the unit and got another more "classic" model. I never thought I would see one again, until I discovered your channel.

[@virustwin]

Brilliant video as usual mate. thanks for this!

[@danhat606]

I want one...never knew these existed! Brilliant video, love your approach to repairing equipment.

[@neoqueto]

You need to get yourself a 3D printer to efficiently produce replacement parts like that little plastic cog wheel. And possibly review it in one of your videos.

[@ConchitaProductions]

neoqueto That's not very convenient as looking online, and buying one, than spending 5k on a 3d printer, that will need to be refueled, adjusted, and calibrated, along with that it's no easy task designing a piece to print out. In the time it would take you to design the thing, one that you order would arrive faster.

[@neoqueto]

Theft Tv I guess the main problem is that it takes many attempts and errors until you get the hang of it to print out a single piece that has a proper, durable structure, is not melted, tapered or displaced in any other way. But I still have to disagree on the price of the printer itself, there are many inexpensive models that would do just fine in a use case like this. Filament can be expensive though. Perhaps ultimately if you're experienced enough with 3D printing, it would be possible for you to break even on replacement parts. Also, with the help of a pair of calipers the initial design process shouldn't take more than 15 minutes, I imagine prepping it for printing and properly slicing it/generating gcode with correct infill is the most troublesome part. I might sound like an expert wannabe, but in reality my practical experience with the subject is minute. I know, 3D printers are nothing but glorified prototyping tools, might as well carve your part out of wood.

[@ConchitaProductions]

neoqueto​ Nice explanation. I did not expect a message back from you to be as descriptive, organized, or gramatically correct because you're original comment did not share the same grammar structure. (Not a insult.) Thank you for clarifying.

[@rachelharrison7713]

neoqueto In this case glue the cog amd just make a mold perhaps?

[@fordtechchris]

i have a $150 3d printer and i love it! i've designed and replaced parts for things you simply cannot source a replacement. it was so satisfying to use the device again and know it is running on my own manufactured part. so it would certainly bump the awesome factor of the repair.... but if you had no experience in CAD, it would be frustrating when there is a guy selling the proper part for less than $10! also, ive only had to adjust/calibrate my anet a8 printer when it was moved... otherwise it's fairly hassle-free. no worse than changing ink and paper on a inkjet.

[@nickchristie2221]

Thanks so much for this. I have a RP 207 X from around 1985 which is very similar . Kids were asking about records and I dug it out. Has the same problem with the drawer not locking or moving, and at least one perished band ....time to get fixing...

[@nestorgonzalez]

seriously awesome video of this great machine!

[@rlowle1228]

Im amazed at all the old gadgets you find. Can't believe I never ran across them in the old days.

[@Landrew0]

How we suffered through all the years when solid state memory was kept proprietary and expensive through non-competitive business practices.

[@AudioFileZ]

Great video. I really see how this thing works and the repair was excellent as it addressed the likely culprits if you have this unit. Though from an audio quality standpoint a turntable like this isn't a true audiophile device it is an electronic tour de force in making a LP play more like a CD mechanically. I love the engineering brought to the market at a reasonable price making this a bit amazing that it exists at all.

[@pesiuber]

Can you show us your vinyl collection?

[@rustykoehler2789]

Can you show us your vinyl collection.

[@aerodynamicpunk]

Watch the video, 4 sets of records are shown! Random Access Memories is there 🤖

[@LexterminateFlamejob]

Awesome! I'd lob my modern turntable for that one any day! Top review!!