In some alternate universe, where laser cutters and phonographs are more common than MP3 players, it makes a ton of sense to release laser-cutter files for your band’s new album (Translated). In this universe, it’s wacky and awesome.
The new EP from ASIC, alias [Patric] from Fablab Zürich, is out as PDF before it’s out in other forms of digital download, and the trailer video (embedded below the break) looks fantastic.
The release draws on this Instructable by Amanda Ghassaei to turn the music into PDFs suitable for feeding into a laser cutter, and we think it’s classy that she gets a shout-out on the label’s release page. Everything else about the album will be released under a Creative Commons license to boot.
Burning a record is a tough test of your laser printer’s settings and calibration, and [Patric] is still working on optimizing for his Epilog 75 Watt Laser cutter. He promises to post up details as soon as he gets it perfected. Of course, you could just wait a week for the record release like a normal person, but where’s the fun in that? Fire up your lasers.
Thanks to Richard for the tip!
But what does it sound like?
Absolutely terrible (at an educated guess), but you’ve got to start somewhere! Brilliant!
> Fire up your lasers
Or fire up your computers and program a software tool that reads the pdf and converts it into an mp3.
I’d love to see the latter become reality.
Should be simple enough to modify the existing vinyl-scanning software.
*digs around for link*
Here:
http://slashdot.org/story/02/09/05/1814203/ripping-vinyl-via-your-scanner
What does the chlorine gas from burning the vinyl sound like?
The same sound that the cyanide in apple pips sounds like. There’s not very much of it @ all. ;)
Records are fabricated from a co-polymer of vinyl chloride acetate. They are actually fairly densely packed with chlorine. Laser cutting vinyl or PVC is not a great idea.
its probably not a good idea to inhale any fumes from a laser cutter
Maybe not enough to make you sick. Everywhere I read anything about laser cutters I read not to cut anything containing chlorine as it will foul the mirrors and lens.
Also, see http://m.instructables.com/id/3D-Printed-Record/
I used to “cut” audio compact discs with a “L.A.S.E.R” too, back in the day. We called it “burning.”
Couldn’t you get something similar by using parts from a blu ray burner and an old turntable? Seems simpler to spin the record under the laser than the laser around the record.
Wondering since I first read the Instructable a year ago, The resolution is a problem because the laser accepts only X, Y coordinates. If it´s possible to interface a servo attached turntable for spinning record blanks under the cutter, would this help mitigate some of the issues?
This is relevant to my interests. I listen to a lot of records. I’m also a Field Service Engineer for TRUMPF lasers. I have (limited) access to pulse and continuous wave lasers from about 1000 to 10,000W and programmable focusing optics that can reproduce a path or shape in one pass from a stationary optic with X/Y galvo mirrors and variable Z axis (height).
Have to think about this a bit.