An instrument and exploration tool in one. This is a ceramic phonograph needle powered and amplified in a handheld package, enabling the sensory exploration of the textures around us with a microscopic perspective.

This was inspired by an accident while fixing a record player, accidentally running my finger over the stylus and hearing my fingerprint amplified over the speakers. I wondered what other materials could sound like, and if there could even be incidental music hidden in them. The only difference between the undulations of a vinyl record and the microscopic topology of the scratches and bumps in daily surfaces is the intention behind them.

This version is intended for use by sound artists and producers, harvesting “found sounds” to use for auditory experiences and sampling. I have also briefly explored the possibility of using these devices with the blind to help them experience textured art auditorily. The tactile bump at the front is for facilitating orientation. But I have not yet had the access to test this properly and am not comfortable pursuing it until the right opportunity comes along.