[78-L] Portable record player

[Michael Biel]

We discussed a similar modern disc-cutting machine a couple of years ago
which called the discs you could record "Dubplates".  Like this one, it
was aimed at dance DJs who want to cut vinyl of recordings only issued
on CD. The concept of recording onto vinyl blanks is interesting, and I
wonder what their prices are and what the cutting styli are -- could
they be used on old lathes.  Even if the machine is discontinued, if the
supplies of blank discs and styli are available it would be alright.  If
the supplies dry up, their past purchasers are up the creek!!

> If there is a market, the Chinese will be there to flood it with
> their junk. Beware. We are being choked to death with their goods.
> Mark L. Bardenwerper, Sr.

This is a Japanese company.  So where it is manufactured is possibly
Japan or any other Asian country.  In fact, one of Japan's biggest
problems is their own outsourcing to other countries where wages are
cheaper than in Japan!  I quite agree that we have allowed our domestic
manufacturing base disappear to the point where I wonder if something
like this could actually be manufactured here in the U.S.  There was a
short-lived "reality" show about inventions a year or two ago where
people would try to interest a panel of money people with their
inventions.  It was a part of the plans that a Chinese or other oriental
manufacturing facility be used to make their product economically
practical.  Nobody ever said that they had a factory across town that
could make it, or even considered making it in the U.S.  Part of our
problem is not the low wages of these countries but that shipping things
halfway across the world is so cheap that it does not overcome the wage
differences!!!  How come they can ship things so cheaply and when we get
records, books, or CDs from overseas dealers the shipping costs more
than the product???  I know the answer is "volume" but aren't there a
large volume of stuff being mailed???

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com


-------- Original Message --------
Malcolm Rockwell wrote:
> Just for the hell of it I was researching a turntable I heard of,
> The Vestax Handi Trax,
> http://www.vestax.com/v/products/active/active.html
> which costs a couple hundred bucks and looks somewhat questionable,
> when I came across THIS!
> http://www.vestax.com/v/products/recorders/vrx2000.html
> Seems they have all sorts of audio goodies besides these items.
> I'd never heard of the company and really have no idea as to
> their quality, but I am intrigued by the second item.