San Francisco native Jeremy Bell has invented what he describes as “an audiotape-based alternative to the turntable”. He calls it “The ScrubBoard”, and it’s now the focus of a Kickstarter campaign. Bell claims that by removing the tape head from a cassette player and reattaching it using longer cables he can – when combined with some audiotape to slide up and down – create “a galaxy of sonic possibilities”.
It may initially sound like musical lunacy, but the possibilities shown by Bell in The ScrubBoard’s promotional video are undeniably impressive.
His funding target is $11,000 and Bell says he’s been developing the product “over the past few years”, creating a “more versatile and intuitive way to scratch, without the latency of digital or the fragility of vinyl”.
He wants funding to hire local product design firm Connekt LLC to build a functional prototype. Credit: Kickstarter/jeremyseanbell