Flatten It: veiled vinyl? Pro-Ject launches a machine that gives your pancakes forms
Austrian manufacturer recognized for its vinyl turntables at the excellent price/performance ratio, Pro-Ject has the chic to offer devices allowing to maintain its collection of records with much more efficiency than all existing DIY solutions. Among its latest pro-ject innovations, there are Flatten It, a machine designed to flatten slightly twisted or completely veiled vinyls.
A problem never solved by “houses” solutions
Apart from dust and mold, which can greatly affect their sound quality, the largest scourge affecting black pancakes remains the lack of flatness. The latter are notably caused by poor storage, somewhat muscular delivery, substantial temperature variations and of course direct exposure to UV shelves.
When vinyls are damaged in this way, distortion can easily be understood due to an overly radical variation in the vertical monitoring angle (VTA). In the most extreme cases, the cell jumps to the point of no longer being able to trace the furrows of the disc.
In order to reduce the problem, collectors tried by all means to slightly heat the plastic of their vinyls to make their shape initial. From hairdryer to the oven, including exposure to the sun under a very heavy object, no house method has really borne fruit. Side effects such as the melting of varying grooves and flatness results are in many cases legion.
Pro-Ject Flatten IT: a clever mixture of temperature and pressure
With Flatten It, Pro-Ject promises to give back to vinyls their original shape without damaging them. Designed from an imposing 4 kg chassis, the machine consists of a large base and a cover with an aluminum tray imitating the shape of a 33 rpm vinyl. The latter, heated to a temperature of around 60 ° with an error margin of less than 2 °, closes on the vinyl and applies a significant pressure, but perfectly controlled. These different carefully studied parameters would make it possible to flatten the discs without damaging their furrows.
We do not know the duration of the process or the noise generated by this flattener, but we know it compatible with all sizes and disk thicknesses.
Technically advanced and requiring high quality materials to do its work effectively, the Pro-Ject Flatten IT is sold at a price of € 800. Note that this price remains relatively contained compared to competing machines, most of the time offered at prices exceeding € 2,000. This device could establish itself as a new standard for experienced collectors and record stores who would like to save their precious second -hand vinyls.
