Kickstart My Rock ’N’ Roll Heart: Vert by Fuse
Kickstarter has become a well-known crowdfunding website used by musicians to fund projects. Kickstart My Rock ’n’ Roll Heart showcases current campaigns from artists big and small. Thanks to Jimmy Eat World’s “A Praise Chorus” for the series’ name.
Vinyl has been making a comeback over the last few years, and it’s bringing new gadgets with it. The latest is Vert by Fuse, a record player currently seeking funding on Kickstarter that plays your records, well, vertically, hence the name.
Rather than your standard flat, horizontal turntable, with Vert, your record sits upright as it plays, mounted on a speaker with a mid-century modern design with three RPM settings. And, like most newer record players, it also includes an FM radio, Bluetooth, USB, and Aux.
It’s an admittedly cool idea, although it has been done before. Brightly colored vinyls and swirl patterns we see a lot these days would look great, adding a visual element to listening, and it would certainly look great mounted in your living room hanging out with your friends. And yet, that element also makes it feel as though Vert is designed for, say, hipsters and not true audiophiles and vinyl. The point seems to be looking at a record rather than listening to it, either for the aesthetics or to just to show off — literally — what you’re playing. Because actually hearing it doesn’t get the point across well enough, I guess. And as with many newer record players, there’s some concern about the potential for the record to be damaged over time, though it promises it won’t.
That said, Vert does have some other perks. Its size makes it suitable for a small living space, both during play and for storage purposes when it’s not in use. It’s also reasonably priced and comparable to other typical models, with special early-bird Kickstarter pricing ranging from $165 to $245, and could be a good starting point for those newer to vinyl.
Vert has already well surpassed its funding goal of $15,000, but the campaign continues through Sept. 15 and is expected to ship in December.
