For vinyl collectors, playing your records on the best turntables is all well and good, but how do you make your connection last? Records get scratched and can warp over time, but Pro-Ject’s newest device wants to help look after your collection for years to come. Dubbed the “Flatten It” (no I’m not joking), this new device will help press your records back into their original shape to smooth out any kinks.
Warped records aren’t exactly a new plague. Anyone who’s trawled through a crate of dusty second-hand LPs has had that heart-sinking moment when an elusive pressing you’re after looks like it spent a year curled up on a radiator. Until now, sorting that sort of mess out has either meant DIY tricks involving ovens and glass sheets (please don’t) or coughing up for eye-wateringly expensive flattening machines that look like they belong in a dental surgery.
Pro-Ject’s solution is more of a smart and robust solution. The Flatten It takes its cues from their vacuum record cleaners, but swaps suction for heat and pressure. Housed in a chunky solid-metal case and built by hand in Europe, the Flatten It uses precise electronic temperature control to gently iron your vinyl back to something playable. It’s compatible with all types of records – whether it’s 12-inch techno bangers or your gran’s old 45s.
Pro-Ject’s Flatten It lands at £749/€799. It’s available to order now from Henley Audio, and it might just be the perfect device for anyone with a record collection.
