The Metaxas & Sins promises to unveil two typically distinctive new products at the High End, Munich in May. “The GQT (Georges Quellet Tribute) is a portable analogue tape machine designed for ultimate location recording and playback duties. Biased for either 468 or 911 1/4″ analogue tape, it will operate only at 15ips using a brushless DC motor in a pure mechanical operation. With absolutely no logic/computer control hardware will be employed.
The circuits will also be using 100% discrete transistors and parts similar to construction from the 1960’s to early 1970’s before all Tape recorders started using Logic controls and 5534 op-amps. The result will be a “kinetic art object” which will happen to record and play analogue tape.”
Phonographic Perambulator No.1
According to Metaxas & Sins: “Using shape and form in a usually geometric object – the turntable, seems to be taboo in high end audio. Sadly, these shapes cause all sorts of problems when dealing with the excitation and evacuation of resonances. The Metaxas Phonographic Perambulator No.1 [great name] uses a sensuous organic shape which is non-mirror image, CNC’d from a block of solid 6061 aircraft grade aluminium (or titanium) to eliminate this. Also, with the round platter, Kostas Metaxas constructs it in such a way that the boundary between the lathe-turned aluminium platter base has organic undulations connecting it to an acrylic platter mat.
A belt-drive system featuring the most advanced Swiss Maxon motor [also used by our competitors with turntables at 5-10 times the price of the PP1] rotates the platter without adding any external speed variations and issues. A dedicated tonearm using a pure Sapphire tube and jewelled bearings is currently under development.”
