This is absolutely one of the coolest things I’ve seen. A very clever guy has developed an algorithm which can convert audio into a digital model which can be manifested physically through a 3D printer. Essentially, if you have the right tools, you can make your own vinyl at home! It should be made known yet that the quality is terrible, understandably, but it’s a huge discovery and is just the start of the limits of 3D printing. Before long, 3D printers should be able to print up your FLACs and other lossless files so you can create your very own vinyl! However, what does it mean for the future of the vinyl industry? I think it might be okay; you will still need to purchase in order to get the covers and authenticity, although the designing might have to be taken to the next level. More info after the jump.

In order to explore the current limits of 3D printing technology, I’ve created a program for converting digital audio into a 3D model of a record and printed some functional prototypes that play on ordinary record players. The audio on the records is very low resolution, it has a sampling rate of 11kHz (a quarter of typical mp3 audio) and 5-6bit resolution (less than one thousandth of the resolution of typical 16 bit audio), but the result is easily recognizable. Find my Processing code, 3D model downloads, photos, and a detailed discussion of the design process on Instructables:
instructables.com/id/3D-Printed-Record/