DESIGN & ENGINEERING · STUDIO PROFILE
Living sculptures.
Analogue, made individual.
At its Brooklyn workshop, Alter Ego Appearance approaches the vintage reel-to-reel recorder as both an audio instrument and a canvas for individual design. Familiar machines are dismantled, rebuilt and reinterpreted as what the studio calls “living sculptures”: functional objects whose materials, controls and proportions form a coherent artistic statement.
A transformation can take six to eighteen months. The time is invested in more than appearance. Mechanical renewal, electronic work, purpose-made components and meticulous finishing are developed together, allowing the machine’s original engineering character to coexist with a distinctly personal identity.
RENEWAL FROM WITHIN
A rebuild shaped around the instrument
The studio describes comprehensive work extending across front panels, switches, head assemblies and motors. New or individually manufactured parts can replace worn components or enable a different control layout. The precise scope belongs to the individual build; it should be established in the specification rather than assumed from the appearance of a finished machine.
MATERIAL AS EXPRESSION
Metal, wood and the human touch
Aviation-grade 7075-T6 aluminium, white bronze and selected woods — including rosewood on particular projects — contribute both structure and visual character. Dimensional lettering, polished controls and carefully finished side panels turn routine points of contact into defining details.
These choices are more than decorative flourishes. A coherent material palette gives each recorder a recognisable presence, connecting its stationary surfaces with its moving reels.
CLASSIC PLATFORMS, CONTEMPORARY INTERFACES
Technology in service of the design
Selected machines incorporate high-resolution meter displays, electronic counters showing hundredths of a second, LED stroboscopes and custom electronic modifications. Such features vary between projects and are not standard across the collection.
The studio’s work includes the Technics RS-1500, RS-1506, RS-1520 and RS-1700, as well as the Pioneer RT-909. Each platform offers a different starting point for the relationship between original design and contemporary intervention.
THE COMPLETE COMPOSITION
Reels conceived as part of the whole
Alter Ego Appearance also creates bespoke reels designed to complement the recorder. Their geometry, finish and material selection extend the instrument’s visual language into motion, completing the relationship between machine, tape and listener.
EXPERIENCING THE WORK
A conversation before a commission
Reel-to-Reel Haven in Brooklyn has been identified in retailer information as a place to experience Alter Ego Appearance machines. Arrange a visit directly and confirm which instruments can be demonstrated.
Some published refurbishment listings have quoted $5,000–$20,000. This is indicative retailer information, not a current quotation or a ceiling for a bespoke commission. Availability, materials, upgrades, support and delivery terms require confirmation for the specific instrument.
The appeal lies in the union of listening and looking: the mechanical ritual of analogue replay, the tactile pleasure of individually made controls, and a machine that feels as personal as the collection it joins.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Explore the collection and project archive for individual examples. Consult the studio’s technology information and the retailer’s published listing for context. This independent editorial does not represent an offer for sale.