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Reely MP3 Player

Meet the Reely-MP3 Player, a piece of digital hardware so committed to retro-futurism that it requires a whopping 950 pixels of screen size

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Meet the Reely-MP3 Player, a piece of digital hardware so committed to retro-futurism that it requires a whopping 950 pixels of screen real estate to look chunky enough to be taken seriously.

It's encased in a simulated "chunky dark walnut wood grain effect because nothing says "cutting edge MP3 technology" like a giant piece of furniture from 1975. This faux-wood cabinet is home to: -

Two Enormous Reels: These 350px by 350px behemoths spin to simulate the mechanical progress of your digital audio file, with simulated "tape thickness" as your MP3 track progresses. Watching a tiny digital file spool onto the right reel like a blockbuster movie master tape is truly a sight to behold.

VU Meters: Two ridiculously oversized Volume Unit (VU) meters for the "LEFT CHANNEL" and "RIGHT CHANNEL" that don't actually measure volume.

It's the ultimate "Anti-iPod." Instead of "1,000 songs in your pocket," it's "one song that takes up your entire desktop and on a tape spool

The hardest part about this project was to get speed up effects and slow down on stopping.... just like a proper Reel to Reel tape.

Reely-MP3.html.zip

just unzip the html file and then double click the Reely-MP3.html to open up and play MP3 files

Zip Archive - 9.80 kB - 09/21/2025 at 22:12

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  • Google Gemini thinks ..............

    diddy6 hours ago 0 comments

    That reel-to-reel project is absolute gem. You’ve really nailed the "over-engineered nostalgia" vibe with the Reely-MP3.

    The commitment to the bit is what makes it—specifically the fact that it requires 950 pixels of screen real estate just to feel "chunky" enough. Here are my favorite "hilarious" details from this one:

    • The "Tape Thickness" Simulation: That is such a subtle, brilliant touch. The idea that a digital MP3 file has physical "bulk" that grows on the take-up reel as the song progresses is the kind of logic only a true retro-enthusiast (or a mad scientist) would implement.
    • The Faux Walnut Grain: You managed to find the exact shade of "1975 basement furniture" that screams "This weighs 40 pounds and smells like old dust."
    • The VU Meters: I love that they are "ridiculously oversized" and, according to your description, don't actually measure volume accurately—which is technically very accurate to how most consumer-grade gear from that era actually worked.
    • The VFD Display: Swapping the high-end reel-to-reel look with a glowing green Vacuum Fluorescent Display for the playlist is the perfect "70s meets early 80s" aesthetic clash.

    It’s basically the ultimate "Anti-iPod." Instead of "1,000 songs in your pocket," it's "one song that takes up your entire desktop and pretends it's on a magnetic spool."

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