Stereolizer: A retro-style audio recorder and radio for the iPad

If you grew up in the 80s or earlier, you’ll likely remember making mixtapes from the radio. Today, the advances in technology have eliminated the need to record using analog tapes but for those of us who miss the old-school process, there’s a way to fill the void.

Stereolizer brings users over 10,000 web radio stations from across the globe and through its retro-style interface, users can create vintage mixtapes from any of the streaming channels.

The user interface sports a sleek-looking 80s style 3-piece stereo equipped with a radio receiver, amp and tape deck. Similar to turning the dials on a real-life system, Stereolizer’s digital stereo enables users to change radio stations and utilize the built-in tape deck controls; record, rewind, stop and fast-forward. It has even included the appropriate sound effects you’ll remember from ejecting a tape –it’s a nostalgic experience.

Radio stations can be browsed by country or in alphabetical order and can be saved to a preset button allowing users to quickly access their favourite stations from the stereo. The numerous stations should keep audiophiles busy for hours, and the ability to flip through thousands of radio stations worldwide is extremely interesting if you’re fascinated by music.

What It’s Cool:

There are a myriad of apps capable of streaming radio stations but Stereolizer is unique in both design and for its ability to record audio. The tape deck is always loaded with a fresh tape so if you hear something awesome, audio can be recorded easily. It will store and save your tape stash and as an added plus, it will additionally post a handwritten label on each tape after you’ve included a title. Recording your own audio tape is also possible within the tape deck using the iPad’s built-in microphone.

Stereolizer has gone all out in design and there is definitely something extra fun about playing digital music on a vintage stereo.

What We Didn’t like:

The only obvious drawback is within the sharing feature. While Stereolizer does offer Twitter and Facebook buttons on the stereo, it merely posts the name of the radio station with a link to the app –no title of the song or preview of the track.

The Bottom Line:

Stereolizer is a solid, beautiful iPad app for jamming to tunes, recording audio and discovering world music. The app is available for $1.99 in the app store.