It’s important to know how to properly set up your turntable, especially if you already own or are considering one of our best turntables (also called turntables). Getting the right setup will ensure that your vinyl system delivers the best possible sound.
Setting up a turntable may seem like a daunting prospect, but it can be a fun project that uses a combination of subtle tweaks and careful listening to determine optimal performance from your recording player. The result will be significantly improved sound – even if it is an entry-level model with most parameters already set at the factory or audio store.
You may be wondering why you need to set up a turntable when the manufacturer has definitely spent time designing everything to work as it should. But failing to set up the turntable properly anywhere it is placed in your particular environment can not only result in sub-optimal sound, but can easily cause permanent damage to your precious set of records as well.
Unlike digital audio equipment, turntables are analog audio playback devices. These highly sensitive pieces of equipment use a fine stylus that travels in the equally precise groove of the surface of the vinyl record to read the tiny waveforms inside. With an incorrect turntable setting, the stylus may sit unevenly in the groove and damage the record.
Even if you have a boxed turntable that’s designed to be plug and play right out of the box – like many Bluetooth models the 7 great turntables cost under $500, which requires little more than plugging them into a wall socket and pairing them up with one of the best wireless headphones or best speakers Bluetooth Audio There are some practical steps you can take to make sure it works best.
How to set up the turntable: leveling
Whatever turntable you have, it is always important to make sure that the turntable is sitting on a flat, resonant-free surface, unlike the photo above where the record player is sitting on the floor. We’ve also seen pictures with recording surfaces resting on a bed – these won’t do their best performance or provide their best sound.
A flat playing surface is essential to the smooth operation of any turntable – anything less than ideal will affect how evenly the platter spins and how well your turntable works.
What will you need
- Sturdy bracket, table or sound stand for the turntable.
- bubble level (often called ‘spirt level’ in the UK) which can be found from online retailers including Amazon (Opens in a new tab).
How to upgrade the turntable
1. Place the turntable on the bracket, table or stand.
2. Place the bubble level in the center of the turntable plateor as close as possible to the center spindle of the recording surface (the piece that sticks to the hole in your vinyl).
3. Adjust the feet on the underside of the turntable until the bubble is in the center of the level. If the feet are fixed, you can use the card inserts to upgrade the side of the turntable that is running out.
Tip: We figured out another quick and easy way if you have a DVD player 7 inch vinyl adapter (Opens in a new tab)is to experience the following:
1. Remove the dish mat And the Put the adapter on its side, near the central axis of rotation. If the adapter rolls left or right, the turntable is not level. Try the adapter placed on both the X and Y axis.
2. Adjust the feet of the turntable accordingly (or use shims) so the diverter stays firmly in the center of the plate.
How to set up a turntable: Connecting the drive belt
Assuming your turntable is connected to speakers or a Bluetooth speaker, or a set of RCA binding leads (usually provided) connected to the phono input of a built-in speaker or a dedicated phone stage, one of the first things to do is attach the seat belt.
Most turntables are powered by a drive pulley attached to something much like a long rubber band – although some turntables use a different method like the iconic Technics SL-1200 which uses a direct drive and means the steps below can be bypassed.
Although many belt-driven turntables have different arrangements, the basic steps for installing a belt are detailed below.
How to attach the turntable drive belt
1. Lift above The dust cover And the take off The Dish protective mat.
2. Lifts above And the Remove the plate.
3. turn upside down plate And the Slips around the belt drive edge on its lower side.
4. Place Dish back on the spindle.
5. Pull The Belt Across The square opening in a plate and Hook He. She over the pulley.
6. Place The mat Back on me The Dish.
advice: Make sure the belt is not twisted to allow for a smooth ride.
Note: The drive belt installation process may vary between turntable designs. Always check with the manufacturer for additional instructions.
How to set up a turntable: Adjust the tracking weight (VTF) of your cartridge’s voice transmission goods
Balancing the lever (sometimes referred to as the sound shaft) on the record player will ensure that the pen and cartridge track at the correct weight. Tracking weight (sometimes called vertical tracking force (VTF)) is the force applied to balance the correct weight of the stylus to sit in the log groove. Tracking weight is specified by the cartridge manufacturer as the optimum force to unlock the full range of audio information in the recording groove without error tracking or Added audio signal distortion.The number can usually be found in the cartridge maker’s instructions.
Adjusting the weight and balancing the turntable arm may seem like a tricky process, but if you follow these simple steps, you should be able to tune the turntable and stylus to be exactly on the right track.
Many turntables have multiple settings that allow users to precisely adjust the weight and adjust the transmission shaft tracking to suit cartridges. The following steps provide a general guide for setting the trace weight for the boom and cartridge.
How to adjust the transmission weight of the transmission shaft (VTF)
1. Unplug The record player So that it does not start spinning unexpectedly.
2. Carefully remove the protective pen guard.
3. Set The anti skid control to zero’ (This is the numbered wheel next to the transmission shaft.)
4. Gently lift the audio transmission shaft From its stillness, being careful not to drop it, which could damage the unprotected pen.
5. Carefully turn the counterweight At the far end of the transmission shaft backwards and the attackers until the The melody rests gently on the record without your support.
advice: Alternatively, you can buy a pen balance scale like this from Neotech (Opens in a new tab), which has received more than 4,000 comments from fellow rotary disc enthusiasts. This type of digital balance scale is very effective in ensuring that the transmission shaft and the stylus sit at the perfect weight in the log groove exactly as recommended by the cartridge manufacturer.
How to set up the turntable: Setting up the transmission shaft skid blocker for your cartridge
The anti-skid control (usually a disc) on some record players uses a small amount of external force on the sound shaft, to counteract its natural tendency to move inward and ‘skate’ across the surface of the record towards the center of the record, in particular as the sound transmission approaches the end of the record .
You can adjust the anti-ski by following the instructions below.
How to adjust anti-ski on your turntable
1. Adjust The Anti-skid force dial To the same value as the counterweight disc, used to adjust the VTF above.
2. game LP You know him well And the Listen carefully To the last few minutes of the record. Note: Listen for distortions, perhaps noticeably in the form of whistling on certain letters – whistles usually appear as abnormal or raised ‘s’ and ‘sh’ sounds at the beginning or end of words.
3. Play the same few minutes of LP repeatedly And the modify The anti ski value up and down So distortion is reduced.
4. Once distortion is eliminated (or minimized) in this part of the LP, Place the pen at two or three different points across the log And the Listen carefully To make sure everything looks as it should.
5. if necessary, continue to adjust anti skid control So clean, distortion-free sound is achieved across the entire playing surface of the LP.
How to set up the turntable: select the correct playback speed
Many record players have electronic speed control that allows you to switch between speeds of 33, 45 and even 78 revolutions per minute (RPM) at the touch of a button. However, some turntable speeds are set manually by moving the belt onto a different sized pulley.
Playback speed usually depends on the size of the recording and the speed is usually marked on the label in the middle of the record. 12-inch LPs typically run at 33 rpm and 7-inch singles run at 45 rpm, although there are differences, so make sure you select the correct turntable speed for the record you’re playing.
Some turntables have the belt drive motor exposed and the belt runs around the outside of the dish. Here, it is just a case of moving the belt up or down to the larger or smaller pulley to make the plate spin at a different speed.
Others have the drive motor and belt pulley system hidden under the plate. If the manual walk motor turntable is one of these devices, follow the steps below to change the speed.
How to change turntable playback speed
1. Close the turntable.
2. Protection the pen with Protect.
3. Lift up and remove Dish To expose the drive motor and belt.
4. Slide the belt up or down lowest Motor pulley to select alternate driving speed.
5. place Dish back on the spindle.
6. Prepare the dish And the Put the rug in place.
7. Turn on the turntableand then place Register on Dish.
8. Remove pen keeper.
9. move file audio transmission From Its position of comfort and lower the pen In the groove docking area, on the outer edge of the vinyl.
What is volume control?
Some turntables have a variable speed dimmer to allow precise adjustment to standard 33, 45, or even 78 rpm dish speeds on the turntable. These usually take the form of a slider under the audio transmission base.
To adjust the playback speed, simply Slide the volume control dimmer up or down. Remember that by changing the playback speed of the record, you will also change the pitch (hence: the pitch). There will often be a small light in the middle of the volume dimmer that will light up when you go back to default.
next one: Once you have your turntable set up to perform at its best sound, you may want to learn more about caring for your collection of recordings and what you need to do to make sure every LP sounds its best for years to come. Check out our guide on how to clean vinyl records for everything you need to know to get LPs that look pure and rattle-free. It’s also important to make sure your headphones deliver the sound you want, so be sure to also read our guide on how to get the best headphone sound for you.
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