Turntables are electronic devices used to play the vinyl disc. Turntables are part of a larger record-playing system. It is a circular plater that spins the disc as the pin reads the sound stored in it.
Turntables are quite old-fashioned but they are extant and add an air of vintage to any space. Turntables decode the electrical signal stored into vinyl discs and forward them to amplifiers that in turn strengthens the signals to be good enough for loudspeakers to produce as audible sounds. The electrical signals in the vinyl disc are called ‘phono’.
Are Turntables and Record Players the Same?
The quick answer is no. Although both names are sometimes used interchangeably, one is a part of the other.
Turntables merely read the phono signal carved into vinyl. They do not output sounds. Turntables need external amplifiers and speakers to convert the electrical signals into audio sounds. Record players, on the other hand, are a single unit of the vinyl player with an inbuilt turntable, amplifier, and speaker(s).
So, while a turntable includes only the tonearm and plater to decode the phono signals, a record player includes a turntable, an amplifier that boosts the phono signal, and speakers that collect the boosted phono signals and output them as sounds.
What are Tips for Setting Up Turntables?
Since turntables do not readily come with some devices, there is a need to set them up. Four important external devices are needed to set up a turntable including the turntable itself. The other three are preamp, amp, and speakers.
Preamp
Preamplifier picks up the phono directly from a turntable. It could be separate or incorporated with the turntable.
Amp
The amplifier receives the phono from the preamp and boosts the electrical signal to be strong enough to be decoded as sounds by speakers
Speakers
Take the phono and ‘boom’ it out.
What are the Things to Consider Before Buying a Turntable?
Turntables are not exactly the kinds of technology popular amongst people, especially among millennials and Gen Z. They are old technology that people fashion for their aesthetic features, and also, there are distinctive features sounds from analog sound players have that are missing in the raving new technology audio players.
There is a lot of turntable devices to choose from, from actual old ones to new models. It might be a daunting task researching through features that make a good turntable. We take it upon ourselves to give you the best turntables buying guide.
What is your Budget?
The price of turntable varies from as low as $50 to jaw opening thousands of dollars. Before you consider anything, it is necessary to consider your budget and how much you are willing to spend on a turntable. If you are looking for low-end turntables, you could get vintage ones and they are often as good as new models.
Low-end turntables, around $100 and below, might be lacking in some features like magnetic cartridge, digital input options, counterweight, and other adjustment features. They often come with ceramic cartridges and their platters are belt driven.
However, except you want a turntable for some grand purposes, cheap turntables are good enough in most cases.
What Are the Necessary Components of a Turntable?
With the new interest in turntables and the new models produced, there are some novel components and features added to turntables but there are six main components that are important to the make-up of turntables. They are platter, tonearm, plinth, cartridge, stylus, and speed selector.
Platter
This is the part the disc stays on and spins.
Plinth
It is the slab that the whole turntable rests on.
Tonearm
This is the part that holds the cartridge and takes it across the vinyl as it plays. It stands on the plinth.
Cartridge
The stylus is attached to this part. Cartridge converts the movement of the stylus to the electrical signals that later get outputted as sounds.
Stylus
This is also called ‘needle’. It is the part of the turntable that decodes the vibe, tune and music encoded into the vinyl disc.
Speed Selector
You can choose the play speed of your turntable to suit your mood. Turntables come with 33 RPM, 45 RPM, and 78 RPM. RPM means ‘Revolution per minute’, the speed at which the turntable spins.
Direct Drive or Belt Drive?
Turntables have two modes of rotation: direct drive and belt drive. Turntables that use direct drive have their motor shaft connected to the center spindle. So the motor, spindle, and platter rotate interconnected.
Turntables with belt drives are a lot different from this. The motor is connected to the platter with an elastic belt. So when the motor moves, it drives the belt which in turn drives the platter. In belt-drive turntables, the motor and platter rotation is not intertwined and happens at different speeds because of the distance between both.
What are Turntables Adjustment Features?
Adjustment features in turntables are counterweight, pitch adjusts, anti-skate adjust, and height adjust.
Counterweight enables you to adjust the weight of the tonearm on the disc. Pitch Adjust is mostly used by DJs, it used to tune the playback speed of the turntable. Anti-skate adjust comes in handy in maintaining the tonearm’s stability on the rotating disc. And height adjust helps the tonearm maintain a suitable height and parallel angle to the record during playback no matter the thickness or height of the vinyl.
How Much Do Turntables Cost?
This is really a question of how much you are willing to spend. Basic turntables could cost $50 - $150. Those may have limited features and most possibly are vintages. More grand vintage ones and new models could cost as much as $10000 – up to $10000 for a turntable? Yes, people buy them.
Turntables FAQs
Q – What do turntables do?
A – Turntables enables you to play the vinyl discs
Q – How to set up a record player?
A – Record players already have all necessary things inbuilt, just plug it in.
Q – Who invented turntables?
A – Turntables were invented by Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville in 1857. It was a phonautograph, not the typical turntable we are used to today. It couldn’t exactly playback but it recorded airborne sounds on paper.