Members bluehuricane Posted December 26, 2012 Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 i have christmas/graduation money to spend on a turntable, i don't want to break the bank but i don't want to be disappointed either. make some suggestions as to what i should get and is usb something i will want? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Aristotle Posted December 26, 2012 Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 Congrats on graduating Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluehuricane Posted December 26, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 thanks man! i'm really proud of myself, but i'm scared {censored}less of the future haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members falseswipe Posted December 26, 2012 Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 Audio Technica ATLP-120Best bang for your buck if you're buying a new table. If you don't get this one specifically--make sure you get something with a counterweight on the tonearm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GREC Posted December 26, 2012 Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 ^ ^ ^Counterweights are important. Most 'set' weight are generally too heavy & will slowly eat the vinyl. Stylus (needle) is also important. Many nowdays are industrial strength 'spherical' geared towards DJs. I prefer 'elliptical' -flows thru grooves & has better definition. Excellent for archiving.A Cartridge is another important factor. Look for frequency response at least 20-20,000Remember -it's not like a CD, there is physical contact with vinyl. The turntable must be leveled. A crooked turntable will dig too much into one side of the groove.Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted December 26, 2012 Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 Originally Posted by GREC ^ ^ ^ Counterweights are important. Most 'set' weight are generally too heavy & will slowly eat the vinyl... The turntable must be leveled. A crooked turntable will dig too much into one side of the groove. I agree with everything you're saying, though I just have to comment on this. I've been collecting vinyl since I was a kid in the 70s, and I still purchase music on vinyl. Now that I'm 43 years old, I've come to the realization that there isn't enough time left in my life to wear out even one record, much less the thousands of records I now possess Having the time to sit back and enjoy a record is something I still indulge in... frequently... but it is a luxury, and one that isn't at all convenient for me. So I've arrived at the attitude that vinyl is like any luxury item... wine, cognac, cigars, caviar, cologne... you enjoy it to its fullest and if it's ever gone, you just hope there is more somewhere to enjoy again someday. I try not to stress out anymore about preserving everything for some distant and hypothetical future that probably won't ever matter. Besides, part of my enjoyment in my records is the nostalgia factor... and all of those pops and cracks only add to that feeling that I've grown with that music over time like an old friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PurpleTrails Posted December 26, 2012 Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 Originally Posted by falseswipe Audio Technica ATLP-120 Best bang for your buck if you're buying a new table. If you don't get this one specifically--make sure you get something with a counterweight on the tonearm. That's a decent first table. Another one that is comparable is the Denon DP300F. To save you the trouble of mounting a cartridge for the first time you might also consider a Music Hall MMF 2.2, which comes with a decent cartridge that is well-matched to the table and tonearm already mounted: http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo...umber=MHMMF2.2 FWIW, you should probably be spending around $100 just to get a decent cartridge for listening, not DJing. Getting a turntable setup to sound its best can be a real tweakie experience: getting a cartridge that matches your tonearm and turntable's characteristics, mounting it correctly and setting tracking force and anti-skate is a bit of an art form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GREC Posted December 26, 2012 Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 Originally Posted by Fender&EHX4ever I agree with everything you're saying, though I just have to comment on this. I've been collecting vinyl since I was a kid in the 70s, and I still purchase music on vinyl. Now that I'm 43 years old, I've come to the realization that there isn't enough time left in my life to wear out even one record, much less the thousands of records I now possess Having the time to sit back and enjoy a record is something I still indulge in... frequently... but it is a luxury, and one that isn't at all convenient for me. So I've arrived at the attitude that vinyl is like any luxury item... wine, cognac, cigars, caviar, cologne... you enjoy it to its fullest and if it's ever gone, you just hope there is more somewhere to enjoy again someday. I try not to stress out anymore about preserving everything for some distant and hypothetical future that probably won't ever matter. Besides, part of my enjoyment in my records is the nostalgia factor... and all of those pops and cracks only add to that feeling that I've grown with that music over time like an old friend. I dig what you're saying. I've got a few years on you & have thousands of records too. But what about the future? Your albums might be passed down many generations after you are gone! Think about the KIDS! I know you won't ever do it -but I've seen so many people thru the years use {censored} turntables. A bad old needle will destroy the walls of the groove. It will look fine but there will be a distorted upper mids abrasive tone. Audiophiles were so crazy in the 70's -they were saying that you should let a record 'cool' one hour before re-playing because of heat/friction. Fact or fiction(?) Yeah, I love that crackle sound. It's like sittin' around a craklin' fire on a summer night. Sometimes it can't be avoided when some weird obscure rarities like The Marshmellow Steamshovel's Mr Mold 45 has never officially been re-released & it's hard to find clean copies.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members goodhonk Posted December 26, 2012 Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 I just picked up the cheap ion player at Walmart. It's probably pretty terrible but I really enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boytbpc Posted December 26, 2012 Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 Pro-ject Debut III is considered by a lot of audiophiles to be the best bang-for-your-buck turntable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metulmykul Posted December 26, 2012 Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 I'm angling for a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon to replace my old Dual 505-2.I think any of the Debut series would be sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Capsule Posted December 26, 2012 Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 assuming you already have a system to hook it too you prob don't want a usb turntable. entry level project or rega or musichall would work well. you probably want to budget some cash for a decent cartridge too (it will make a huge difference)Budget? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hiwatt Bob Posted December 26, 2012 Members Share Posted December 26, 2012 check craigslist. i recently got a really nice old pioneer that had just been repaired with new belt, cartridge, needle, everything for $175. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluehuricane Posted December 27, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 27, 2012 i have a receiver, and some speakers that i'll probably upgrade real soon, so for the record player i want to spend like 300 total, cartridge and stylus included, but i'm open to spending more down the line if the turntable itself is compatible with standard upgrades. btw, i got aqualung by jethro tull, exile on main street by the stones, creedence's greatest hits, the song remains the same, and a ten years after record (the one with woodchopper's ball). soon to expand the collection quite a bit after i have the set up lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GREC Posted December 27, 2012 Members Share Posted December 27, 2012 You can sometimes find a decent turntables at thrift stores or estate sales for about $20 or less. Caution with belt drives because some old worn out belts can be difficult to replace.Just update the cartridge/stylus. I recommend an Ortofon Arkiv for $60 -best bang for the buck. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-a...ngle-cartridge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Capsule Posted December 27, 2012 Members Share Posted December 27, 2012 Originally Posted by bluehuricane i have a receiver, and some speakers that i'll probably upgrade real soon, so for the record player i want to spend like 300 total, cartridge and stylus included, but i'm open to spending more down the line if the turntable itself is compatible with standard upgrades. btw, i got aqualung by jethro tull, exile on main street by the stones, creedence's greatest hits, the song remains the same, and a ten years after record (the one with woodchopper's ball). soon to expand the collection quite a bit after i have the set up lol With that budget I highly recommend taking H-Bobs advice and hit Craig's for a used table. I got a 90's Rega P2 with a cheap At cart for about $250 Just dropped a new cart on it recently and it prob smokes any new entry level TT out now. See what's around before you order Internet style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fly135 Posted December 27, 2012 Members Share Posted December 27, 2012 I've bought several on CL, but generally they all needed some work. My advice for a good quality cartridge at a good price is the Red Ed elliptical at this site for $28...http://www.edsaunders.com/reded.htmAnd I've had some records wear out quickly (acquire noise) even on a decent turntable, where others stay pristine. Sometimes the vinyl quality is just crap. So it always helps to have decent equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GREC Posted December 27, 2012 Members Share Posted December 27, 2012 Originally Posted by fly135 Sometimes the vinyl quality is just crap. So it always helps to have decent equipment. Vinyl from the 80s was the worst. Especially in the US. They were recycling records that wouldn't sell. Swear I had an LP with a chunk of paper in it. That's why I would try to buy UK imports -even though it was a couple dollars more, it was better quality vinyl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluehuricane Posted December 27, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 27, 2012 this is all good info! i tested out my friend's audio technica (the one recommended in this thread) and it looks and sounds great. my friend also told me that the record store in olympia has a ton of record players so i'll check that out today and look for some of the brands mentioned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Capsule Posted December 27, 2012 Members Share Posted December 27, 2012 Originally Posted by fly135 I've bought several on CL, but generally they all needed some work. My advice for a good quality cartridge at a good price is the Red Ed elliptical at this site for $28... http://www.edsaunders.com/reded.htm And I've had some records wear out quickly (acquire noise) even on a decent turntable, where others stay pristine. Sometimes the vinyl quality is just crap. So it always helps to have decent equipment. $28 cart? i don't know. I would just get a Ortofon 2M red not as cheap as $28 but well regarded in its price range. haha i've bought new vinyl that already had noise. I'm just in the process of sending back a brand new record to amazon, its so warped it almost jumped the arm.... i sat down, looked up and was all WTF running for my table... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluehuricane Posted December 28, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 28, 2012 k so i bought an elac miracord 10h from rainy day records in olympia and it looks amazing and soundED good until just before i put on side 3 of exile on main st it wouldn't spin and i don't know how to fix it. the guy who sold it to me was really cool and gave me his card and told me to let him know if i had questions so i'm hoping he'll help me out tomorrow, but still a bummer. i also got a pair of speaker cabinets with electro-voice speakers and horns in them. i'll take pics later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluehuricane Posted December 28, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 28, 2012 hmm, started working this morning. AQUALUNG CRANKED TO 11! WOOHOO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fly135 Posted December 28, 2012 Members Share Posted December 28, 2012 Originally Posted by bluehuricane hmm, started working this morning. AQUALUNG CRANKED TO 11! WOOHOO! One of the TT I picked up on CL did that. I cleaned the speed control pot and it worked. Then it stopped again. Then worked again. Fortunately after a few cycles it settled into a working state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluehuricane Posted December 28, 2012 Author Members Share Posted December 28, 2012 Originally Posted by fly135 One of the TT I picked up on CL did that. I cleaned the speed control pot and it worked. Then it stopped again. Then worked again. Fortunately after a few cycles it settled into a working state. the turntable itself has a spring suspension system (i'm guessing to keep it for skipping, doesn't really seem to work but whatever) and i think maybe the car ride home rattled something cause i could hear it bouncing a bit in the back, but then again it worked perfectly the first time i used it and it wasn't until i put on the second record that it stopped working. everything works fine now though so i'm happy. i'll post pics later. also, it seems like this thing has a tendency to start skipping and repeating the last 4-5 seconds of the record, not a big deal but kind of annoying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Capsule Posted December 28, 2012 Members Share Posted December 28, 2012 your needle shouldn't skip... Sounds like a set up issue. unless your vinyl is in horrid condition. Also it shouldn't stop working and then start again. Take it back to the store Asap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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