LP to CDR Tips

A Decent Turntable

Where on earth are you going to find a decent turntable in the age of digital? Many people are surprised to learn that companies can still make a very good profit making turntables. Many DJs still use turntables, much to Technics' delight. DJ turntables are designed to withstand the abuse of mixing and scratching and they would be fine for playing records. There are still a number of HiFi manufacturers who specialise in making good quality equipment for playing records. If you have the choice though you should probably choose a 'HiFi' turntable.

The following may help you to understand the different choice available in turntable design. If you already have a turntable and are happy with it you could skip to the next section.

HiFi	DJ	Avoid
Have a light tracking tonearm and cartridge with elliptical or shaped stylus. This helps the cartridge to follow the groove as closely as possible, but elliptical styli can pick up more noise from dirt on the record. Provided the cartridge can track the groove properly at light weight it will cause less damage than a heavy tracking force. Most HiFi cartridges move a tiny magnet to create a voltage.	Usually have a cartridge similar to a Hi Cartridge, but usually track at a higher weight or force (to prevent skips) and have a conical stylus. The conical stylus is good for reducing susceptibility to noise from clicks and pops, but the higher frequencies will also be subdued in comparison to a HiFi cartridge. (But there is nothing to stop you fitting a HiFi cartridge to a DJ deck and setting it up correctly).	Any ceramic or crystal cartridge (they were very popular in the 1960s and 1970s). They track very heavily on the record and do not provide a good quality sound. Avoid any turntable that has no way for you to adjust the tracking force. # There are other types of cartridges that have moving coils rather than moving magnets. Unless you know what these are already you are probably best to stick to a moving magnet cartridge for a number of reasons*.
Arm that moves over the record surface and holds the cartridge. The ideal tonearm will move without friction across the record and up and down, but hold the cartridge rigidly so as not to allow any rotation or flexing. The cartridge needs to be set to a proper place and angle in the arm to minimise distortion as the arm plays across the record. Generally it does not matter if the arm is 'straight' or curved, as long as it allows the cartridge to be set properly.	DJ turntables usually have a fairly solid arm. They are built to withstand some rough treatment. Some of the newer 'scratch' turntables have a very short straight arm with the cartridge in a straight line with the arm. These are designed not to skip during scratching and are not suitable for playing your records unless you want to do that.	Any tonearm that does not allow you to change cartridges or set the proper distance or angle will not give you the best results.
Usually lower torque motor, often the motor turns the platter using a belt. This helps to avoid any noise from the motor being picked up when the record is playing.	High torque motor, often the motor drives the platter directly.	Avoid 'rim drive' turntables. These were very popular but unless they are very well designed will introduce a LOT of noise from the motor.
Have a very heavy platter. The inertia of this helps reduce any changes in the speed of rotation (which you would hear as a wavering up and down in tone of notes, it is especially noticeable on piano).	Often have a lighter platter (to allow scratching etc.) but speed variations are usually controlled using the motor and a sensor.	Any turntable with a light or flimsy platter. There are a few cheap turntables being sold by various companies such as Bush and Sony at the moment, I have not heard one, but I don't think you could expect to get the best out of records.

Ceramic Cartridge

Magnetic Cartridge

# More info about crystal cartridges available at the http://home.earthlink.net/~mrkevo4/radiocity/pages/technical.html

* Moving coil cartridges are supposed to provide a more accurate sound for a number of physical and electrical reasons. However, there are a few drawbacks with them:

They are often more expensive than a reasonable moving magnet cartridge
They produce a very low voltage (usually) and this may not suit all amplifiers
You cannot change the stylus when it wears out

If your system is good enough to warrant a decent moving coil, then you should probably skip this section describing a decent turntable - you probably have a decent one already!

So my wish list for a turntable would be:

Belt drive
Heavy platter
Arm that allows adjustment
Decent mid price moving magnet cartridge

You should also try to choose a turntable that is solid and is 'solid'. Many turntables recently have been made from what is basically a plastic box with a plate stuck on top. The plastic case will not be rigid and if there is a possibility of vibration from the case travelling to the stylus or record then you may not get the best possible results. If the turntable is well built it is likely to cause less problems, last longer and sound better.

Finding a Turntable

If you do not have a turntable then you are going to need to get one. You have three options

Buy New	Buy Old	Borrow
Has the advantage of a guarantee and should work properly	If the turntable is a solid respected brand that has been owned by a music lover (not a DJ or teenager) then it is probably suitable.	Not always possible if you do not know anyone who has a decent turntable they are willing to let you loose on.
The dealer may be able to set up the turntable for you. You may need to pay for this and ideally the turntable should be installed where you plan to use it.	You may need to do some general set-up and maintenance, e.g. lubricate the bearing, set up the tonearm etc.	Should already be set up, but may need some adjustment if moved
Look for brands such as Rega Planar, Pro-Ject or MMF (US). Most of the other brands available are too expensive to consider as a starter deck.	Look for solid turntables with names such as Dual, Thorens, Pioneer, Rotel, NAD, Rega, Pro-Ject, Luxman, Linn (£££) etc.	Hope that your friend is able to afford more than you!
Decent dealers who will sell and demonstrate a turntable may be hard to find.	Some dealers may carry trade-ins. If they do the equipment is probably serviced and ready to use. Other sources are eBay, car boot sales, charity shops etc. Learn a little about older turntables and how they can go wrong, what they are worth etc. before you part with cash. See the links for some sources of info	Friends with a decent turntable may also be hard to find. Cultivate friendships with males with a penchant for gadgets and a high disposable income.

Getting over the disappointment of a decent turntable

So now you have your decent turntable and you are about to discover all the things 'wrong' with it!

No speed adjustment	A lot of decent turntables do not let you adjust the speed. They are engineered to accurately run at the correct speed. If yours has a real problem it may mean a service call
No lights or strobe platter	Sorry, but not strictly necessary for good sound
No auto play	Most decent turntables do not automatically move the stylus to the record to start playing and bring it back at the end of the LP. You will probably have a lift and lower device, but you will have to lift the stylus off the record at the end yourself (if you have shaky hands make SURE you have a lift / lower lever on the turntable
No attached speakers	If you bought a record player in the 1970s you would expect it to have a set of speakers, a radio and a cassette player. A decent turntable does not have any of that. You will need an amplifier and speakers or headphones if you want to hear anything.*
The needle jumps across the record if you dance in the same room (or next door)	Because of the low tracking weight it may not take much movement to make the stylus jump to another section of the record. You should try to minimise the amount of vibration the turntable can pick up by placing it on a rigid surface or using some method to absorb the vibrations. The best method is to mount a shelf on a solid (brick preferably) wall. Some turntables such as Linn, Thorens Dual will have suspension springs built in, but you still need a proper support that does not move.

* Because vinyl is a physical recording you can hear the sound of the stylus in the groove if your hearing is good enough.

Right, so that is the turntable sorted. You need to set it up properly. For a detailed guide to setting up a turntable see the resources section. Here is a basic list of tasks:

Set it the turntable on a solid level surface that does not vibrate when you walk across the room. Concrete floors are usually ideal. If this is not possible try to isolate the turntable using a wall mounted shelf (make sure this is secure enough to carry the weight). I am currently in rented accommodation and have a turntable shelf set on a wide window sill, very effective and no holes to upset the landlord.
Make sure the stylus for the cartridge is OK. Mount the cartridge on the arm or check the alignment (see resources for tools and guides).
Set the tracking force and antiskate.
Connect the turntable signal leads to the amplifier or preamplifier phono section. If your amplifier does not have a phono selector or input you may need to buy an add-on phono preamplifier. Pro-Ject (Sumiko in the US) make a decent cheapy one for £40, which I am currently using. Various budget electronics companies also make similar items. Check your local electrical shop. You can make your own from kit as well. Check Maplin, Dick Smith or whoever your local kit seller is.
Connect the preamplifier or tape out to the computer soundcard 'line in' socket.

Provided this has all gone to plan, you should be ready to dust the records off!