turntable help

N

nikkiritt

New member
I need some help. I want to buy a turntable for my friend so he can digitally record, mix, etc. all these old records that he has. He does not own a turntable, but he does have the following equipment (i am just going to list it all cause i dont know what will help):

mini disc recorder
soundforge software
computer with soundcard and subwoofer and CD-W
playstation 2 (it plays cds)
guitar amp
computer and stereo speakers
stereo (tape and broken cdplayer)

I was looking at getting a numark or stanton player (basic:belt drive, around 100 bucks) but i have no idea what to get or if and how he can connect it to his computer...
Thanks for your help!
Nikki
 
Does his stereo have a phono input? Phono inputs have extra boost to work with unamplified turntables.

The cheaper turntables (like your price range) are generally unamplified (like my Technics!). These put out very low levels of signal. Without a phono input on the stereo, you'll need some sort of amplifier between the turntable and the stereo. Otherwise you'll have to turn the volume all the way up to hear lots o' hiss and very little music.

Lacking a phono input or a phono amp, see how much more it'll cost to get an amplified turntable, which will save your pal some trouble.

To connect the stereo to the computer, use one of those cables that comes with portable cd players-- two RCA jacks to a stereo 1/8" plug. They're pretty cheap, too.
 
I know that he has recoreded from the stereo tape deck to computer cd before, does that mean his computer has a phono input?

I just found out that he does have a photo (aux) input, thanks for your help!
 
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find one in a yard sale or a thrift store for five bucks. I bought the best Hitachi turntalbe made at a yard sale for five bucks, shes a beaut.
 
All turntables are unamplified.
Newer tables come with a magnetic cartridge older ones came with a ceramic cartidge.
The signal level on magnetic carts are much lower than the ceramic.
Thats why you could plug older ceramic cartridge turntables to auxilary inputs and get audio, but if you tried the same with a magnetic cart it won't work.

Phono inputs are sort of pre amps.

Check out this site, lots of great info.
These guys even have the pre amp that esactun was refering to.
http://www.turntablebasics.com/index.html
 
nikkiritt said:
I know that he has recoreded from the stereo tape deck to computer cd before, does that mean his computer has a phono input?

I just found out that he does have a photo (aux) input, thanks for your help!
Click to expand...


Phono inputs and aux inputs are different.
 
^^^^
He is right AUX is not a Phono input...Aux is a " line in" and only compatable with "line out"...Some of the newer turntables DO have pre amps built in and I just saw one online for 99 bucks somewhere but I don't remember...
 
I just picked up a NAD 533 turntable...

... it's excellent - basically a re-badged Rega... bare-bones - no pitch, no bells/whistles, fully manual, but it sounds great...!

I'd forgotten how much I miss calibrating toneams, and manual cueing! ;)


NAD 533
 
I will just add that it is upmost importance that the turntable have the proper RIAA EQ circuit between the turntables output and ANY Line In. On a home stereo preamp, the Phone In has the RIAA EQ circuit built into it.

The RIAA EQ circuit is a eq circuit that adds back in the bass that is actually missing on the LP itself. Records cannot have much bass recorded to them (won't go into that explaination..they just can't...), so unless you have a RIAA EQ circuit at the turntables output (either on the player itself, or on the Phone In on another device) you will indeed get a very low level, hissy, messed up sound.

The stylus is a very important piece in a turntable. A "cheap" stylus will run you about $40. A "great" stylus can run $200! The turntable itself is more about how stable the motor is, and bells and whistles. Higher dollar machines have better motors and other features that you might find cool. Most "DJ's" like "1/4 turn" machines (1/4 turn means that the LP only takes 1/4 of a full rotation to get up to full speed) because it is easier to "sync" records together that way. Radio DJ liked them because it is easier to get a "flow" going between talking and playing music. Your cheaper tables might be 1/2 turn or Full turn machines. No big deal unless you need the LP's to spin up to speed faster.

Ed
 
In addition... if you're going the "budget route", forget about direct drive.... nothing but noise/rumble on cheap units.... you're better off with belts at the low end.
 
kronick said:
^^^^
He is right AUX is not a Phono input...Aux is a " line in" and only compatable with "line out"...Some of the newer turntables DO have pre amps built in and I just saw one online for 99 bucks somewhere but I don't remember...
Click to expand...


Hmm,...
I've seen some newer tables with SPDIF (newmark) but not with
an internal RIAA (phono input) circut. Might have missed it.......

By the way,... Ed, and Bruce,.... Check this out,.....
I'm possitive it'll "take you back" ;) Click on "the legacy".

http://www.panasonic-europe.com/technics/index.asp?s=1&mode=long


Serge
 
I have one of the Teac TT's with the built-in RIAA preamp - it was $99 new, still haven't taken it out of the box, bought it for just such a project and haven't gotten to it yet... Here's a link for a factory reconditioned version if you're on a tight budget -

http://www.heartlandamerica.com/Ite...885+82899+93076+96523+97393+65893+92961+93077

(damn, what a link - hope it translates on the bbs software...

Rat shack has an RCA for $99 that I think also has the preamp - their POS site wouldn't take me past the price, look in electronics/audio/turntables, there's only one item under it.
 
Looking at turntable to line-in connections also. I would have thought it possible to find some software to take care of the RIAA equalization after the signal has been digitized. Only reason I bring this up is that I was going to build a simple pre-amp but still need the RIAA stuff. Anyone know if there is software out there?
 
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