Music reproduction by means of a needle running over vinyl grooves or through a rotating cylinder has existed for over a century. The turntable in its modern form has been the most widely used medium for playing vinyl records, which are now experiencing a revival phase, which has led many people to buy a new turntable or dust off old museum pieces. These discs require a little more care and interaction than MP3 or CD players to play. However, the steps to be taken to listen to a vinyl record are quite simple. In this guide, you will see how to use a turntable with your stereo system.
Steps
Step 1. Lift the turntable lid
Turntables typically have a plastic cover to protect the components from dust when not in use. If your turntable has a fixed plastic lid, gently lift and lower it again while listening to the record. If the lid doesn't have a hinge, you can remove it and put it away until you're done using it.
Step 2. Place the disc on the platter
The platter is the round base on which the vinyl record is placed. Holding the disc by the edges, place it on the platter by inserting the pin into the hole and lowering it until it is fully seated.
The platters of most turntables are made of metal, but there should be a rubber or cotton mat on top, called a “mat”. This mat serves to prevent the record and the stylus from undergoing mechanical stress during use; you should never use the turntable without it
Step 3. Start the platter motor
Controls vary from turntable to turntable, but generally there is a switch that allows you to turn the motor that moves the platter on or off.
- In some cases, the switch is present in the form of a speed selector; for example a 3 position switch could allow you to choose between “Off”, “33 rpm” and “45 rpm”. In other cases, however, you will have to select the speed via a separate switch or by manually repositioning the turntable pulley.
- On some automatic turntables the platter is designed to start rotating automatically when the tonearm is lowered towards the record. In this case, you will not have to manually start the dish.
Step 4. Raise your arm
Many turntables are equipped with a lever to raise the tonearm. If your turntable does not have this lever, gently lift the arm while holding it with your finger on the cartridge handle.
Step 5. Place the arm on the record
The needle on the tonearm must be positioned directly on the outside of the record. This area is easily identifiable because the grooves are less spaced and appear blacker than the part of the disc that contains the tracks.
- If your turntable arm has a lever, you can gently position it over where you want to drop the needle and lower the lever.
- If your turntable does not have a lever, you will need to position the tonearm directly on the record using the handle on the cartridge.
Step 6. Lower the stylus onto the record
The tonearm should be very gently lowered onto the outer grooves of the record. The stylus should drop into the grooves without generating too much noise, and song playback should begin a few moments later.
- If there is a lever, simply lower it. The arm will slowly descend and the stylus will fall into the grooves.
- Without this lever, you will have to manually position the stylus on the record. Keep your hand steady and act as gently as possible. Lower your arm very slowly or you risk damaging both the record and the needle.
Step 7. Replace the arm when the stylus has reached the end of the record
When you have finished listening to the record, you need to raise your arm and place it back on the arm rest.
- You can raise the arm using the lever or manually, by gently lifting it off the record. On some automatic turntables, the tonearm raises and returns to its place by itself when the record is finished.
- To listen to the other side of the record, turn it over and repeat these steps. When you're done using the turntable, remember to put the lid back down.
Advice
- The turntable should be placed on as flat a surface as possible to reduce stress on the record, motor and stylus. Make sure your arm is properly adjusted.
- Note that 78 rpm records were made using a waxy material called "shellac", not vinyl. To play these discs you need to get a special head; do not try to listen to them with a modern diamond tip or you will damage the record.
