A playback machine for vinyl phonograph records, which were a major music distribution medium throughout the 20th century. The turntable contains a rotating platter to hold and spin the disc and an arm that holds a cartridge and needle (stylus). The needle is a diamond chip attached to a metal cantilever that causes a coil or magnet to move inside the cartridge as it bounces along the sound wave undulations "carved" in the V-shaped grooves of the vinyl.
Records Degrade With Usage
A major problem with vinyl records is the wearing of the inner surfaces of the groove by the needle. Over the years, an enormous amount of mechanical engineering went into the design of turntables and needles that would track the grooves with as little pressure as possible.
Still Made
Analog turntables are still being made and used by people who have extensive vinyl record collections as well as by disc jockeys (DJs). See record player, LP, Laser Turntable, USB turntable and DJ turntable.
The Modern Turntable
Turntables from the Technics 1200 family have been popular for decades. Technics was the first to include features such as variable pitch control, which DJs use to create special sound effects. (Image courtesy of Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company.)
A Slightly Older Model
A marvel of technology in 1913, this RCA turntable was hand cranked to spin 78 RPM records. Note the size of the needle used to track the grooves. Subsequent needles were minuscule by comparison. (Equipment courtesy of the Lumberville Store, Lumberville, PA.)
Records Degrade With Usage
A major problem with vinyl records is the wearing of the inner surfaces of the groove by the needle. Over the years, an enormous amount of mechanical engineering went into the design of turntables and needles that would track the grooves with as little pressure as possible.
Still Made
Analog turntables are still being made and used by people who have extensive vinyl record collections as well as by disc jockeys (DJs). See record player, LP, Laser Turntable, USB turntable and DJ turntable.
The Modern Turntable
Turntables from the Technics 1200 family have been popular for decades. Technics was the first to include features such as variable pitch control, which DJs use to create special sound effects. (Image courtesy of Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company.)
A Slightly Older Model
A marvel of technology in 1913, this RCA turntable was hand cranked to spin 78 RPM records. Note the size of the needle used to track the grooves. Subsequent needles were minuscule by comparison. (Equipment courtesy of the Lumberville Store, Lumberville, PA.)
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- djay 3.0.1 (Mac)
- djay is a groundbreaking music player and DJ software. Created exclusively for the Mac, djay perfectly integrates with your iTunes library and lets you start mixing your music right away. Unprecedented ease-of-use combined with powerful and innovative mixing capabilities make it the perfect tool for beginners and seasoned pros alike....
- Software downloads 2009-10-23
- Bang & Olufsen tries to make land-line phones cool again with BeoCom 5
- No one wants a land-line anymore for other reasons1. The landline service is too expensive considering that all the 'infrastructure' is already there for them. $30 dollars a month is VERY expensive for a landline, and that's why my family is thinking of dropping ours.2. Cell phones are simply more...
- Discussion threads 2009-10-21
- RetroTunes for iPhone 1.1 (Mobile)
- RetroTunes for iPhone works with the songs and album art in your iPod music library. Just start up your iPod or choose songs to play directly from inside the app, and you will be spinning away. Play your tunes while watching the animated turntable, with moving arm that tracks where...
- Software downloads 2009-10-01
- TOP MP3 Recorder 5.8.12 (Windows)
- Good news for you! TOP MP3 Recorder enables you to record your own voice by microphone and the audio from your computer(the Internet, Winamp, Windows Media Player, Quick Time, Real Player, etc.), of course, including the sound from the external (Turntable, Walkman, Tape Player, DVD, etc.). You will definitely have...
- Software downloads 2009-09-16
- The ultimate mix-tape machine: Teac LP-R550 all-in-one audio device
- Teac Japan has introduced the LP-R550 for the wealthy audiophile. The LP-R550 has just about every audio gadget you need, complete with a turntable, a CD player/recorder, a cassette player/recorder, and a PLL synthesized AM/FM stereo tuner. It is, however, missing a USB...
- Blog posts 2009-07-21
- DJ VirtualDeck 2.0 (Mobile)
- DJ VirtualDeck is an aid for DJ's. It lets you fast-forward, fast-rewind, beat mix, scratch and tune an audio sample just as you would DJ on a real turntable. In some ways, it can do what no ordinary turntable can do, namely play digital samples. Play your own music without...
- Software downloads 2009-06-15
- E3 2009: Playing Rock Band with McLovin and rocking DJ Hero with Jay-Z
- Microsoft's evening press event, featuring The Beatles: Rock Band, plus playable demos of Halo: ODST and Left 4 Dead 2, continued the celebrity theme. We got a chance to play "Back in the USSR" and "Taxman," but the real excitement started when we left the stage and were replaced by...
- Image galleries 2009-06-02
- Tonium Pacemaker (60GB)
- Photo gallery: Tonium Pacemaker (60GB)When we reviewed the original Pacemaker in June of 2008, it topped our list of digital DJ toys, but the accompanying $800 price tag was hard to swallow. Revamped for 2009, the second-generation of the Pacemaker MP3 player includes all the features of the original (and...
- Product reviews 2009-05-05
- Best Buy to sell vinyl records?
- Best Buy to sell vinyl records?Get Out of Town!ntRE: Best Buy to sell vinyl records?A well-mastered vinyl record sounds great.But I think the breakthrough that matters is the turntable with USB output coming into the 100-150 dollar price zone.I was noticing a few months back that Barnes and Noble was...
- Discussion threads 2009-04-28
- Numark NS7
- Photo gallery:Numark NS7More and more DJs are trading in their turntables for laptops, lured by the advantages of digital audio (hard-drive music libraries, searchable music catalogs) and the appeal carrying less equipment around. The digital transition can be bittersweet, though, as DJs come to miss the feeling of scratching, cueing,...
- Product reviews 2009-04-03
- Ion LP2CD USB turntable photos
- Take a closer look at Ion's LP2CD, a turntable that allows you to record your old records directly to CD without requiring a computer. by CNET News.com
- Image galleries 2009-03-02
- Ion Audio LP2CD Turntable
- Ion's LP2CD turntable ($399) pulls double duty by playing your records and CDs, and is one of the easiest solutions we've seen for making digital copies of your old LPs. Over the past few years, Ion has made quite a few turntable models designed to take the sting out of...
- Product reviews 2009-02-27
- Vestax VCI-300
- Photo gallery:Vestax VCI-300The Vestax VCI-300 is a hardware and software bundle that transforms your laptop into a professional, portable DJ rig. With a list price of $1,300 (around $900 street), the Vestax VCI-300 isn't cheap, but its uniquely integrated system offers stability and control that's hard to find. HardwareThe...
- Product reviews 2009-02-13
- Vestax VCI-300 digitlal turntable photos
- Take a closer looks at the VCI-300 digital DJ bundle from Vestax, including screen shots of the included Serato Itch DJ software. by CNET News.com
- Image galleries 2009-02-13
- Denon AVR-1909
- Setting up an AV receiver isn't for the faint of heart. Stripping speaker wire, multitudes of cables, inputs and outputs, confusing configuration--even the most grizzled AV nerd is likely to make at least one mistake during a setup. And even after you get it set up, it can be a...
- Product reviews 2009-01-20
- The best of the "Best of CES"
- The Consumer Electronics Show wrapped up on Sunday, and by now the many Best of CES lists have been posted. Every year there are a few blockbusters that show up on nearly everyone's list. This year the darlings were the Palm Pre and the Sony VAIO P Series, a tiny...
- Blog posts 2009-01-14
- MWSF09 Best in Show: DJay
- DJay ($50) is one of my favorite software titles here at Macworld Expo and I'm awarding it with an O'Grady's Best in Show award for it's slick interface and...
- Blog posts 2009-01-07
- (Numark TTi turntable)
- Numark TTi turntableLooks good!The quality cartridge will insure greater fidelity of sound transferred to digital devices. I applaud this sound move. pun intended[b]Happy Dae[/b].http://ShoeStringGenealogy.comRE: Numark TTi turntableI really like the concept of "old school" melding with "new school". Does this pick up all of the pops and...
- Discussion threads 2008-12-11
- Numark TTi Turntable
- Photo gallery:Numark TTi TurntableTurning vinyl LPs into digital MP3s is an awkward and time-consuming process, no matter how you cut it. If your ultimate goal is to turn the records on your shelf into files on your iPod, the Numark TTi turntable ($449 list, $250 street) offers the shortest distance...
- Product reviews 2008-12-09
- Numark TTi turntable
- Take a closer look at Numark's TTi turntable with integrated iPod recording dock. by CNET News.com
- Image galleries 2008-12-08
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