Being a student can be a lot of stress and pressure. No wonder each student needs a relaxing hobby to cope with all that academic overload. Records listening can be a perfect solution for such a situation. Here’s how to choose the right turntable for your new hobby.
Table of Contents
Decide on your budget
Record players’ prices can greatly vary. So, setting how much you are willing to spend on such a purchase should be your first step. Explore the market and see the average prices on various player models. Records can come at the high or low end, depending on your needs and preferences. Moreover, you can always seek a retro or used player to cut down on its price.
While making a budget, don’t forget about extra expenses you are most likely to need with such a purchase. Thus, if you start such a setting from scratch, you’ll need more than just a player. You will have to buy things like an amplifier, interconnects, cables, headphones, a phono stage, and, of course, records. The latter also varies in price, making a noticeable cut in your budget.
Set your goals
Now, let’s talk about why you are getting a record player in the first place. Do you want to feel more in sync with the old melodies? Perhaps you believe that old music should be listened to as it was intended, meaning on a record player. Well, it’s a worthy argument. Perhaps, for such a purpose you’d like to consider vintage players, as they will be most authentic. But, on the other hand, you can choose a modern model yet adapted to a vintage design and good with old records.
People can also consider getting record players for their DJ gigs and for working on music. This goal will require special records to consider. In addition, you can think of other essential features or functions you’d like to have in your record. Thus, see how often you will move around, what purposes it will serve, whether you can find help in maintaining it, etc.
Learn the basics
Before making a purchase, especially if you go with the retro (used) record player, learn the basics of how they operate, the main parts, etc. Hence, you should know where to pay attention and not fall victim to scams.
The main parts
So, the things that matter the most are a platter — the place where you put a record; a spindle and motor — the rotation mechanisms; a tonearm — a tool for tracking records; and a cartridge — the magnets that help read records on a spin.
You better learn what those elements look like, what they do, and how they should operate in the models you choose for yourself. Again, the purpose of your record player should determine whether you need any special requirements for these specific parts.
Belt drive vs. direct drive
Next, you better learn the difference between a belt and a direct drive on records. So, drives are the mechanisms responsible for the rotation. Hence, they impact the sound of records and operations in general.
The direct drive is what it sounds like. This mechanism allows direct contact between the motor and the platter. Such close contact leads to higher speed, less friction among parts, and easier maintenance. This motor will serve you longer, plus It’s easy to clean. On the other hand, there is less flexibility and more noise during turning. These drives are also more expensive.
A belt drive can be a bit slower in turning, yet it’s best in highlighting all sound nuances. These are also more silent, cheaper, and smaller in size. However, they will require more maintenance and repairs with time.
Overall, both these options are popular among record player lovers. Yet, the former is highly preferred among DJs, while retro lovers often choose the latter.
Manual vs. automated
So, you can also go with three options in the turntable’s functioning. There are manual, semi-automatic, and automated options. The former is when you have to do everything by yourself. Hence, you help the lever to start the record and take it off once the song ends. There is something appealing and romantic in that. Yet, it can’t be very practical.
The semi-automatic version will require your help starting, yet it can stop turning once the song is over. Hence, it won’t distract you from your studies while also keeping your records in better shape.
The latter option is the easiest as it only requires pressing a few buttons to start. The rest is fully automated. No supervision is required.
Wrapping up
Choosing a turntable is not all that hard. Yet, it will require good research and a long search for the right model. Of course, we understand that as a student you may not have enough time to learn that much information at once. You have other things to worry about, like homework. Well, fortunately, you can read fresh paper help reviews on writingpapersucks.com to find help with writing assignments.
This way, you will have enough time to decide on a record player while professionals take care of your essays. Just imagine that. The next time you will write a paper with your tunes playing on a record player already. Isn’t that a great way to deal with homework? So what are you waiting for? Find the turntable of your dreams!