@eVil Do you know where to get a power button for a Japanese SL-1210MK2? I lost mine, but your regular 1200 uses a different power button and I can't find one for this weird specific model.
@stupidrobot Sorry, I'm not quite that hardcore about the decks. I wasn't even aware of that, but saw the description at technics1200s.com in the models section. Maybe they can point you in the right direction? Good luck!
Amazon reviews are a lot bad cuz of skipping and no counter weight... Am I just old ... Don't answer that... So if that happens, tape some pennies on the head like I did with the old portable player I had when I was a kid.
@Kidsandliz You don't have to have a special table for digitization -- all you really need is a cord and a free program called Audible (as long as you already have a table that you like).
@SSteve Thanks. I was thinking perhaps that. I had hers of audacity but not the other one. On the other hand I hadn't investigated this much either. Eventually I'd like to digitize all the records I have too so I can also have them on my computer. I just haven't gotten that far yet.
@darkzrobe@Kidsandliz If it's an older turntable the receiver isn't enough (unless it has a phono input, which means that specific input has a built-in preamp for the turntable). You can usually get a preamp for $25 - $50. And there are much better programs than Audacity. I hate that app with the burning passion of a million suns -- it's bloatware at its worst and its interface makes easy tasks really difficult. I honestly recommend anything else that's free or low-cost (I use Amadeus on the Mac which is $25).
@editorkid How is Audacity "bloatware"? It is one of the most useful freeware apps available, and I've used it for years and have never seen it pre-installed on any computer. Also, the only additional software installation Audacity has required was the LAME codec. Can you explain the experiences your comment is based on? Thanks.
@ytiki Is this really a thing for you? Are you that invested in software? If you <3 it, I don't think you're a bad person. I'm appalled by how awful it is, but I'm sure you're very nice.
All of my records are in a box in the garage...I don't think they'll play anymore. I do have the original lp of Sugar Hill Gang's 'Rapper's Delight' from the mid 1970s out there. (I was 12-ish, I loved them.)
@mamawoot I said a hip, hop, the hippie, the hippie To the hip hip-hop, and you don't stop The rock it to the bang-bang, boogie say "up jump" The boogie to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat
Yup, vinyl's come back, but the ups of better sound (sometimes) come with far more downs with these cheaper turntables. One problem is the type of cartridge. The majority are ceramic (like this one) with high tracking pressure 4-6 grams!!!! (wears out the wiggles in the grooves which contain the musical information). Dust specks are driven into or rolled along the grooves (causing "pops, background noise, and clicks) and once scratched, the damage is permanent.
Diamond styli come in different shapes (these use a conical shape which can cause a dullness of sound from riding higher in the groove). More (often absurdly more expensive turntables allow a choice of different types of styli and diamond shapes and use a system of moving magnet or moving coil cartridges. These will track from 1/2 to 1.5 grams (depending on design) These require a device called a phono preamp to boost the signals, especially in the bass frequencies (grooves can only get so wide). The sound can be outstanding with the correct combination (along with prices from $500 to $50,000 and up!!)
By converting the signal to digital with a cheap converter (as with this Meh offering) what you end up getting is less than CD quality sound along with limited playing life and more noise.
The hidden price of buying a cheap turntable/cartridge is the destruction of expensive new or irreplacable out-of-print records. Perhaps as a once-through recording of the latter, you can save the older records to digital, but as a means to play new records, give your wallet and your ears a break and give this a pass, especially with the re-releases/remastering of older titles in lossless formats .
The analog versus digital argument will go on, but this is no standard for comparison (except for creating skeet...an old vinyl record shatters much more musically than a CD...which after time will be your record collection's only use).
BTW, the reason that the original CD's got a bad rep was they were made from analog tape masters specifically for cutting vinyl masters for pressing...which could make them sometimes sound rather shrill and noisy. Compare the original CD of "The Nylon Curtain" (Gag!) to "The Nightfly"...the first fully digital CD (still superb!)
Exactly what I needed. A cheap turntable with speakers. None of my vinyl is in great shape because I buy it for a $1 at some garage sale and most of it is scratched up a little anyway. Playing vinyl is fun and it forces you to listen to the whole album instead of just the songs you know or hear on the radio. You'd be surprised how many songs grow on you and maybe even become your favorite on the album after not liking them that much at first. I just want to hear some music while I do whatever and this is perfect for sticking outside while having a bbq or something and not caring if people F it up. I doubt I'll use the usb...
Most people that own vinyl already own a much better turntable and an audio receiver. If so, all you need to digitize your vinyl in most cases is a $5 RCA-to-3.5mm male-to-male audio cable. Connect the RCA plugs into your receiver's Tape Out (sometimes labeled Tape Mon) jacks, and plug the 3.5mm plug into the Line In jack on your motherboard or sound card. Add some free software and you're all set. Monoprice is a good source for these cables: http://www.monoprice.com/Category?c_id=102&cp_id=10218&cs_id=1021815
If your computer's Line In jack doesn't provide you with the quality audio you're looking for, consider a $30 Behringer UFO202 16-bit/48KHz USB interface: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002GHBYZ0/ It has a built-in phono pre-amp, so you can connect your turntable directly to it without involving your receiver. It will also accept a line-level output from your receiver's Tape Out, which is useful if your receiver has a better-quality phono pre-amp than the Behringer. (It also works the other way, outputting audio from your PC to your receiver's Line In jacks.)
You can download a bundle of free software at Behringer's website, even if you just go the $5 cable route: http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/UFO202.aspx (look for the Downloads link on this page)
Lifehacker's readers recently chose the five best turntables. Unfortunately, considering the sellout, I've come here to tell you this... too late. Seriously, your records would sound better than this if you let your cat use them as a scratching board.
As for playing 78s, yeah, it probably can, but remember that 78s have wider grooves and need a different stylus. If this thing is like the Crosley record players and the Vestax Handy Trax, you can get the proper stylus for 78s, and then enjoy music from shellac with the bacon-sizzle sound. And this tone arm and cartridge won't be any worse than anything that 78s were played with back in their day. (Missed out, but have Handy Trax for 78s and 1980s Dual turntable for 33s and 45s, so do not need.)
I tried throwing on a record and I got through one song fine then started experiencing skipping. The record seemed fine, so I'm not so sure I want to throw anything else on it.
@bfox12 Check to see if the needle is not damaged. FYI amazon sells replacements pretty cheap. I have another ION turntable and ended up buying a few extras.
Specs
Condition: Refurbished
Warranty: 90 Day InMusic
Estimated Delivery: 8/16 - 8/18
Shipping: $5 or free with VMP
What’s in the Box?
1x Archive LP record player
1x USB cable
1x Power adapter
1x 45 adapter
1x Quick start guide
1x Safety and warranty manual
Pictures
Mousespin
Everything included
Record player
Back detail view
Top view
Price Comparison
$99.99 List, $69.22 (new) at Amazon
Find a relevant price comparison? Please share it in a comment in this thread
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Wednesday, May 11 - Monday, May 16
Ha, love the spinning price bar.
I'd buy one, but I'm dizzy and have to lie down.
I had vinyl car seats once. Would this work with those?
@eeterrific only if your seats have USB
@eVil An Ultra Sticky Butt?
That's what I remember about vinyl car seats!
meh... I would have LOVED another speaker dock... That'd be a funny, but bad week for sales... Different speaker dock each day... :)
@sohmageek It has speakers, you dock a record onto it, what more do you want?
Aww let's put a good spin on this deal
@AttyVette - When I get around to it.
@AttyVette Meh's record of good deals lately is not so good.
@cengland0 - Hope they'll take a turn for the better.
@AttyVette Alright folks, how long is this going to play out?
@brhfl As long as needle...ssly possible!
@AttyVette Keep putting out crappy deals and Meh'ers may start a revolution, lol
On another note I have seen to much of the internet and I saw other things spin when I saw the webpage today. Anyone got some eye bleach?
I want a new record player, last one broke. But Amazon reviews say it skips a lot.
@Nexar My last one broke too, when my kid snapped the arm off.
Does this go in my microwave or my oven? I need a crispy crust on my pizza.
1200s or GTFO
@eVil Do you know where to get a power button for a Japanese SL-1210MK2? I lost mine, but your regular 1200 uses a different power button and I can't find one for this weird specific model.
@stupidrobot Sorry, I'm not quite that hardcore about the decks. I wasn't even aware of that, but saw the description at technics1200s.com in the models section. Maybe they can point you in the right direction? Good luck!
Dining price bay! Awesome!
Edit: that is what my autocorrect changed "Spinning price bar" to.
@DaveInSoCal Auto co-wreck.
I'll give you $25 for it, and that's my vinyl offer!
How about a picture without a record on the plater?
@Doug61 Looks like they've got a couple here: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_75891_ION-Archive-LP-IT53L.html
@Doug61 didja notice the spinny favicon on the spinny rat photo?
I'm gonna... listen to my music on a computer like a human being. no thanks meh
I don't own a single record, but maybe when my mom dies I will? Creepy Meh, real creepy...
You spin meh right round right round
@mehxmas2014
Amazon reviews are a lot bad cuz of skipping and no counter weight... Am I just old ... Don't answer that... So if that happens, tape some pennies on the head like I did with the old portable player I had when I was a kid.
Do not want to wreck my vinyl using a crappy turntable. Do want a good one to digitize. Unfortunately this is not it. Sigh.
@Kidsandliz You don't have to have a special table for digitization -- all you really need is a cord and a free program called Audible (as long as you already have a table that you like).
@Kidsandliz I think @luvche21 means Audacity, not Audible.
@luvche21 Wouldn't I also need a preamp? I have an older dual turntable.
@SSteve Thanks. I was thinking perhaps that. I had hers of audacity but not the other one. On the other hand I hadn't investigated this much either. Eventually I'd like to digitize all the records I have too so I can also have them on my computer. I just haven't gotten that far yet.
@Kidsandliz Depends on if your player has one built in or not. Or if whatever you are plugging it in can amp it up.
@SSteve lol, I guess my mind doesn't work very well when I'm up late :/
@darkzrobe I have to plug it into a receiver to work so it wouldn't work to plug it directly into a computer
@Kidsandliz Then there you go, your receiver is the preamp.
@darkzrobe @Kidsandliz If it's an older turntable the receiver isn't enough (unless it has a phono input, which means that specific input has a built-in preamp for the turntable). You can usually get a preamp for $25 - $50. And there are much better programs than Audacity. I hate that app with the burning passion of a million suns -- it's bloatware at its worst and its interface makes easy tasks really difficult. I honestly recommend anything else that's free or low-cost (I use Amadeus on the Mac which is $25).
@editorkid How is Audacity "bloatware"? It is one of the most useful freeware apps available, and I've used it for years and have never seen it pre-installed on any computer. Also, the only additional software installation Audacity has required was the LAME codec. Can you explain the experiences your comment is based on? Thanks.
@ytiki Is this really a thing for you? Are you that invested in software? If you <3 it, I don't think you're a bad person. I'm appalled by how awful it is, but I'm sure you're very nice.
Don't you know that playing records wears them out? Put them back in the wall!
Vinyl for music playback. LOL.
Maybe if you'd call it a "rat spinner"
With 5 grams on the stylus, you've pretty much destroyed the record, but now it's digitized for you lo-fi enthusiasts!
Actually if your ears are young enough vinyl has a better sound if you have the right equipment. This will destroy grooves with that tone arm.
Relevant @fishbiscuit design:
http://shirt.woot.com/offers/youre-old-school
All of my records are in a box in the garage...I don't think they'll play anymore.
I do have the original lp of Sugar Hill Gang's
'Rapper's Delight' from the mid 1970s out there.
(I was 12-ish, I loved them.)
@mamawoot They might. Just as long as they don't get too hot, they will last for decades.
@mamawoot
I said a hip, hop, the hippie, the hippie
To the hip hip-hop, and you don't stop
The rock it to the bang-bang, boogie say "up jump"
The boogie to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat
@The_Baron I will be VERY surprised if they are not melted into a black puddle. It is extremely hot here.
I don't condone animal testing!!! :P
Yup, vinyl's come back, but the ups of better sound (sometimes) come with far more downs with these cheaper turntables. One problem is the type of cartridge. The majority are ceramic (like this one) with high tracking pressure 4-6 grams!!!! (wears out the wiggles in the grooves which contain the musical information). Dust specks are driven into or rolled along the grooves (causing "pops, background noise, and clicks) and once scratched, the damage is permanent.
Diamond styli come in different shapes (these use a conical shape which can cause a dullness of sound from riding higher in the groove). More (often absurdly more expensive turntables allow a choice of different types of styli and diamond shapes and use a system of moving magnet or moving coil cartridges. These will track from 1/2 to 1.5 grams (depending on design) These require a device called a phono preamp to boost the signals, especially in the bass frequencies (grooves can only get so wide). The sound can be outstanding with the correct combination (along with prices from $500 to $50,000 and up!!)
By converting the signal to digital with a cheap converter (as with this Meh offering) what you end up getting is less than CD quality sound along with limited playing life and more noise.
The hidden price of buying a cheap turntable/cartridge is the destruction of expensive new or irreplacable out-of-print records. Perhaps as a once-through recording of the latter, you can save the older records to digital, but as a means to play new records, give your wallet and your ears a break and give this a pass, especially with the re-releases/remastering of older titles in lossless formats .
The analog versus digital argument will go on, but this is no standard for comparison (except for creating skeet...an old vinyl record shatters much more musically than a CD...which after time will be your record collection's only use).
BTW, the reason that the original CD's got a bad rep was they were made from analog tape masters specifically for cutting vinyl masters for pressing...which could make them sometimes sound rather shrill and noisy. Compare the original CD of "The Nylon Curtain" (Gag!) to "The Nightfly"...the first fully digital CD (still superb!)
@margot remember the early telarc releases- also awesome
@margot Yep! I remember looking at the SPARS codes on the back of CDs in an actual record store...ah nostalgia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPARS_code
I would be all over this, but there are horrible reviews on Amazon for this. Lots of skipping :'(
Well I do need something to play my DEFCON badge on.
@StammesOpfer We used my FisherPrice record player.
Exactly what I needed. A cheap turntable with speakers. None of my vinyl is in great shape because I buy it for a $1 at some garage sale and most of it is scratched up a little anyway. Playing vinyl is fun and it forces you to listen to the whole album instead of just the songs you know or hear on the radio. You'd be surprised how many songs grow on you and maybe even become your favorite on the album after not liking them that much at first. I just want to hear some music while I do whatever and this is perfect for sticking outside while having a bbq or something and not caring if people F it up. I doubt I'll use the usb...
Most people that own vinyl already own a much better turntable and an audio receiver. If so, all you need to digitize your vinyl in most cases is a $5 RCA-to-3.5mm male-to-male audio cable. Connect the RCA plugs into your receiver's Tape Out (sometimes labeled Tape Mon) jacks, and plug the 3.5mm plug into the Line In jack on your motherboard or sound card. Add some free software and you're all set. Monoprice is a good source for these cables: http://www.monoprice.com/Category?c_id=102&cp_id=10218&cs_id=1021815
If your computer's Line In jack doesn't provide you with the quality audio you're looking for, consider a $30 Behringer UFO202 16-bit/48KHz USB interface: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002GHBYZ0/ It has a built-in phono pre-amp, so you can connect your turntable directly to it without involving your receiver. It will also accept a line-level output from your receiver's Tape Out, which is useful if your receiver has a better-quality phono pre-amp than the Behringer. (It also works the other way, outputting audio from your PC to your receiver's Line In jacks.)
You can download a bundle of free software at Behringer's website, even if you just go the $5 cable route: http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/UFO202.aspx (look for the Downloads link on this page)
@ChunkyBitz Thanks for the suggestion- I bought one of the Behringer interfaces.
"Welcome to the Ponderosa," Meh? That's the vinyl you've cherished for years?
Congratulations on the sellout Meh. Whoever was in charge of this one did a really great job. Keep up the good work!
@phatmass Wow... I didn't think they'd sell out... Especially this early... I was thinking 10 PM maybe...
@sohmageek They didn't have a zillion...
Lifehacker's readers recently chose the five best turntables. Unfortunately, considering the sellout, I've come here to tell you this... too late. Seriously, your records would sound better than this if you let your cat use them as a scratching board.
Stop making my rat dizzy!
As for playing 78s, yeah, it probably can, but remember that 78s have wider grooves and need a different stylus. If this thing is like the Crosley record players and the Vestax Handy Trax, you can get the proper stylus for 78s, and then enjoy music from shellac with the bacon-sizzle sound. And this tone arm and cartridge won't be any worse than anything that 78s were played with back in their day.
(Missed out, but have Handy Trax for 78s and 1980s Dual turntable for 33s and 45s, so do not need.)
Did anybody else notice that the Buy (well, now Sold Out) button is rotating at 33-1/3 RPM, and the "meh" button at 45?
@kensey I have a little plastic converter to fix that.
Am I the only one who received theirs without a power adapter included?
@Fenris447 Check the Styrofoam?
@titaniumnikes Yup; just came back here to say that I'm an idiot.
@Fenris447 you scared me for a minute.
@Fenris447 Yeah took me a minute or so to find it as well.
I tried throwing on a record and I got through one song fine then started experiencing skipping. The record seemed fine, so I'm not so sure I want to throw anything else on it.
@bfox12 Check to see if the needle is not damaged. FYI amazon sells replacements pretty cheap. I have another ION turntable and ended up buying a few extras.
@geospart Are these the ones that are considered cheap? ION 2pack Repl Needles https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F6J9LJQ/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_Naw0vb61DXV24
I played 5 LP's and 1 45' so far no issues. Quick note: uses the line input, not the phono input on your reciever. https://plus.google.com/+GeorgeDoscher/posts/CsePmzezwCq