How to Use a Turntable/Record Player - Avoid Damage!

In this quick tutorial, you'll learn how to play records on a manual turntable/record player.
Most importantly, you'll learn how to use a turntable correctly and avoid damaging your records or even the stylus/cantilever.

Resources & Links: (AAL = Amazon Affiliate Link)
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Full guide on how to use a turntable and play records:

Carbon Fiber Record Brush (AAL):

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#vinylrecords #recordplayer #turntable #vinylcommunity #vinyl

[soundmatters]

Thanks for watching! 🎶🎧 Do drop your comments and questions below. If you'd like to support the channel, check the video description for many DISCOUNT CODES codes to enjoy money off various products and feed your vinyl habit! (I earn a small commission - no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support!

[martinjn]

Good advice for those starting with vinyl, the speed selection advice should include external power sources as often these contain the 33/45 switch.

[israelquezada]

I've lowered the tonearm on the records by hand since the 80s and none of those things have happened, I've never scrached any of my records, I have a lot of experience, but it was not because I didn't want to use the lever, it's because the lever of the turntable we had was broken and didn't function. Today I'm the proud owner of 800 records and most of them are in pristine condition.

[jjstakh]

Cue lever, I’ve been looking for what the hell that was called. The turntables at the college radio station I did some time in had this feature and I swore to make sure any record player I ever got had it but didn’t know what to look for in product descriptions because I didn’t know it was called a “cue lever”. Thank you for this vital piece of information!

[tiborosz]

Love those thick LP edges where you put on the stylus and instantly slide into the song scratching it.

[Chocoholic]

Thank you so much! I’m just a little kid trying to know how to use records properly harhar

[andyshacks]

Great video Mark- really useful info for beginners! 👍. Also like that turntable mat !

[kenhowell]

I really love your podcast, you have helped me learn so much, of how to get the most out of my, turntable @ improve my sound, it sounds alot better now, one improvement, was an acrylic mat, it made a great difference, thank you, so much

[georgeanastasopoulos]

Excellent demonstration video on starting, lowering the cartridge. Thumbs up. An Ortofon Moving Coil ranks high, and a highly regarded cartridge; a Quintet Red Moving Coil! I Just want to add that dropping the needle in between the tracks could potentially cause damage. When I was very young, 12.5 to 14 years old back in late 1974, '75, I did not know better, and scratched records; a couple of vinyl discs got very damaged.

Furthermore, Moving Magnet, or MC Cartridge, a replacement of a Stylus can be very expensive. Most MC cartridges are costly enough; whereby an MC is to be re-tipped as you aware of to have a new stylus installed.

Therefore, even a light scratch can be detrimental to the sound of any recorded music on vinyl! Through experience I've learned to located the Stylus as close to that very small area between the tracks. Recently, from a couple of years ago, I simply let the cartridge pass through the entire side of tunes, and songs; whether I'm interested in the more preferable ones.🔉🎵🎶

[scatteredfrog]

When I studied radio broadcasting in college (mid '90s) we were taught how to play vinyl on the air. Mind you, this was at the height of the popularity of CDs! What we were taught was pretty similar to what's in this video, but with one extra step that will help further prevent the stylus from sliding the wrong way:

Manually spin the record in neutral until you get to the absolute beginning of the music, then rotate the record counterclockwise a quarter turn. Then when you're ready, hit the start button. That way it'll start fairly quickly while still having enough time to spin up to full speed before the music starts. I do that with my records at home, although because I'm not queueing up the songs for airplay, I give it a half-rotation, not a quarter-rotation!

[VIDEOMAKER-vxoc]

Excelent my friend, listening vinyl i feel the music alive... thanks

[andyfletcher]

Just dropping a comment..
Hi Mark never have i ever not used the cue level, good advise though on preventing expensive and unwanted damage to just 2 most important parts.

[lenhelton]

is the cue lever adjustable, mine seems to drop to fast [audio technica 120]

[luton_gmanrock]

With practise, lifting and placing your tonearm should be a matter of self taught care and skill.

[bbeato]

Hi, I've noticed that you own the Ortofon 2M Blue, as well as the Quintet Red. I currently have a 2M Blue and was considering getting into MC Cartridges, is the Quintet Red a worthwhile upgrade over the 2M Blue, what are the differences in your opinion? (I already own a MC Capable phono pre amp, Tube box S2)

[darthwarren]

what is your thought on that quintet red cartridge?

[gregtapevideo]

I noticed the speed selector on my Technics SL-D2 says 33. Is this a red flag or is it miss marked?

[eoinodonnell]

What about stopping mid record? Is it advisable to stop the platter spinning first before setting the cue lever to up. Does setting the cue lever to up on a spinning record damage the stylus?

[seedney]

how can I be sure that my stylus will be blocked from scratching the label?

[alexclarke]

Hi Mark, what turntable is that? Thanks