Turn table

Turn table is actually the name of a part of the record player on which the record sits and rotates. Since its inception the record player has been sporting turn tables of various materials.

Steel

Steel is cheap. This metal is sturdy and durable with considerably low weight in this thickness. But, it may vibrate and resonate giving low quality music and sound.

Aluminum

The aluminum turn tables are more expensive. It is very light weight yet very stable and the vibrations associated with it are minimal making it the best metal to be used for this purpose.Whatever material, there are always chances of friction between the plate and the record which may scratch the record. To prevent this, the metal turn table is coated with plastic or rubber.

Drive system

The drive system is the system which is used to rotate the turntable and hence the record. The drive system could be of two types:Belt drivenThe belt driven turntables are the best for the people just who want to listen to the music. This system reduces the sound produced by the motor as the belt absorbs any such sounds that may create a problem with the music. But as the use increases the belt needs to be replaced.

Direct drive system

Direct drive system does not need any belts and other related parts and is useful for those who want greater pitch control and stronger motors making it greatly useful for the DJs.

The tone arm

The tone arm is a long rod which supports the stylus and the cartridge and also works as a connection between the two. This is a light weight rod available in two shapes- straight and s-shaped. The straight rod is preferred by the DJs as it gives greater sound quality and lesser vibrations with ease of scratching.

The stylus

The stylus is a diamond or sapphire needle attached to the tone arm with a metal strip for ease of movement through the grooves of the rotating records and these vibrations are transferred through the wires to the diaphragm to produce sounds. The stylus has two types of tips – elliptical and round shaped. The elliptical tip touches more surface area and thus more fidelity whereas the spherical tip touches lesser surface area but is more sensitive.

The cartridge 

The cartridge is present at the end of the tone arm and contains coil in the magnetic field that converts the vibrations received from the stylus of the record player into electric signals. These signals are then heard through the speakers after amplification.