Parts of a Turntable (With Diagram) – Turntable Anatomy

A turntable might look like a very complicated piece of equipment with many components that work together to produce the sound quality millions of people around the globe love.

However, due to its complexity, many users skip one of the most crucial steps: understanding the different parts of the turntable and how they work together.

Even I was one of those who considered the turntable complex equipment and ignored the need to understand its parts, which resulted in a very bad experience. Back in the 2010s, when I was a beginner in the vinyl world, I had a vintage record player with some motor issues.

As a student, I tried to save some bucks and tried repairing it myself, but all my efforts went in vain when I accidentally messed up the circuit board, for which I had paid double of actual repair cost. Well, all of this happened due to a lack of understanding of the components.

So, after this incident, I learned the record player and turntable repair skills, which have helped me in fixing minor and major issues like bent or worn-out stylus, motor issues, internal grounding, replacing belts, changing stylus and cartridges, and much more in my turntable and record players. Well, all these encounters helped me understand the turntable, its components, the role of each element, and how they work together in a much better way.

But, from a beginner’s perspective, a question is always there, i.e., is a turntable too complex to understand?

Well, the answer is no. A turntable is a very simple piece of equipment that can be understood when you try to understand its roots, i.e., its parts. So, to help you understand everything about turntable parts, I have drafted this article in which I have explained each part along with its name, its purpose, and how they are linked together.

After learning the components, you will have enough knowledge to encounter issues like replacing a cartridge or stylus, changing the turntable belt, speed measurement, speed adjustment, and much more yourself.

Note: Many people consider a turntable as a record player, but in reality, both devices are very different. You can check our turntable vs record player article to understand the difference, and I also recommend that you check our detailed guide on the parts of the record player.

So, let’s get started.

Parts of a Turntable (Turntable Anatomy):

Well, I have used the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB turntable, which also made it place on our list of best turntables under $500 as an example here, because this turntable has almost all the features that a beginner should know about.

And, to help you understand everything easily, we have divided the whole anatomy into 6 parts, and in each section, you will see the turntable part names and descriptions.

Top View:

1) 45-RPM adapter

The 45 RPM adapter is a circular plastic piece that fits over the spindle, allowing 7-inch records to be played on your turntable.

If you have seen 7-inch and 12-inch records, then you might have noticed that 7-inch records have a comparatively bigger hole in the center.

Well, the reason behind a bigger role is jukeboxes.

Jukeboxes are coin-operated music-playing devices. These were kept in cafes, bars, and other public places. These devices have a specific media library based on vinyl records and CDs kept inside, and people can insert a coin into the machine, select any music from the library, and enjoy it.

It was a very trending music listening medium back in the 1940s to 1960s, and 7-inch records were manufactured for these devices.

Nowadays, you won’t find these jukeboxes easily, and to adjust these bigger hole records on our small tip spindle, we use a 45 RPM adapter.

2) Strobe dots

Strobe dots help us to measure the speed of the turntable. You can learn about strobe dots and disks in this article.

3) Spindle

The spindle is a small metal rod in the middle of the platter that holds the records in place while the platter is spinning. This is attached to the turntable’s body.

In the direct drive turntable, the spindle is the end of the motor’s drive shaft, but in the belt drive turntable, the spindle is not attached to the motor.

4) Platter

A platter is a platform where your record sits and spins. This is a separate removable component with a hole in the center that you can place over the spindle.

5) Strobe light turn on/off button

You can turn on/off the strobe light of the turntable.

6) Start/Stop button

Helps you to start/stop your turntable with a single button press.

7) Platter Speed Buttons

The speed buttons help you adjust the platter’s speed according to the vinyl record.

If you are playing a 33⅓ rpm record, you can select 33, or if a 45 RPM record is being played, then you can select 45.

The 33RPM and 45RPM speed options are available in all the turntables, but there is one more speed, i.e., 78RPM, which is available on selected units. In AT-LP120XUSB, you will get a 78RPM speed option which can be selected by pressing both buttons, i.e., 33 and 45 at the same time.

8) Slip mat (Felt mat)

A slip mat is just like a patty in burger buns, i.e., it is placed in the middle of the platter and vinyl record. You will find slip mats built with different materials like rubber, cork, leather, etc, and every single one has its characteristics. The selection of a slip mat depends on personal preference, and I prefer a cork mat.

9) Removable stylus target light

A light that helps us to know the exact stylus’s landing position on record while cueing in low light. This light is easily removable.

10) Quartz button

The quartz button helps to enable/disable the pitch feature.

When you turn it on, your platter will hold the RPM at 0% pitch, regardless of where your pitch slider is or your current tempo range control settings.

11) Pitch selection indicator

It indicates whether the quartz button is engaged or disengaged, or in simple words, RPM settings are locked or not. It turns red when these settings are locked.

12) Pitch adjust slide control 

Through the pitch adjust slide control, you can increase or decrease the turntable’s speed. This is an advanced feature suitable for DJs.

You can learn how to adjust pitch control settings with this article.

13) Tempo range button

The tempo range button helps in determining the change in speed by playing with the pitch adjust slide control.

It’s also a DJ feature, and this turntable supports an 8 or 16% tempo range. You can adjust the settings, i.e., determine the percentage of change in pitch when playing with the pitch adjust slider.

14) Tonearm

Well, I consider the tonearm as the heart of the turntable. It has components that work together to generate the amazing sound that we all love. It is also referred to as a turntable arm by many people. You can learn more about the parts of the tonearm here.

15) Headshell receptacle

Just an additional storage for your extra headshell, in case you have one.

16) Dust cover hinge holders

The turntable’s dust cover is attached to these hinges.

17) Plinth

The plinth is the base of the turntable. It is made up of wood, plastic, metal, and acrylic. The whole turntable’s components are built on top of it.

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Rear View:

1) Phono/line switch

The phono/line switch indicates whether your unit has a built-in phono preamp or not.

Turning the switch to the line engages the built-in phono preamp, and similarly, turning the switch to phono disengages the phono preamp.

If you have any confusion about phono preamp or line/phono signals, then I recommend that you check out these articles and understand the concept of phono preamp and phono vs line level signals.

2) Stereo output terminals

You can connect the RCA cables in these terminals and transmit the turntable’s output to either an external phono preamp, active speakers, or stereo receiver/amplifier, depending on your setup.

3) Ground (earth) terminal

GND terminal helps you to ground your turntable and eliminate the hum, minimize the risk of short-circuit, and damage that can help to setup due by voltage spikes.

Well, grounding is very crucial and should be done properly. Well, we have a separate detailed article: how to ground a turntable, in which we have discussed grounding, its importance, and how to ground based on different turntable setups.

4) USB Output

USB feature is an advanced feature that allows you to record from your turntable directly to your computer or laptop.

You can connect the turntable to your Mac, Windows, or Linux laptops/desktops without any special drivers by using a USB cable. The type of cable requirements depends on your PC or laptop.

5) Power Input Jack

An input jack to connect your AC adapter and supply power to your unit.

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Parts of the Tonearm:

1) Counterweight

The counterweight helps in balancing the tonearm.

Turning the counterweight towards the tonearm’s pivot point increases the weight, and the cartridge moves towards the platter, whereas turning the counterweight away from the tonearm’s pivot point reduces the weight and the cartridge moves away from the platter.

The perfect adjustment is required to make the tonearm parallel to the platter. We have already published a guide: how to balance a tonearm, through which you can learn every aspect and the rules to balance the tonearm.

2) Tracking force gauge ring

Tracking force is a very important metric that helps the stylus to stay inside the record grooves and fetch audio signals properly. And, the adjustment of the tracking force is done with the help of the tracking force gauge ring.

Learn more about tracking force adjustment in this article.

3) Anti-skate control dial

The anti-skate feature helps the tonearm fight against the natural skate force that pulls the tonearm toward the spindle.

This feature puts outward force on the tonearm against natural skate force, which makes the balance and helps the stylus to maintain its position in the center of the groove.

We have explained everything about this concept and why it’s used here: Anti-skating settings. I recommend you read it.

4) Tonearm lift control lever (Cuing lever)

The tonearm lift control lever, also known as the cuing lever, helps us to engage or disengage the tonearm lift.

5) Tonearm lift

The tonearm lift is a small plastic surface under the tonearm that moves upwards and downwards with the help of a cuing/tonearm lift control lever.

This feature helps us a lot in lowering the stylus over the record delicately. Before this feature, we used to place the tonearm over the record manually, which had a slight chance of damaging the stylus.

6) Tonearm Rest With Clamp

It’s a resting place for the tonearm when you aren’t using the turntable. The clamp is an additional security measure that helps the tonearm to stick to its resting position, so, in case of transportation or moving the unit, the tonearm stays in its place.

7) Height adjustment dial

While playing thick records, you might need to adjust the tonearm height to make the tonearm parallel to the platter. Through the height adjustment dial, you can simply rotate it clockwise or counterclockwise to play with the tonearm’s height. Some turntables also have a feature called “Height lock” through which you can lock the selected height, while some don’t need any lock.

8) Locking Ring

The locking ring is a rotatable piece of plastic/metal that helps us attach the headshell to the tonearm. Rotate the ring counterclockwise to lock the headshell and rotate the ring clockwise to remove the headshell.

9) Headshell

The cartridge is attached underneath the headshell.

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Phono cartridge parts:

There are six main components of a cartridge:

• Stylus
• Cantilever
• Electric signal generation system
• Suspension system
• Terminals

Here, we have discussed three major components, i.e., stylus, cantilever, and electric signal generation system, briefly. If you want to know about all components in-depth, I suggest you check this article: parts of a phono cartridge. We have covered everything about phono cartridges, their types, parts, and how to work.

Now, let’s talk about the first three crucial components:

1) Stylus

The stylus is a small tip at the end of the cantilever that runs inside the grooves and fetches the audio signals.

2) Cantilever

The cantilever is a small metal rod whose one end is connected to the cartridge body and the other end is connected to the stylus.

It transfers the vibrations that the stylus generates while running inside the grooves of records to the electric signal generation system inside the cartridge body.

3) Electric signal generation system

 

The cartridge body is where the magic happens, i.e., conversion of vibrations to electric signals. There are different electric signal generation systems:

• Moving magnet cartridges
• Moving coil cartridges
• Moving iron cartridges
• Moving micro cross cartridges
• Ceramic cartridges

Out of these, the two most popular ones are: moving coil and moving magnet. To learn the difference between these, I recommend reading mm vs mc cartridges article, in which we have covered everything in-depth.

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Internal Parts:

Now, we are going to talk about some internal parts.

1) Drive mechanism:

There are two types of drive mechanisms in a turntable:

Belt Drive

Here, a belt is responsible for spinning the platter. Some turntable manufacturers hide the belt and motor’s drive shaft underneath the platter, while some don’t.

Direct Drive:

Here, the motor’s drive shaft is directly connected to the platter from underneath. There is no need for the belt in this drive mechanism.

2) Motor

The motor is responsible for spinning the platter at the configured speed.

That’s it.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1- What is the most important component of a turntable?

According to me, the tonearm and phono cartridge are the most important components of a turntable.

Q2- What is the stick on a turntable called?

The long stick on the turntable is known as the tonearm. The tonearm with the cartridge is considered the heart of a turntable.

Q3- What is the turntable arm called?

The name of the turntable arm is tonearm. You can learn more about the tonearm and its parts from here.

We have shared and explained all the different parts of the turntable. If you have any questions about turntable anatomy then please comment below. We will get back to you as soon as possible.