I now have a turntable!

Cam42 · 01-14-2010, 02:30 PM

the tonearm is apparently automatic.
"Fully automatic return tone arm" according to the product page. I'm not quite sure what that means though.

Cam42 · 01-14-2010, 02:32 PM

Also, the only reason I'm thinking about the briefcase model, is that it's currently $30 less than this one ThinkGeek :: Ion Profile LP USB Turntable . Which looks to be higher quality/less of a gimmick. The briefcase is on sale though, so depending on when I sell mine, the price may go back up. After which, I'm pretty sure I'll go with the not-briefcase model.

earlessdog · 01-14-2010, 02:39 PM

The Ion looks like it has a counter weight. I'm not trying to tell you that you need a TT with a counter weight, I just think it's a better idea if you are going to be listening to a lot of your music on vinyl.
You seem pretty set on a USB turntable, so I will also suggest looking into some Numark turntables. They make some pretty good USB TT's, but by the looks of what your price range is, their better models may be too expensive.

But all in all, pretty well any TT will play your records I guess.
I also know that Crosley makes briefcase models, though I think they are pretty well the exact same thing as the ThinkGeek ones.

Cam42 · 01-14-2010, 02:41 PM

Not necessarily /set/ on USB models, but more the fact that ThinkGeek is the only place I've found online that sells turntables. I haven't really looked so much.

**Sean.thomson** · 01-14-2010, 02:43 PM

I kind of liked the portability of it but I wish I could find something like it but battery powered. Often a friend and I will drag out a stereo and a turntable outside with a dozen of extension cords and have a big musical bonfire.

earlessdog · 01-14-2010, 02:48 PM

Well, if it were me, I would look on ebay for used TT's. That way you could get your hands on a far better TT with the same price range. Or craigslist or something.
That UK table you have is kind of what I'm talking about, that seems like a decent player, and you can still convert your vinyl to mp3 using Audacity (which is a free download) and simply running your receiver through your soundcard in your computer. It may take more time this way, but there is a lot more potential for a better quality sounding mp3 if you have a better quality sounding table.
Personally, i'm a big fan of the old Duals from the 60's, which are still very good tables if they work. You could find a used one for your pricerange that plays 33, 45, 78 and maybe even 16's. And Duals usually have a speed adjuster, which is awesome for old players, because due to numerous causes, they tend to spin slower sometimes.
You could also check out MusiciansFriend, they have a good selection of USB turntables.
numark turntable Search | Musician's Friend

EDIT
Here is the Dual's i'm talking about. http://cgi.ebay.ca/United-Audio-Dual...ht_8502wt_1167
I personally wouldn't go for a model any older than that. Models 1220 and up may be a safer bet.
But I think I may be making this a bigger deal than it is, haha.

Cam42 · 01-14-2010, 02:52 PM

Right. I didn't think of using the RCA out to go into my sound card. And I could probably use Audacity to save it as a FLAC instead of MP3, but I could be wrong.