I don't know that much on the technical aspects, but if you want to be where it's at, then you need 2 turntables and a microphone.
Of course ANY analog audio source can be MADE USB compatible if you purchase something like the
Behringer U-Control UCA222 USB DA converter.
If 16-bit is enough to float your boat, this 30 dollar DA converter will do the job.
Of course the Akai BT-500, a $1299 woodcrafted beauty, offers both USB and Bluetooth streaming plus for your extra money you get a 67db S/N ratio, head and shoulders above most competitor's 50 db rating.
Unfortunately it's a belt drive, which doesn't float my boat but you might be okay with it...or not.
Sounds like a song I know.
Why is belt drive bad? Stretching?
i'm also looking for a new turntable. i have a really good one, but i noticed the other day that it is slowing down and the pitch is off. it still works and my wife didn't notice, but that would kind of drive me nuts. i've had it since 2002, so that's not a bad run.
Not everyone thinks it's bad, some will even defend it, and I don't like starting fights over it.
I happen to think direct drive has better wow and flutter but a belt drive fan will simply say that if you change your belts regularly a belt drive unit will match DD specs.
Maybe...I just hate having to take apart turntables and hunt for rubber belts. :lol:
Same with cassette and reel decks, and even VTR's...I've always made the move to direct drive on all of them when possible.
When everyone else was loving on the old SONY broadcast BetaCam and 3/4 Umatic VTR's I went with the JVC's because their reel motors didn't have belts, they were direct drive.
When I owned a VCR duplicating business, all my duplicator VCR's were direct drive.
(Also JVC's)
I would think with Kevlar and similar type belts you wouldn't have to worry about stretching as the fibers are high tensile strength with a much lower modulus of elasticity than a strait rubber belt. Oh well. Direct drive is definitely simpler, which usually means more reliable. Interesting stuff.
Audio-Technica AT-LP120 Direct Drive USB Professional Turntable
The only fault I can find is that it doesn't offer 24-bit DA, but then again it's a sub-$300 turntable, so if you want to go north of that 300 bucks you can find 24-bit capability, no doubt.
Full specs here
This was my first choice, his buy, not mine. After he reminded me he inherited from another uncle on his mother's side of the family, a superb vinyl collection of Al Jareau, John and Alice Coltrane, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, the Adderly Broths, and so on in excellent condition the lack of noise presented by belt drives as compared to direct drive is significant to him, a professional musician himself. I suggested a rebuilt LynnSondek. Too expensive at $600 plus cartridge. His latest album brought him >$800k post taxes, >$2.7 mil post tax on tour. He's 22.
I'm more than satisfied with my old Thorens and Dual decks that get the job done. I offered him from me my AR for free, entirely rebuilt two years ago with a Lynn Arm. What do I know, 39k records collected, playing guitar decently since 1962?
It'd be interesting to see noise measurements from an Audio-Technica.
I'm guessing it's little to none. It's a DC motor if I'm not mistaken.
Yup direct drive. Always that slightly noticeable hum. I may be nuts, but I can blind fold hear the differences between AT units with Thorens, about 4 db of rumble, can't do with belt drive units alone, buy I can't identify belt drive units. Psychological?
I own two early Teac and Revox tape units, identical machines for masters. I can always determine which is which from the tape. One of each brand has one direct drive motor vs a belt drive. Sandy Greene would slip in masters from a Grundig, and I'd identify them. Grundig's units were direct drive.
The A77 ReVox is a direct drive 3-motor unit and I wager you'd be hard pressed to identify any rumble.
Again, I'm referring to direct current direct drive. I'm hard pressed to figure out where any rumble would come from a DC motor. Same with the TEAC direct drive decks, of which the A3340S was one of my favorites, now awaiting an overhaul.
I haven't been near a Thorens since 1978 when I was working at KCHK in New Prague, MN.
That station had less transmitter power than my hair dryer, and it was an AM-er so if those old Thorens units rumbled, no one would have picked it up on their AM receivers, but with those old "washing machine motors" I can see how it would be possible.
My hearing above 6K is relatively negligible nowadays but I can still hear the low freqs just fine, with the result being I can usually hear my wife talking just fine, but I often have difficulty making out what she's saying until I get close by...it's the consonants that are missing. I'll wind up with hearing aids eventually.
But I can hear locos in the train yard four miles away when I'm inside the house even with the TV on.
In the end, if you're a fan of belt drive, you're a fan of belt drive.
I just can't stand having to hunt around for parts because these days they're hard to get, and I'm impatient about that stuff.
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