How to Operate a Turntable

Vinyl Album on a Turntable

Vinyl records. LPs. Singles. Albums. Ask anyone who lived before CDs, iPods and other portable music devices and they will tell you that today's music does not sound as good as music recorded on a vinyl album. The record turntable is making a comeback for many music lovers. Whether it is a new model or an old one found in your grandparent's attic or at a garage sale, the technique for operating a turntable is similar.

Instructions

1. Position the arm of the turntable, it if is not already in place. Lift the arm--it looks like an inverted, backwards "7"--and move it towards your right. Be careful not to force the arm up or over, to prevent damaging it.

2. Hold the record between the palms of your opened hands. Avoid getting fingerprints on the album or scratching it. Set the hole in the center of the album over the spindle (the metal rod in the center of the turntable) and slip the album down until it rests on the small metal lip sticking out from the spindle. Move the turntable's arm back over the top of the album, to hold it in place.

3. Turn the power on and click the control near the arm. This will activate the turntable and release the record. The record will slide down the spindle and the stylus, which holds the needle, will move over and rest on the outer edge of the album. Adjust the settings for the volume and any other sound controls on your model turntable.

4. Skip to a different song from the one that is playing by gently lifting the stylus straight up. The record will have spaces between the songs; move the stylus to the space for the beginning of the song you want to hear and set the stylus down. This must be done carefully to prevent scratching the album.

5. Remove the album. When all the songs on the album are finished playing, the stylus will automatically lift and return to its resting position. The turntable will then turn off. Once the album stops rotating, lift the arm and move it to the side. Then lift the album off the spindle and return it to its protective cover. Put a different album on the turntable or--if you are finished--turn the power off.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean vinyl albums with a soft cloth--similar to the type used to clean reading glasses--to remove lint and dirt.

• Don't stack several albums on the spindle. Although it is tempting to have several albums play without having to change each one, stacking albums will scratch the vinyl. Some turntables prevent this by removing the metal lip on the spindle to prevent stacking albums.