How To DJ: The Basics Of Vinyl Turntables

I wanted to create a post that detailed what the various components are on a DJ turntable. It’s important to understand each one of these features and what they do, this way you’ll know exactly what to do when mixing.

A vinyl turntable really doesn’t have many parts to it therefore it’s pretty quick to learn the basics.

In this post, I’ll cover the basics of vinyl turntables and what they do.

Vinyl Turntable Overview

Let’s take a look at the overall picture of a turntable for a moment. Look at the beauty of the design, it’s minimal in nature but packs a powerful punch.

Vinyl turntables haven’t changed much since their original designs. Over the years new features have been added but DJs always come back to the basics. They’re the foundation of every turntable which makes them essential to know.

Take a quick look at what we have here:

Okay, so I’ll try to do my best to break down what each of these numbered elements are and what they do.

A. 7″ Adapter

In the olden days, tracks came on small 7″ records.

Although you won’t be needing this much, this adapter lets you play these records. They use a larger central hole (the size of the adapter).

This just sits right over the nipple (stop giggling) of your turntable’s platter.

B. Speed Guage/Calibration

This piece of the turntable is a small (often) red strobe light which helps to show the patterns on your platter. When your platter spins, a different pattern is shown by the little bumps on the side.

On many turntables, the speed callibrations are:

• +6
• 3.3
• 0
• -3.3

These just tell you how fast your platter is spinning. It will noticeably be different when you switch your turntable from 33rpm to 45rpm.

C. On/Off

This on/off button simply turns the turntable platter…on and off. When you press it on, your platter will begin to spin and likewise, when you press it off, your platter will come to a halt.

D. Platter + Slipmat

Beneath the platter is the motor which will be either belt driven or direct drive. Learn the differences between these two in the Beginner DJ equipment guide.

The platter is (often) an aluminum piece which a connects to the motor (or belt) and allows you to rest the slipmat on top.

E. Speed Controls

Records come in all kinds of various speeds, most often they are 33rpm and 45rpm. This control allows you to switch between the two.

Although almost all of your DJ vinyl will be 33rpm, you’ll still find a couple floating around out there that are 45′s.

F. Cueing Light

This small light is just there to help you see your vinyl.

You’ll be playing in a dark venue, if you don’t have a small flashlight with you, you can use the cueing light to check where your vinyl currently is.

G. Cartridge

The cartridge houses all of the little electrical elements that allow it to pick up sound and transfer it to your mixer and speakers.

Within the cartridge is a stylus that runs along the record to pick up the vibrations in the grooves.

There are plenty of different types of cartridges available on the market so double check to make sure you choose the right one for your turntable.

H. Self Destruct Button

If you’re having a horrible set, train wrecking over and over again, the self destruct button will blast your turntables into oblivion and create a screen of smoke so you can make your exit.

I. Pitch Control

The most important controlling element of your vinyl turntable is the pitch control. This slider allows you to pitch the vinyl up or down which essentially means speed up or down.

Since many tracks aren’t the same speed, you’ll be using the pitch control quite often to match the two tracks you’re beatmatching.

Get used to this.

J. Counterweight / Anti-Skate

On the end of the tonearm is the counterweight and anti-skate.

The counterweight is there to help balance the weight of your turntable so it doesn’t sit harshly on top of your records nor drifts up during play.

The anti-skate (located in the same general area) helps your needle from skipping by applying a minute amount of force. If your needle keeps jumping around, you’ll need to adjust these two to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Miscellaneous

A few things not covered in detail in this post are the dust covers protect your turntable from, wait for it, dust!

There’s also various mechanics under the hood of the turntable but in the spirit of keeping this simple to get you up to speed, we’ll skip that for now.

Time For Hands On

Minds out of the gutter for a second.

After you’ve read through this (congrats btw) you should take a few minutes to really explore each element on your turntable.

You may have a vinyl turntable that has additional parts not covered in this post. Check your documentation or Google it to find out what each of these do.

I know you’re itching to just jump right in and mix with your turntables but even a few minutes to understand your gear better will keep you ahead of the game.

If you want an additional breakdown of the basic parts of a vinyl turntable, check out AudioJunkies Turntable Basics Guide.

Hope this helps.