How Do Record Players Work?

Who cares how a record player works?

You put the record on and it plays. Why does it matter how it does that?

Most people use TVs or microwaves or any number of other appliances without knowing how they work.

But the record player is different.

The quality of certain individual components has a huge impact on the final sound output.

If you know exactly how a record player works, then you know which component have the largest impact on sound quality. That means you know which components to upgrade first, if you want to achieve a higher quality sound.

No one swaps out individual components of their TVs or microwaves. But it is very common to upgrade components of a turntable.

So let’s see how the components work together to create that beautiful turntable sound. Before we get to that, let’s take a quick look at the history of the record player.

A Brief History Of The Record Player

Late in the 19th century, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph, from which all modern record players are derived. While the phonograph looked much different than the turntables of today, it worked based on the same principle; sound vibration.

Edison knew that, since all sound is vibration, he could record these vibrations on a physical medium. He believed that these vibrations could be reproduced from the recording.

His first version of the phonograph utilized grooves that were etched into foil. He used his invention to record the song “ Mary Had a Little Lamb”, which was the first recording ever made.

From there, the record player had a rich and interesting history with design improvements made several times over the last one hundred years.

Today, we have record players that are equipped with FM/AM radio, cassette players, Bluetooth technology, and so much more. If you’d like to learn more about the history of record players and how they came to be, read this article.

How Record Players Work

The record player is made up of a few main parts:

Needle
Tonearm
Turntable

In the beginning, Edison used a metal cylinder, while today, the turntable consists of a rotating platter that’s completely flat. Older turntables were belt-driven, which included the use of a small motor which would move a series of gears attached to the middle of the platter or a belt, to cause it to rotate.

While this design is still used in some models today, this method would cause the record player to start off slowly and gradually gather speed. It also caused the turntable to grind to a halt once it was switched off.

Modern Components

These days, most models are direct drive, which means that they’re powered with the use of electromagnets. These electromagnets can be turned on and off very quickly

At the center of the platter is the bearing, which has the job of allowing the constant rotation without any vibration or friction. There are platters that spin on ball bearings, float on a layer of oil, and even platters that rest on a tapered spindle.

There are also cheap platters, that are made out of plastic and don’t usually include a bearing. Instead, the platter will simply rest at the bottom of the spindle and rely on the friction between the metal and plastic being low enough that the drive system will be able to overcome it.

The record player’s tonearm is fixed to the base and it extends all the way to the surface of the record. The tonearm can be raised or lowered via a lever, for precision. However, it can also be placed on the record manually.

The needle is located on the end of the tonearm and it’s the part that makes contact with the vinyl, reading the sound information that is recorded in the grooves of the record. The friction that’s created as the needle passes over the record’s grooves works to recreate the sound that is etched the grooves.

Upgraded Stylus Design

Many years ago, the needle used a crystal tip that generated a charge when it was compressed. This charge was amplified in order to reproduce the audible recording.

In the 1950s, the ceramic stylus replaced the crystal version and it resulted in a smoother sound that resulted in less resistance in the grooves. This, in turn, meant less skipping.

These days, diamond tipped needles are used. The tip is connected to an electromagnetic coil, which is very similar to a guitar pickup. As the stylus moves, it creates a fluctuation in the electromagnetic field that induces a charge in the coil. When it’s amplified, the charge turns into a reproduction of the original recording.

Drive System Options

As mentioned earlier, in order to rotate, the platter must have a drive system. The drive doesn’t have to be very powerful, unless you’re looking for a turntable for DJing purposes.

Older turntables may have a type of jockey wheel drive, but you’ll want to look for a model that has a direct or belt-driven setup. Obviously, the belt-driven systems use a rubber belt, while a direct drive system has a direct connection between the record player’s platter and the motor’s shaft.

The type of motor used on a record player is important because most of the vibration comes through the motor and too much vibration can negatively impact the playback.

If you want to make sure you get a top-quality record player, look for a twin pole AC motor if you want a belt-driven model. Try to avoid buying a record player with a shaded pole motor.

If you’re looking at lower-priced turntables, many of them come equipped with DC motors, which are known for higher than average vibrations.

By comparison, a direct drive motor will usually have rotor magnets that are fixed in a ring, located directly under the platter. They’re driven by a multi-phase AC power supply just like a stepper motor. The quality of the drive system and the motor heavily impacts the price of the record player.

How Vinyl Works

The creation of the vinyl record is similar to the playback process but in reverse. Instead of the stylus passing over the grooves in order to recreate the sound, an album cutter that’s connected to an input source will pass over the blank record and etch the grooves.

Final Thoughts

Each component plays an important role. Using top of the line needles, tonearms, and even platters will all have a direct positive impact on sound quality.

Now that you know how record players work, you can choose a model that comes loaded with the right features and components you need to get the most out of your sound system.

Remember, lower-priced record players often come with cheaper components, but many of these component are upgradable. If you’re looking for the best, be prepared to spend more on a record player that’s designed to last or to spend more on upgrades down the line.