The level was way, way, way too high, and even the quiet passages were clipping (ie, hitting the hard limits of the number space provided in digital audio), and so were grossly distorted.Īgain, the solution isn't difficult. The second problem was that the sound was absolutely awful, and the reason was obvious. That's easy enough to fix - if you know enough about Windows to get into the Audio Devices control panel. For some reason, the turntable also installs itself as a USB audio playback device, and both computers changed the default output device. With both a newish Windows 7 desktop and an older Windows 7 notebook computer, the Windows updates and drivers installed fairly quickly, but there were two problems. And if you believe it, then it's simply a matter of plug and play. The (proper) manual gives a quick sketch of setting the unit up with Windows XP, Windows 7 and Macs. It acts as a standard USB audio input device. You can use the turntable to record onto your computer by using the analogue outputs, but the USB connection seems the more sensible way to go, since you're not only keeping all analogue audio well away from the stew of electrical fields within a computer, but you're also employing AU$150 worth of Pro-Ject's own phono preamplification and analogue-to-digital conversion. You can download the proper manual from the Australian or international websites. Actually do that with this one, and you'll overload the input. The review unit had the wrong manual in the box: it was the manual for the non-USB version, so it insisted that you have to plug the turntable into a phono input. The platter is made of a fairly heavy-pressed metal, and is covered by a thin felt mat. The review unit was a striking bright red. The body of the turntable is made from MDF and is finished in what looks like a nice gloss enamel, which can be had in several colours. A chunky external 16-volt (AC, so you can't use some random replacement) wall wart provides power. The perspex lid slips neatly onto two rods from the hinges. The anti-skating fixture applies a counter-force, keeping the force relatively even on both sides of the groove. With most turntables, the force vector imparted on the stylus by friction with the surface of the record is at a different angle to a line drawn between the stylus and the tone arm mounting point, so there's a net force toward the centre of the record. This is on a fine nylon thread, which hooks over a lever at the rear of the arm, suspending the weight above the body of the turntable. Then you install the anti-skating weight. Adjust the calibration ring to zero, and then wind the whole counterweight in to show 1.5. Carefully rotate it until the arm balances perfectly flat. Pop the counterweight on the end of the tone arm. The pulley has two different diameters to provide for 33rpm and 45rpm operation you change speeds by moving the belt to the other reel. You install the belt from the pulley to the "hub" upon which the turntable platter rests using a little plastic tool (you do not want finger grease on it). Setting up the turntable was very easy, as far as setting up turntables goes. This model costs AU$150 more than the non-USB version of the turntable, so if you don't need to record to a computer and already have a decent phono preamplifier in your system, you can save some money. It also has a digital-to-analogue converter, configured as a standard USB audio device (it has a USB Type B socket). This turntable has the phono preamplifier built in so it can be plugged into any regular analogue audio inputs. So a standard turntable needs to be connected to a phono preamplifier (sometimes built into a regular amplifier) to provide the counteracting EQ and to boost the signal up to near CD levels. The output voltage of moving magnet cartridges is around three orders of magnitude lower than that of a CD player (around 2.5mV versus 2 volts), and the sound is encoded on vinyl in accordance with the RIAA EQ curve, so that bass is greatly reduced in amplitude and treble greatly emphasised (up to 20 decibels). Pro-Ject recommends a tracking force of 1.5 millinewtons (or grams, as we used to say in the old days). This is a moving magnet cartridge (higher output than moving coil), and has an elliptical stylus fitted. It comes with an Ortofon OM10 cartridge pre-fitted. That is said to increase rigidity while reducing mass, allowing the arm to better follow the grooves on vinyl disks. The Debut series is a step above entry level, and has recently been enhanced with an improved suspension on its motor to reduce noise, and the use of a tone arm with a carbon tube. Now for some real turntable nitty gritty.
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