Music feeds our souls. It impacts our lives in so many ways. When you are a bit stressed, for instance, playing your favorite jams can help restore your energy and put you back into your best mood within minutes. It can inspire, encourage, motivate, and strengthen you. However, it is more effective when you listen to the right music at the right time. But sometimes the best quality of music exists in vinyl records. They have a unique punch of originality and an effect not found in other sorts of music. But vinyl record players are not available to many. Sometimes you have to be a bit creative to enjoy vinyl. To help you get started, below are a few on style and components when setting up a sound system to play vinyl records.
Gather The Setup Components
When it comes to sound systems, the sky’s the limit. The ways you can customize your sound system to get an amazing experience are literally endless. If you want to start enjoying vinyl records, however, you will need a few components, starting with the turntable. The set up should consist of:
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Turntable:
If you have been to a club or an event, you have probably seen those “plate-like” tables that DJs play around with. They serve to convert the music on the record into signals that are then converted into sound. You have probably seen them place a needle-like thing on the plate as it rotates. It involves some complex level physics but your main aim here is to play vinyl music, right? Well, the first thing you’ll need is a quality turntable or record player. If you take a closer look at their website, Top Record Players has outlined some of the top turntables you can get on the market. These include modern units that come with added features meant to make things easier for you. Since not all turntables are the same, reading professional reviews can help you make an informed decision when purchasing a vinyl record player.
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Speakers:
We all know what speakers are and their purpose. These are the final manifestations of all the physics in sound production. They convert signals to audio content, which we all enjoy. They come in: Passive and active speakers. You may want to get speakers that best serve your needs, whether you need a surround sound effect or you just want the mere bass, treble, and high sounds
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Amplifier:
This is the component that receives electrical signals from the player and then sends them to the speaker for audible sound. This is the unit where you adjust various parameters of your sound, including the volume, choosing a source, and balancing your sound.
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Preamplifier:
It is used to correct the tone of the signal picked up by the turntable. It is also the unit used to amplify the movement picked up by the turntable.
Choose a Setup Style
With the above brief description of the components you need to set up vinyl record playing, let us now look at the various setup styles you can choose from
Setup Style 1: Turntable with inbuilt preamp and active speakers
This is the cheapest setup you can ever get, often recommended for newbies. With the main components already in the turntable, all you will need is an RCA cable. You will connect the output on the turntable to the input on the active speakers. Remember to do all the procedures when the power is off. Upon completion, turn on the power and dance to the music!
Setup Style 2: Turntable with in-built preamp, passive speakers, and amplifiers
Besides the components, as mentioned earlier, you will need an RCA cable and a speaker wire. Use the RCA cable to connect the output on the turntable to the input of the amplifier. Using the speaker wire, connect the left power out from the amplifier to the left speaker. Do the same for the right speaker. After that, connect the turntable and the amplifier to the power. Enjoy!
Setup Style 3: A Turntable without an inbuilt preamp, a standalone preamp, and active speakers
A turntable without a preamp is the same as a turntable with no PHONO output means the same. Don’t get mixed up. In this case, you will need 2 RCA cables and a ground wire to factor in the preamp to the turntable. Use the RCA cable to connect the turntable’s PHONO output to the PHONO input on the preamp. Use the ground wire to the GROUND port on both the preamp and the turntable. Connect all the three components to the power source and do your thing.
Setup Style 4: A turntable without an inbuilt preamp, amplifier. Standalone preamp and passive speakers
To add to the above components, you will need 2 RCA cables, ground wire, and speaker wire. Connect the PHONO output on the turntable to the PHONO input on the preamp with the RCA cable. Fix the ground wire to the GROUND on the preamp and turntable. Connect the left power out on the amplifier to the left speaker using the speaker wire. Do the same to the right. Use the ground wire to fix the preamp and turntable. Connect all the components on the power source and dance.
Quite easy; right? Well, if you think it’s not, you may also go ahead and get an experienced sound engineer to help you out. With the few tips above, setting up a sound system for vinyl records just became a breeze.
