How to Set Up a Turntable

Most turntables arrive mostly assembled. What they don't arrive with is any useful guidance on the setup steps that actually matter. This guide covers every step between taking the deck out of the box and putting a needle in a groove — done right, in the right order.

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Step 1: Find the right surface

Before the turntable touches anything, find it a permanent home. The surface needs to be:

• Level — a turntable that isn't level will have tracking problems on one side of the record. Use a small spirit level on the platter.
• Stable — vibration from footsteps, a subwoofer, or even a washing machine in the same building will be picked up by the stylus and heard through your speakers. A dedicated turntable table with mass is better than a floating shelf.
• Away from the speakers — placing a turntable directly in front of powered speakers causes acoustic feedback. The sound from the speakers vibrates the stylus; the stylus sends that vibration back to the speakers. The result is a low rumbling hum that gets worse at higher volumes.

If you're starting out on a bookshelf or existing furniture, that's fine — just make sure it's solid and level. See our room setup guide for furniture recommendations.

See also: How to Set Up Your Listening Room →

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Step 2: Remove the transit screws and packaging

Most belt-drive turntables ship with transit screws or foam blocks holding the platter suspension in place. If you play the turntable without removing these, the motor strains against them and the sound is badly affected.

Check your manual for transit screw locations. On most decks they're under the platter or accessible through the base. Remove them and keep them — you'll need them again if you ever move the turntable.

Direct-drive decks (Audio-Technica AT-LP120, for example) typically don't have transit screws. Check the manual regardless.

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Step 3: Fit the drive belt (belt-drive decks)

If your deck is belt-drive, the belt is usually shipped separately inside the box — often in a small bag taped to the platter or inside the manual.

How to fit it:

1. Remove the platter (lift straight up — it usually just sits on the spindle)
2. Locate the motor pulley — a small post usually visible near the edge of the sub-platter
3. Loop the belt around the inner rim of the platter and around the motor pulley
4. Replace the platter

The belt should be slightly taut but not stretched. If it slips off the pulley during use, the belt is stretched and needs replacing.

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Step 4: Install the cartridge (if not pre-fitted)

Many entry-level turntables (Audio-Technica AT-LP120, Rega Planar 1) arrive with a cartridge already mounted. If yours does, skip to Step 5.

If you're fitting a cartridge yourself:

1. Attach the headshell to the tonearm — most tonearms have a removable headshell that slots in and locks with a quarter-turn
2. Mount the cartridge — align it with the headshell slots and fix with the supplied screws. Don't overtighten — the cartridge body is plastic
3. Connect the four coloured wires — green (L−), white (L+), blue (R−), red (R+). These connect to small clips on the back of the cartridge body. Check your cartridge manual for the exact layout, but these four colours are nearly universal
4. Set the overhang — the stylus tip should sit over the correct measurement point on your alignment gauge (most decent turntables include one). This is the most technical step; take your time

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Step 5: Set the tracking force

Tracking force is the downward pressure the stylus exerts on the record groove. Too light and the stylus skips; too heavy and it damages your vinyl.

Every cartridge has a specified tracking force range — usually between 1.5g and 2.5g. Find it in your cartridge documentation.

How to set it:

On most tonearms, tracking force is set using the counterweight at the rear of the arm:

1. Remove the stylus guard if fitted
2. Balance the tonearm so it floats horizontally — adjust the counterweight until the arm hangs level when free (not resting on anything)
3. Without moving the counterweight, set the tracking force dial on the counterweight to zero
4. Now rotate the counterweight (and dial together) to your target tracking force — usually the middle of the specified range to start

A digital stylus force gauge (under £20) makes this precise and takes the guesswork out entirely. Worth the investment.

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Step 6: Set the anti-skate

Anti-skate counteracts the inward skating force that pulls the tonearm toward the centre of the record during play. Without it, the stylus pushes harder against one wall of the groove than the other, causing distortion and uneven stylus wear.

Set anti-skate to the same value as your tracking force. On most decks it's a small dial or a thread-and-weight mechanism on the tonearm. Start with 1:1 matching and adjust by ear if distortion on inner grooves (the last tracks on a side) is noticeable.

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Step 7: Connect to your audio system

If your turntable has a built-in phono preamp: Turn the preamp switch ON. Connect the RCA outputs to any line-level input on your amplifier or powered speakers — usually labelled AUX, CD, or LINE.

If your turntable does not have a built-in phono preamp: Turn any built-in preamp switch to OFF (or PHONO). Connect the RCA outputs to a separate phono preamp, then connect the phono preamp's output to your amplifier. See our phono preamp guide for recommendations.

See also: Do You Need a Phono Preamp? →

The ground wire: Most turntables have a thin bare wire labelled GND. Connect it to the grounding post on your phono preamp or amplifier. This eliminates a 50/60Hz hum that would otherwise be audible. If there's no grounding post available, try connecting the ground wire to any unpainted metal on the amplifier chassis.

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Step 8: Level the platter

Place a small spirit level on the platter surface with no record on it. Most turntables have adjustable feet — turn them until the bubble sits dead centre. This matters more than most guides admit. An unlevel deck creates azimuth errors that affect stereo imaging and channel balance.

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Step 9: First play checklist

Before you put a record on:

• [ ] Transit screws removed
• [ ] Belt fitted (belt-drive) or platter seated (direct-drive)
• [ ] Stylus guard removed
• [ ] Tracking force set to manufacturer specification
• [ ] Anti-skate set to match tracking force
• [ ] Tonearm height adjusted if adjustable (set so the arm is parallel to the record surface during play)
• [ ] Connected to phono input or phono preamp
• [ ] Ground wire connected
• [ ] Platter level confirmed

Clean your first record before playing it. Then put the needle down, sit back, and listen.

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Common problems and fixes

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Constant 50/60Hz hum	Ground wire not connected	Connect ground wire to preamp/amp
Stylus skips	Tracking force too low, or dirty record	Increase tracking force; clean record
Motor hum during play	Transit screws still in place	Remove transit screws
Distortion on inner grooves	Anti-skate too low	Increase anti-skate
Speed sounds slow/fast	Belt stretched or wrong pulley	Check belt, check speed setting
One channel missing	Wire disconnected at cartridge	Re-seat cartridge wires