00:01A modern twist to a timeless classic, an analog sound that inspires fanatics.
00:08It's a DJ tool that's always played.
00:11We're finding out how turntables are made.
00:17What we would call a record player is technically a phonograph.
00:22The phonograph was invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison.
00:27In the 20th century, the term record player was adopted as a new name for the instrument.
00:33The record player dominated the music and sound industry until the 1980s
00:38with the invention of the cassette tape.
00:41With the rise of vintage trends, vinyl records are back in style.
00:46We're visiting Turntable, where Dottie is going to show us how these devices are made.
00:53First off, a motorized file, called a Dremel, is used to round out the space for the motor.
00:59The motor powers the rotation of the platter that the record sits on.
01:04After the motor is secured, the mount is placed and the spindle is screwed on.
01:09While the motor powers the rotating record, the spindle is what holds the record in place.
01:16You can't have a turntable that doesn't make any noise.
01:19That's where the circuit comes into play.
01:23A circuit is a circular pathway that electricity travels around.
01:27The main wires conduct electricity out, and the grounding wires are the return paths.
01:33Green and blue ground the tonearm, so there's no buzz or hum.
01:36Black discharges extra static created from the needle reading the record.
01:42And white and red send the left and right audio channels.
01:46The wires are crimped, clipped, and separated, and ready to be connected to the switchboard.
01:54The switchboard is controlled by two gold knobs.
01:58The knobs can pause, play, and adjust the spin speed of a record.
02:03Next, the cartridge, or needle, gets made by using tiny screws, and then gets attached to the tonearm.
02:10The needle reads the microscopic hills and valleys on the record,
02:14which send small vibrations through the tonearm, which are amplified to create sound waves.
02:22The turntable is then flipped over to install the main circuit board.
02:26The circuit board is basically the nervous system.
02:29It controls everything.
02:33Now for the final piece, the tonearm.
02:36It looks like we're ready for a sound check.
02:42Ouch!
02:44Why does it sound like that?
02:46Well, each unit is tuned to 33.3 or 45 revolutions per minute, using a special app and record.
02:54The higher the RPM, the better the sound quality, but the shorter the playtime.
02:59If the unit isn't properly tuned, the music won't come out right.
03:03Although this sound may hurt the ears, it's crucial to make sure your records sound perfect.
03:09Once audio is ready, it's time for the final step.
03:13The bass.
03:14The power cable is crimped, clamped, and inserted into a plastic clip, and feet are attached to the bass.
03:23Voila!
03:23The turntable is complete.
03:26Each turntable is made completely by hand, so currently about 10 can be made per day.
03:32This means each record player is special and bespoke.
03:37All you need to stream a record?
03:40A phone with Bluetooth.
03:42Even though the record player is 141 years old,
03:46through brands like Turntable, its technology continues to evolve,
03:51keeping it a relevant music tool.
03:54It's safe to say, Turntables are not going away.
