Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Numark TTUSB Review








PROS / It has antiskating and pitch adjustment.

CONS / It has difficulties removing the imperfections on old records.

VERDICT / The turntable and software make it easy to convert LPs to digital formats, but make sure the records are in good shape or the conversions might have issues.


The Numark Turntables TTUSB is an LP to digital converter that comes with the program EZ Vinyl/Tape Converter that walks you through the process of turning your LPs into digital audio files. We especially enjoyed this software because it takes all the guesswork out of converting LPs. You plug your turntable into your computer via USB and the program takes you step by step through the process. This allows first-time users to successfully convert LPs to digital formats without a hitch.

During our conversion tests, we had mixed results. One of our LP conversions was unlistenable, with static and scratches that got increasingly louder toward the end of the song. The conversion of a brand new Jack White LP didn't have any abrasive scratching, but it did lack volume and definition compared to a digital download of the same song. The panning was also off, where the guitar solo in the song was far less prominent than in the digital download.




We also converted a 45 by The Beatles. We chose this particular album because it was not in good shape. It has its share of scratches and is slightly warped. This didn't do the vinyl converter turntable any favors. The turntable picked up plenty of static as well as some distortion when the entire band accompanies the piano. There were also some panning issues where the guitar solo was much further in the background than it was in the digital download. There were other turntables we tested that sounded overall worse than the Numark, but many others had more successful conversions.

The Numark TTUSB has all the makings of a quality converter turntable. It features a belt drive motor to reduce noise during conversion, anti-skate control that keeps the needle from skipping, and a counterweight to help put the right amount of pressure from the stylus on the vinyl. It also has a pitch adjust slider on the tabletop in case you need to make minor adjustments to the sound of your record.

This USB turntable does not have built-in speakers or an automatic start/stop feature that stops the platter from spinning once the record is done playing. It comes with all the cables you'll need.

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