Source
r/vinyl•
perishthethought

How to adjust the speed of an Audio Technica LP60 turntable

How-to

I currently have an AT LP60 turntable and realized recently it was too fast when set at 33 1/3 for most of my LPs.

Disclaimers:

  • I am not an expert and obviously not an audiophile.
  • I am OK with my LP60 and I suspect there are at least a few people here who feel the same way and may have this same problem (someday).
  • If you are an audiophile and hate this TT, please go read something else. This post is not for you.

OK, so, I realized some of my records sounded too fast recently and here's how I fixed that:

  • I downloaded an app to determine my TT's speeds.
    • I have an android phone, so I chose RPM Speed & Wow from the Google Play store.
    • There are iPhone apps out there too.
    • It's free and easy to use and very quickly shows you how fast your TT is roatating.
    • This is not perfect but again, close enough is close enough for me.
  • Mine showed 34.9 at first (when set on the 33 1/3 RPM setting).
  • Remove any record from the TT.
  • Carefully, look under the TT for the two holes marked "33" and "45".
  • Find a very small flat-head screwdriver.
  • Use that to gently poke through the fabric covering inside the 33 hole.
  • Very, very slowly and gently, seat the screwdriver into the screw inside that hole without turning it.
  • Turn the screw but only very, very slightly.
    • Seriously - a TINY turn is probably all you need. Less than a quarter turn for sure.
    • Turn it clockwise to make the table go faster.
    • Turn it counter-clockwise to make the table go slower.
  • Run the app on your phone again to test the new speed.
  • Repeat the adjustment until you get a result very close to 33.33.
  • Repeat this whole process for 45 RPM if you want to.

I had to repeat this adjustment about 5 times, making ever smaller changes to the screw's position before I got 33.34 from the app on my phone. Just make very small changes every time and you'll be OK.

The result is noticeable. I am very happy with this change and I hope this helps someone else.

TL;DR: AT LP60 turntables are crappy and there's no fixing that, but you can adjust their speed. It's free & easy to do this. It's worth it too.

Posted Dec 16, 2018, 8:03 PM UTC

2522
deadbase•

Well done.

8
perishthethoughtOPAudio Technica•

Thanks! Can you tell I expected the first comment to be really snarky?

6
deadbase•

I bought my daughter one. They aren’t perfect, but they’ll do.

2
morahofjormont•

What’s so bad about them? I’ve had two and never had issues. What are the cons of them, everyone seems to hate on em.

2
LTAP2128•

No adjustable tracking force or anti-skate

Although I own an LP-120 and the anti-skate on it might as well not be adjustable it's so weak.

6
mawnckTechnics•

Also, crummy speed accuracy. You may get it to AVERAGE 33 1/3 over time, but you won't get the speed to stop wavering.

Try playing some piano music on the thing, and listen to the pitch. Once you hear it, you can't un-hear it.

2
ChickenSalad96•

Also, who can blame you? Lots of gatekeeping jerks who'll be asses just because you don't have a multi-thousand setup like they supposedly do.

2
ChickenSalad96•

This is applicable for even the Sony PS-LX300USB, and many versions of this build AFAIK.

#BONUS TIP:

The flathead screw driver that comes in cheap $1 glasses repair kits at your local store (or if you already have one) also fits the screw in the tuners of said turntables.

4
perishthethoughtOPAudio Technica•

Sweet! Thanks.

I used a screwdriver from a set I bought at a dollar store.

1
Malamodon•

vwestlife has a demo of doing it with the strobe disc method which is next best option if you don't have a phone with the right sensors for those apps.

3
TehVoodooTechnics•

Nice job man.

It's post like these that will help others in the future.

2
mezdup1•

Thanks! Was able to fix mine. It was driving me nuts

2
mnitmf•

I'm having trouble getting this to work on my table. When I put the screwdriver in and try to turn counterclockwise (or clockwise for that matter) nothing happens. I can turn the screwdriver for a minute straight, no effect.

The only way I can get the speed to change at all is when I angle the screwdriver towards the front of the turntable, at which point the speed goes absolutely nuts (70+ RPM). It goes back to it's normal speed, around 34 RPM, when I return the screwdriver from its angled position.

Has anyone else experienced this? And ideas what I'm doing wrong?

1
perishthethoughtOPAudio Technica•

It's hard to tell from just a description, but it sounds like the screwdriver is not getting set in the little screw inside the turntable's case. That's a tricky step, since you're poking past the fabric cover and can't see in there. Just try to feel the screwdriver really sitting down, into the slot - before you turn it at all.

2
mnitmf•

So the the speed on tour table didn't go berserk when you turned the screw?

After a lot of tinkering and checking RPM, I realized that it was actually working, and that the huge increase in speed just seemed to be happening as a result of me fiddling with the screw.

So for example, it would be spinning at 35 RPM, I'd play with the screw causing the speed to go haywire for a second or two, then once I checked again the RPM had decreased.

Not sure why mine spins out of control every time I mess with the screw haha. I was able to get my RPM to 33.28 according to the RPM Speed and Wow app, but it must not be totally accurate because the table is still playing a tad fast. Gonna tinker with it some more and try to slow it down further.

In any case, thanks OP for the walkthrough.

1
Theround•

Having this exact issue. Finally got it almost perfectly dialed in as it worked fine for a while, but even pushing the screwdriver in anymore makes the platter spin at insane speeds.

EDIT: and now it's permanently stuck at the wrong speed.

1
crodr477•

I experienced the same thing. I would push something (I don’t know what) and the table would spin INCREDIBLY fast, and I would have to let it slow down. It turned out to be a problem with finding the slot. When OP says you need a TINY screwdriver, they’re not kidding. The one I use for my glasses was too big, I had to find a smaller one, and angle it just right to find the screw. After that, it worked just fine.

1
ElGuaco•

Wow, this was great info, thanks so much. I got mine close as I could, but the graph shows that the wow means that even though my average is 33.36 (as close as I could get) more of the graph time is spent going too fast than slow. I can hear it, it's a subtle chipmunk effect on vocals.

I guess I now know why people will spend hundreds to get a good spin out of a turntable!

1
perishthethoughtOPPro-Ject•

Yeah, I just there days ago upgraded to a new TT and the difference is really there.

1
inside_a_fire•

Where exactly are these holes for the 33/45? Can’t seem to find them

1
perishthethoughtOPPro-Ject•

Underneath. Sorry, I don't have my LP60 any longer or I'd be more specific. I seem to recall there is a YT video that shows how to do this very well too.

1
inside_a_fire•

Figured it out a moment ago. Thank you. Never had any problems then about a day ago all my records started to sounds about 3 clicks too slow. Has been driving me nuts.

1
will_retz•

Here's my experience for those who are looking for a solution. I had better luck using an extremely small philips head. This guide wasn't clear on orientation so in my experience while the buttons were facing me, turning the screwdrive clockwise increased the speed. I was working with the record propped on top of two boxes

​

1
tellogom13Audio Technica•

Can't believe I've had the LP60 for like 3 years now and I've always noticed it sounded weird, this post just helped me fix it and now sounds as it should. Thank you.

1
sersdf•

Big thanks! The app actually underestimated the speed, so I just went off ear and got it after a couple tries

1
feelslikepizza•

I just spent 2 hours trying to make adjustments to my LP-60 and had no luck at all getting a flathead screwdriver into whatever screw might exist in there. Does anyone have any other ideas on how to resolve the issue? I seriously poked around for so long I don’t know how I couldn’t get the screwdriver into the screw but I am apparently a dumbass.

1
perishthethoughtOPPro-Ject•

I don't have my LP60 now but from memory, it's just by feel. You know when the screwdriver is in slot by how it feels. It is tricky, eh?

1
[deleted]•

[removed]

1
BMB_SLP_AAC•

god bless you for this

1
perishthethoughtOPPro-Ject•

And you, my son/daughter/whatever. <Gesturing wildly>

1
4nthyon•

I know this is old but I cannot find the little screws marked 45 and 33 on mine?

EDIT: found them, didn’t know you meant literally on the bottom of the whole thing lol

1
perishthethoughtOPDenon•

Yep, good job finding them.

1
InvalidUsername471Audio Technica•

Holy shit thanks so much OP. Never knew about this before. Gave it a shot and after about 30 or so tries I got pretty close. Thanks!!

EDIT: Just tried out a record after the adjustment and it instantly sounded so much more precise than before! Can't thank you enough OP.

1