Glossary of Turntable Terms Anti-skate:         The centrifugal force of a rotating record tends to pull the tone arm toward the center of the platter. Adding an "anti-skate" force equal to the tracking pressure will keep the arm from "skating" toward the center. Can only be seen if playing a record with no grooves, but wear to the stylus will occur if the anti-skate is defeated. Base:                  A wood or plastic unit that is cut to the shape of the turntable in order for the turntable to sit in to play. Also called the Plinth. Cartridge:          The unit containing the stylus (needle) that actually converts small electrical impulses to sound. Ceramic cartridge: A cartridge (usually with a flip-over stylus) that has a high output, but generally a tinny sound. Old mono players generally have ceramic cartridges. Counter weight: The (usually) cylindrical part at the rear of the tone arm, used to lighten and balance the front of the tone arm. This controls the amount of weight the headshell is applying to the needle and the record itself.  D.C. servo motor: A lower-speed drive motor, electronically speed-controlled. Cueing:              Usually a lever or other device that mechanically lifts the tone arm from the record at any time. Damped cueing means there's either a pneumatic, hydraulic, or mechanical device to slow the rate of descent of the headshell and cartridge onto the record. Head:                  The part at the front of the arm that (usually) will contain a headshell. Headshell:          The part that detaches from the tone arm head, that the cartridge mounts on to and wires to.  Also called cartridge slide or cartridge mount. Induction motor: A standard high-torque AC motor. Induction/synchronous motor: Takes the best of both induction and synchronous motors. uses the induction section to get to speed quickly, then the synchronous part locks to the line frequency. The most well-known of this type motor is Garrard's "Synchro-Lab" series. Magnetic Cartridge: A cartridge that will have only one stylus. It is a low-output device, but it's sound is superior to the sound of a ceramic cartridge. Most better turntables utilize this type. Most computers and many newer stereos will not be compatible, but a low-cost pre-amp will make them compatible. Mat:                     The turntable platter will generally have a rubber mat.  Adding a felt or carbon fiber mat reduces noise from the table, prevents damage to the record and reduces static electricity on the record itself. Moving Coil Cartridge:  A higher end type of cartridge that utilizes moving coil technology and produces greater frequency ranges.  More delicate in nature and requiring a moving coil input on your pre-amp or receiver. Needle:               The needle is the actual point of contact with the record.  It is located at the end of the headshell under the cartridge. Replacing the needle over time improves sound and prevents damage to your records.  Dull needles sound dull and will destroy your records. Quartz lock:      Uses a quartz crystal to accurately control the speed of a DC motor. Spindle:             The part that the record revolves around. There are 4 basic types. A single play manual spindle, a stacking small hole spindle, a spindle that is thick, made for stacking large-hole 45's, and a 45 "puck", for playing 45's singly. Synchronous motor: An AC motor that "locks" onto the 60 (or 50) Hz line frequency. Tends to be a low-torque motor Tone arm (arm): The long unit that holds the headshell, cartridge, stylus and counterweight. Can be curved or straight. Tracking force: The "weight" of the cartridge on the record's surface. Each cartridge has a recommended minimum and maximum for optimum performance – generally between 1.5 and 2.0 grams of weight.  Set via turning the counter weight on the tone arm. Transit screws: Two or 3 screws that will hold the unit to the base when transporting. Usually, transit screws must be turned to their "full up" position to lock the unit in place. Platter:               The part that the record sits on when playing. Stylus:                The part that contacts the record and connects to the cartridge. Also known as a "needle". Note:  Aspects of this glossary taken from The Turntable Factory.