Setting up the Pro-Ject Debut III Turntable: Planet of Sound
How to set up the Pro-Ject Debut III turntable. Video presented by www.planetofsoundonline.com.
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25 Responses to “Setting up the Pro-Ject Debut III Turntable: Planet of Sound”
Thank you so much for this tutorial. I just bought my first turntable and couldn’t really understand much of the manual. This really helped me to set up my TT.
Thanks!
Sounds like a pain in the ass to have to change the belt every time you want to hear 45s. Why can’t a 300 dollar turntable include buttons so all you have to do to change speeds is push.
The Debut III uses an AC motor so generally it is locked to the 60Hz of the power out of the wall and never deviates in speed. It is one of the finest motors made today. For very sensitive types Pro-Ject makes a SpeedBox II which cleans the AC out of the wall for more accurate timing, but at this point you are better investing in one of their higher end tables as the overall sound will be better than simply tweaking the speed could ever accomplish.
The reason is that adding any mechanism to change speed increases cost and decreases sound quality. The Debut III was designed to be the finest sounding turntable at its price and it handily succeeded. Since the vast majority of people don’t play 45s at all, it is small price to pay for quality and reliability (mechanisms to change speed frequently break or go out of alignment). The external Speed Box II elegantly changes speed by adjusting the electrical frequency coming to the motor.
I’m still struggling to get the 1.5 gram weight correct, my dial has 0-25, so not sure where 1.5 grams is. In some records it gets stuck but if I move the weight down I get more static sounds, any advice would be appreciated.
The weight is essential to the setup. It determines how much weight is on the stylus riding in the record groove. Too much or too little will damage the record and result in poor sound. 1.8 grams (18 on the dial) is correct.
I am a huge vinyl collector!! I, like most I’m sure, started off by strolling into a store and pulling a bunch of records out of dollar bins. Now i find myself investing serious cash in Lps..40-50-150 bucks a pop. What I have not done is really look at ugraded equipment. I’ve seen turntables priced form $99 up to $150,000 on line. What do you look for in a “good turntable”? What do you get for investing $500-$2000 in a turntable? Where should I start?
This is the anti-skate weight. It stops the needle from skating into the centre of the record. It is essential. Put it on the 2nd indent and hang it over the metal hook so it can move freely.
The Debut III is the best budget product but if you have a larger investment Pro-Ject makes a complete line of top value turntables. Engineering pays off in sound quality so generally the most finely designed tables sound the best. Have a look at the RPM 9.1
They are totally different tables made for different purposes. The Debut III is made for high quality listening at home and will outperform the 1200 at a lower price. The 1200 is made to be a professional DJ machine so it prioritizes ruggedness over sound quality
Thanks for this one ! I wasn’t able to understand the manual’s way to do it !
Thank you so much for this tutorial. I just bought my first turntable and couldn’t really understand much of the manual. This really helped me to set up my TT.
Thanks!
Sounds like a pain in the ass to have to change the belt every time you want to hear 45s. Why can’t a 300 dollar turntable include buttons so all you have to do to change speeds is push.
you speak as if a $300 turntable is expensive. Quite the opposite. One should expect minimal features at this price point, on a “real” table.
very useful video! what is the purpose of the small weight?
Where is the pitch control calibration?
The Debut III uses an AC motor so generally it is locked to the 60Hz of the power out of the wall and never deviates in speed. It is one of the finest motors made today. For very sensitive types Pro-Ject makes a SpeedBox II which cleans the AC out of the wall for more accurate timing, but at this point you are better investing in one of their higher end tables as the overall sound will be better than simply tweaking the speed could ever accomplish.
The reason is that adding any mechanism to change speed increases cost and decreases sound quality. The Debut III was designed to be the finest sounding turntable at its price and it handily succeeded. Since the vast majority of people don’t play 45s at all, it is small price to pay for quality and reliability (mechanisms to change speed frequently break or go out of alignment). The external Speed Box II elegantly changes speed by adjusting the electrical frequency coming to the motor.
how is it’s rumble vs a vintage AR table in good shape? is that arm about like the old Linn Basik with regards to bearing precision and lack of slop?
I’m still struggling to get the 1.5 gram weight correct, my dial has 0-25, so not sure where 1.5 grams is. In some records it gets stuck but if I move the weight down I get more static sounds, any advice would be appreciated.
I love this player, however I still wonder what the purpose is of the weight?
The weight is essential to the setup. It determines how much weight is on the stylus riding in the record groove. Too much or too little will damage the record and result in poor sound. 1.8 grams (18 on the dial) is correct.
On the dial 1.8 grams is 18. The dial is calibrated in nM (neuton-meters) a fancy way of saying grams.
Yes, it is similar to the Basik, but considering a Basik is much much more expensive than the whole cost of the Debut III, it’s quite the achievement.
Can it play 45’s? I don’t have many 45s, but for what ever reason a favourite EP of mine is 33 on one side and 45 on the other.
I’m in the market for a new player, and this one seems to be perfect.
I am a huge vinyl collector!! I, like most I’m sure, started off by strolling into a store and pulling a bunch of records out of dollar bins. Now i find myself investing serious cash in Lps..40-50-150 bucks a pop. What I have not done is really look at ugraded equipment. I’ve seen turntables priced form $99 up to $150,000 on line. What do you look for in a “good turntable”? What do you get for investing $500-$2000 in a turntable? Where should I start?
Very concise and useful video. Thank you.
Watching the instruction video makes it look easy. Thank you for the instructions.
This is the anti-skate weight. It stops the needle from skating into the centre of the record. It is essential. Put it on the 2nd indent and hang it over the metal hook so it can move freely.
Yes, just move the belt from the top cog on the motor to the larger one.
The Debut III is the best budget product but if you have a larger investment Pro-Ject makes a complete line of top value turntables. Engineering pays off in sound quality so generally the most finely designed tables sound the best. Have a look at the RPM 9.1
Thanks a lot for this video. I bought this turntable last week, and it’s much more clear than in the notice.
It has 4 legs
Azimuth is set at the factory since the cartridge is pre-mounted.
They are totally different tables made for different purposes. The Debut III is made for high quality listening at home and will outperform the 1200 at a lower price. The 1200 is made to be a professional DJ machine so it prioritizes ruggedness over sound quality