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Broken turntable

English translation: turntable that does not rotate evenly

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:Broken turntable
Selected answer:turntable that does not rotate evenly
Entered by: Nadia Ayoub

12:56 May 31, 2009
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Music
English term or phrase: Broken turntable
Reminds me of a broken turntable!

Comment on the effect of "extreme delay" in an audio file with a guitar track.

I have to translate this into Arabic, and I have no idea what a broken turntable sounds like!
Nadia Ayoub
Egypt
Local time: 03:09
turntable that does not rotate evenly
Explanation:
A turntable is the circular horizontal rotating platform of a phonograph or record player on which the record is placed. If it works properly, it rotates uniformly (evenly). This ensures that the recorded track is played back appropriately. If the turntable is broken then its rotation speed is not constant: sometimes it is faster, sometimes it is slower than it should be. The music is then played back with considerable distortion: when it rotates more slowly, notes are elongated and the pitch is lower; when it rotates more quickly, they are shorter and higher pitched. This kind of distortion can be quite easily recognized.

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Note added at 1 hr (2009-05-31 14:11:00 GMT) Post-grading
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To Tony's remark: let's do the math.
Record players usually operate at 33 turns per minute - that is, one turn takes about 2 seconds. How many notes can you here in one turn? Let's say 20 -- it is probably an OK ballpark figure; higher numbers are not uncommon (in a guitar solo, say).
If the rotation of the record player is just 10% faster in the first half and 10% slower in the second half of each turn, the difference is a whole note at midturn. The rhythm is then completely lost. Likewise, if the music is mixed from various tracks, and the guitar track lags a note behind the drum then I don't see any reason why "extreme delay" would not be appropriate.

If the stylus jumps from one groove then it is usually the record that is broken, not the turntable.
Selected response from:

Attila Piróth
France
Local time: 03:09
Grading comment
Many thanks, now I can translate it!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +2turntable that does not rotate evenly
Attila Piróth
4the rotating platform that carries a phonograph record is broken
Michael Powers (PhD)


  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
broken turntable
the rotating platform that carries a phonograph record is broken


Explanation:
Merriam-Webster


turntable
One entry found.
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Main Entry:
turn·ta·ble Listen to the pronunciation of turntable
Pronunciation:
\-ˌtā-bəl\
Function:
noun
Date:
1835

: a revolvable platform: as a: a platform with a track for turning wheeled vehicles (as locomotives) b: lazy susan c: a rotating platform that carries a phonograph record

Mike :)


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Note added at 5 mins (2009-05-31 13:01:43 GMT)
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my pleasure, Nadia

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Note added at 13 mins (2009-05-31 13:10:16 GMT) Post-grading
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What Attila explained is one way it can be broken; however, it could be defective and simply not rotate.

Michael Powers (PhD)
United States
Local time: 21:09
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 40
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thank you Michael, what I need to know is what it sounds like!

Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

7 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
broken turntable
turntable that does not rotate evenly


Explanation:
A turntable is the circular horizontal rotating platform of a phonograph or record player on which the record is placed. If it works properly, it rotates uniformly (evenly). This ensures that the recorded track is played back appropriately. If the turntable is broken then its rotation speed is not constant: sometimes it is faster, sometimes it is slower than it should be. The music is then played back with considerable distortion: when it rotates more slowly, notes are elongated and the pitch is lower; when it rotates more quickly, they are shorter and higher pitched. This kind of distortion can be quite easily recognized.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2009-05-31 14:11:00 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------

To Tony's remark: let's do the math.
Record players usually operate at 33 turns per minute - that is, one turn takes about 2 seconds. How many notes can you here in one turn? Let's say 20 -- it is probably an OK ballpark figure; higher numbers are not uncommon (in a guitar solo, say).
If the rotation of the record player is just 10% faster in the first half and 10% slower in the second half of each turn, the difference is a whole note at midturn. The rhythm is then completely lost. Likewise, if the music is mixed from various tracks, and the guitar track lags a note behind the drum then I don't see any reason why "extreme delay" would not be appropriate.

If the stylus jumps from one groove then it is usually the record that is broken, not the turntable.

Attila Piróth
France
Local time: 03:09
Native speaker of: Native in HungarianHungarian
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Many thanks, now I can translate it!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Yasutomo Kanazawa
6 mins
neutral  Tony M: Except that speed variations such as you describe wouldn't produce any sort of effect like 'extreme delay'; I rather suspect this means 'broken' in a different sense, perhaps more to do with a broken record, and the needle jumping from groove to groove
19 mins
  -> See added note with some very simple maths.
agree  Mirra_: OK but 'broken' can also (more!) simply means that it just turns slower, doesn't it?
1 hr
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