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Ion Audio TTUSB 10 Vinyl Recording USB Turntable with Audacity Software, Dust Cover and Analog Stereo Input | 
 enlarge | Brand: Ion
Category: Musical Instruments
Buy New: See price in cart
New (8) Used (1) from $170.00
Rating:  31 reviews
Sales Rank: 163
Media: Electronics
Batteries Included: No
Shipping Weight (lbs): 14.1
Dimensions (in): 20.3 x 17.5 x 7.5
MPN: ION ITTUSB 10
Model: ION ITTUSB 10
UPC: 855960000580
EAN: 0855960000580
Availability: Pre-Order (0-0 Business Days)
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| Features:
| • | Plug & Play USB - no drivers needed! | | • | Adjustable Anti-Skate control for increased stereo balancing | | • | 33 1/3 and 45 RPM | | • | Supports the recording of 78 RPM records through the included software | | • | Switchable Phono/Line-level RCA output (with built-in pre-amp) |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
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| Customer Reviews: Read 26 more reviews...
 Skip USB Turntables Altogether January 1, 2009
W. Calderhead (Wilmington, DE United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have over 5,000 45's and 500 albums. I recorded an entire decade of music to MP3 using my old turntable and preamp connected to the sound card. Why I thought this product would be better I have no idea.
The turntable is made from poorly constructed plastic parts. I have to disconnect the USB whenever I'm not using it because you can either have the turntable connected or listen to your sound card, not both. (not easily anyway). I cannot listen to the records unless I'm actually recording the music.
Worse is the design. Why is there an on/off switch AND a start/stop switch??? This is completely redundant. Why are the controls at the BACK of the turntable where they are hard to reach?!? The arm does not automatically return at the end of the record.
I can show you a Winnie the Pooh turntable that works better then this thing. Plus if the Winnie the Pooh turntable drops it won't shatter into a million pieces.
Please take my advice and get a normal stereo turntable and a preamp. Hook the preamp to the line in on your computer. Download free Audacity software to record. I wasted my money on this.
Warped turntable. Cheap, sub-standard product all around December 26, 2008
W. Wetmore
Just don't waste your time with this product. We actually purchased it from Hammacher Schlemmer, not knowing it was an ION TTUSB10 that they would be shipping. Here's my email to them...
"My wife purchased your USB Turntable for me for Christmas. My first comment is that I really wish you had actually advertised that this was an ION TTUSB10... I already knew that this particular turntable had major shortcomings based on many reviews I've read... But, when that's what arrived, I was willing to give it a try anyhow.
The documentation is REALLY deficient. I'm not an LP audiophile... I don't know skates from counterweights. The documentation doesn't even picture the correct counterweight component, and I have absolutely no idea based on the documentation if I set it up correctly or not. It seems to track, so I guess I did.
Next, the plastic turntable is WARPED. It wobbles, and each time that wobble comes around to the sound head, it is clearly audible in the playback. The software that comes with the turntable for Mac is extremely cryptic- and no matter what I did, I never heard any sound using that which installed off the provided disk. The documentation was for another program which, it turns out, was not included on the disk, so I downloaded the mac version of EZ Audio from ION's web site. The sound is horrendous. each wobble of the turntable creates a distortion... the unit emits loud static, and even with a BRAND NEW NEVER BEFORE OPENED LP, the music was tinny, staticy, and useless.
Mostly, I'm disappointed that this product came from Hammacher Schlemmer. I've never purchased anything from your company before, but your reputation in my wife's and my minds was one of quality. I'm surprised that you would carry such a deficient product. I'll be returning the product on my next day off. I'll really think twice before purchasing anything from Hammacher Schlemmer again, and I'll never again think... "ooh... you got that from Hammacher Schlemmer, so it must be good!""
 Fantastic Toy for a Grown Boy October 22, 2008
C. P. Jackson (Fairfax)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I gave the USB turntable to my husband last Christmas. We share a huge collection of LPs, 45s and some 78s; however, we do not share a love for the same music. He's a jazz and hip-hop aficiondo; I love salsa and opera. Although it was a gift to him, I thought he would be willing to let me convert some of my favorite music to digital. To date this hasn't happened, so I'm unable to give a first-person evaluation of the equipment. Based on my observations of his obvious joy when he's spread his albums across the desk and is pushing buttons, this is one fantastic toy. And, I overheard him and another audiophile discussing the Ion's performance. Both of them give it high marks and agree that the dust cover is a must-have feature. Another plus: Between laughing to himself and listening to snippets of songs, he's said that you don't have to be a techno-geek like him to operate it.
Exactly as advertised July 8, 2008
S. Thomas
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
If one realizes that converting tapes and records to a digital format must take place in real time (unlike the batch processing that occurs when a digital medium, such as a CD, is transferred to a computer), then the Ion Turntable is the way to go.
I purchased the Ion Audio TTUSB because I have hundreds of LP's and 78's that I need to convert to CD (and I wanted the dustcover that comes with it). I have done many conversions of audio cassette tapes (I have a tape deck connected to my computer already) so I'm very familiar with the Audacity software that was provided.
Audacity will also convert recordings made at either 33 1/3 or 45 RPM to 78 RPM digitally. If you need to record old 78's, this is the way to go! I find that if I record an entire album with Audacity, I can then spend a few minutes dividing the original into separate files (tracks) at a more convenient time.
Both programs run in real time, so recordings must be played in their entirety. Audacity allows audio play-through as one transfers music to the computer, so a person can listen while doing other things. Audacity also gives one the flexibility to "clean" recordings of the surface scratches and dust "pops" that are inherent in LP play-back. (Audacity is a free, open source program available for download from Source Forge). It will also export files in either WAV, mp3 or Ogg Vorbis formats.
The "Easy Vinyl Converter" software that also accompanies the turntable is very time consuming to use, especially if one uses it to break the tracks into individual files ("automatic track spacing")-- users must physically sit at the computer and manually divide tracks as they are input into the computer.
The turntable operates as exactly advertised -- it's easy to set up if you've worked with turntables before; the instructions provided would, I think, make set up easy even for a novice. The most time-consuming part of the set up (actually only about five minutes)was the balancing of the tone arm.
There is a separate "gain" control on the back of the turntable housing to regulate output volume (there is a pre-amp in the housing case)as well as a "turntable/line" selection switch. I connected the Ion to my stereo system's amplifier, and was disappointed in the volume of sound during playback, until I turned the switch to "turntable", and then the sound was just fine.
One difference between the standard turntable and the Ion is the felt pad provided for the platter; one usually expects a rubber mat, but the one provided works just fine. I had to purchase an extra long USB cable (16')due to the arrangement I must use (the turntable is that far away from the computer, and I found one on Amazon for about $8.00 , plus shipping. If your set up allows close proximity between turntable and computer, then the USB cable provided should be sufficient.
I have not tried to connect a tape deck to the turntable as yet, but as nicely as the turntable and conversion system operates now, I would expect no performance trouble after doing so.
Super easy to use June 28, 2008
A. Brown (Oregon)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Just got mine last night and found it very easy to use. Instructions are very clearly written and easy to follow. It took a minute to find the two parts taped into the styro packaging but they were well protected there. I am now happily converting my old LP's.
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