turntable question

[CatasBeats]

yo im copping this usb turntable for 40 bucks

except its missing a "headshell" and "cartridge"

so here is the exact turntable

http://www.ion-audio.com/ionttusb10



now am i gonna have to get a special one made only for this turntable? or are headshells and cartridges all the same? or what should i get i know absolutely nothing about this shit.

what is a headshell? whats the cartridge?

also when i have it and its all said and done is there any special techniques or programs i should use to rip records with? id like to rip to wav format if possible but software and shit is just saying mp3 from what im seeing.

so yea kinda need some help lol

[CatasBeats]

think i got this in the wrong forum, my bad

can a mod move this?

[Rafferty]

I don't think there are any mods any more. I hope I'm not embarassing myself by being wrong, but I think that the cartridge is the little box that the needle sticks out of, and the headshell is the larger part the the cartridge is housed in. The headshell sort of screws onto the tone arm, usually. The cartridge you have to actually wire in, in my experience it's been 4 coloured wires. They just shove on.

I know you can buy cartridges relatively easily, but I dunno about headshells. I reckon it shouldn't be too difficult though. I understand about being sheepish to go into an actual dj shop or something like that and displaying your ignorance in real life, but that's my recommendation all the same. Go in and say, "I need to buy a headshell and cartridge. Is that even possible?"

Alternatively, wait until someone more knowledgable than me answers your question.

[Rafferty]

Oh, and Ableton Live will record stuff as wavs. Probably lots of other software will too, but I know for a fact about Live.

[Rafferty]

Originally Posted by Rafferty

Go in and say, "I need to buy a headshell and cartridge. Is that even possible?"

A better idea: Go in and say that, but then if they should give you the "What the fuck are you talking about" thing, act like they don't know what the fuck they're talking about. Ballsy move though. But just be like, "What, you don't sell headshells? I just came from Tokyo and they got all these pimpin headshells with like pink shag carpet on them and shit. You guys should get with the program." then walk out with your face a mask of contempt.

[semantik]

There exists a specific headshell for this model turntable. I'm pretty sure it's a standard size though. Pretty much all modern turntables made for similar purposes will use a standard headshell.

Here's a link, but not not sure how reputable this dealer is.
Ion ICT04 Replacement Cartridge with Headshell

[Downstroke]

Yeah, headshell's are pretty universal and shouldn't casue any embarassment asking for them at a local DJ store. Just go in and ask for a headshell that will fit an ION TTUSB10 and I'm sure they'll be able to sort you out. They can be pretty cheap too, check this one out: http://www.htfr.com/more-info/MR114412, but you might want to spend a bit more for a quality cartridge. I use the Shure M447 which is designed for scratch durability, but there are cheaper options. You could even go for a concord style cartridge which is a headshell & cartridge in one.

I just use Audacity which is a free programme to record my samples and save them as wavs, which I then chop up in recycle and save ut as rex files to flip in Reason.