Problem
I have issues when connecting my turntable to my computer. What should I do?
Solution
While there may be a range of issues when connecting your turntable to your computer, here are some common troubleshooting steps:
- Incomplete rotation or intermittent connection: Be sure to use the original blue USB-2 cable. This cable is shielded and enhanced with ferrite to ensure the integrity of the USB-2 communication signal between the turntable and your computer. If you’re not using the original cable, you may experience issues where some communication signals don’t pass through correctly. This can result in the turntable performing only partial rotations or stopping mid-rotation.
- Extending the USB cable: If you would like to extend the length of the USB cable, we recommend that you use a powered USB-2 hub. We also fund success using the following "active" cable extension from Amazon:
- USB-A to USB-C Conversion: To convert from USB-1 to USB-C makes sure you are using a USB-2 converter, not a USB-3. If using USB-3 please read the notes on USB-2 vs USB-3. For Mac, please use this USB-2 to USB-C converter:
- Slow rotation speed: If the turntable seems to be running a bit slow, one possible solution is to use a powered USB-2 hub. In some cases, the USB chip in our turntables may be detected as a low-speed device, which can slow down the communication between the turntable and your computer, leading to slower rotations. By using a powered USB-2 hub, you can help ensure that the turntable is recognized as a high-speed device, allowing for faster communication and slightly quicker rotations. This improvement is particularly noticeable on Mac computers.
- USB-2 vs USB-3 Ports: Pictomic’s turntables are designed specifically for USB-2 connections. While they should, in theory, work with USB-3 cables and ports, we’ve encountered some issues during testing with USB-3. We strongly recommend using a USB-2 port and the original USB cable provided with your turntable.
If a USB-2 port isn’t available, you can try using a USB-3 port and cable, but please ensure that: (1) your cable is a shielded, ferrite-terminated USB-3 cable, and (2) based on our tests, USB-3 cables can be sensitive to the direction in which they are connected. If the USB-3 connection doesn’t work initially, try flipping the cable and reconnecting. If you still experience issues, switch to a USB-2 port or use a USB-2 hub with a USB-3 hub-to-computer interface.
We are working on ensuring full compatibility with USB-3 in the future, but for now, we recommend sticking with USB-2 for optimal performance.
- 24V Power Supply – Not 12V: All Silver Series and Platinum Large turntables require a 24V power supply. We’ve encountered several cases where customers have mistakenly used a 12V power supply. While the LEDs will light up and the turntable may appear to be functioning, it will not rotate with a 12V power supply. Please ensure that you are using the correct power supply that came with your turntable, which is a 24V power supply. If the original power supply is unavailable, make sure to use a 24V power supply with the ground on the outside and the 24V hot wire on the inside of the connector.
Not Applicable to Platinum XL and XXL Turntables
The 24V Power Supply verification does not apply to our Platinum XL and Platinum XXL turntables. Those two turntables use 110V/220V AC voltage, which is converted to the needed DC power supply inside the turntable controller box.