Direct drive vs belt drive turntables work in a different way and are designed to be more suitable for certain types of vinyl playback. Each has a unique set of strengths and weaknesses.
In short, a belt-drive system has less motor noise, more consistent speed, and a better sound. A direct drive has higher torque, reaches full speed quicker, and is better for DJs but can sacrifice sound quality.
This article gives a full comparison of the two turntable types. I’ll explain why both types exist and help you decide which best suits your needs.
The term “drive” explains how the central motorized components of a turntable are configured. It describes the type of mechanism that “drives” the rotation of the platter.
If you compare two turntables of similar quality, with the only difference being the drive type, the differences will become clear, particularly in an audio comparison.
For example, these two models from Crossley are very similar in terms of quality and features, the only difference is the drive type.
Just from looking at these turntables, you wouldn’t be able to see any differences, although you would when you get them spinning.
To truly understand the differences between these two turntable types, you should understand the underlying mechanism. The type of drive used refers to the system used to rotate the turntable platter with a motor.
The motor of a direct drive turntable is attached directly to the rotating platter underneath the center spindle. It spins the platter in a 1:1 ratio.
The platter is directly driven by an electric motor. This design was developed in response to problems with belts slipping, so it can be considered an alternative to the traditional belt-driven design.
A direct drive turntable does not use a belt to transfer the power from the motor to the platter. Instead, there is a direct physical connection between them. The platter sits directly above the motors. The motors are located directly beneath the center of the platter.
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The benefit of this type of turntable is that it has less friction than belt-driven models, which means it offers better speed stability and less wow and flutter, which are two problems that occur with most turntables.
Direct-drive units were first introduced as the SP-1 in 1969 by Matsushita, which later became the Technics SL-1100. A direct-drive model record player (or rather turntable – these are the differences between those terms) uses a heavy platter that needs high torque powering to get it spinning.
Direct drive decks usually feature a high torque motor, which can spin the platter up to speed much quicker. It also has much more strength against friction and resistance, which makes them need to jog the record slightly. The platter can spin freely regardless of whether the motor is on, which also makes it better for DJ tricks.
Jogging is typically performed by holding your finger on the edge of the record platter to slow it down slightly, for a short amount of time, letting it sync up with another spinning record. Direct drive motors return to full speed nearly instantly, whereas belt drives take a few seconds to catch up. This is just one example of why these are much better for DJing.
Issues with direct drive designs arise in their sound quality. Because they are attached directly to the inner platter, vibrations made by the turntable motor are passed through the platter, affecting the record and stylus. This means you can hear some noise and other interference generated by the motor. This reduces the quality of the signal relative to belt drive models. Although high-quality, premium direct drive turntables are manufactured with techniques to reduce noise interference. (Although it will never be as clean as a belt drive).
Direct-drive turntables are often used in DJ setups because they allow for faster start-up times and smoother operation. Several factors make direct drive turntables the better choice for DJs.
