Help I just bought this turntable brand new from radioshack and I am trying to get it to work. When I plug it in and try to play something all that haooens is this little bit underneath the platter spins. The platter itself does not spin, what am I doing wrong? Do you think the product is a defect?

I also would like to just give some input here as for if anyone had any other questions on how to use this turntable with the software. Because the instructions are incomplete as well as incorrect.

1. Problem Not getting sound?
When you hook up the turntable it automatically installs a generic usb codec driver and switches all of your audio drivers to this generic one.
Solution: first step, go into control panel-sounds-audio tab-change the sound playback default device to your soundcard it will be in the drop down menu-apply-ok
second step, open audacity software go up to the top i beleive it is under edit-preferences and change the playback to, your soundcard it will be there in the drop down menu-ok.

Now you can hear sound (you can check this by just playing a cd)

How to record?
first select the record button on the audacity software, then play the record on the turntable, you should now hear and see the wavelengths moving across the screen, voila you are now recording, once done click stop, now it has recorded your lp to your pc-press the green arrow to play it back.

How to burn?
after you have done the above you will have to go into file-then export to .wav file (i have not played around with .ogg or .mp3 yet). Then it will ask you where to save? Save to wherever you want (easiest is save to desktop for non-pc literate). Now after you completed this all you have to do is right click on the file and burn to cd.

Hope this helps this is a very simple guide to at least get someone started using this turntable, this is a great piece of equipment once you get to using it.

Doug

Instructions are incomplete; that's a problem with this unit. But the solution is relatively simple.

Yes, turn over the platter, the black drive-belt is attached around the circular area on the bottom. Put the platter back on the turntable with an opening over the brass-colored spindle [with the platter pad OFF!].

You'll be able to see the black rubber drive-belt through the opening, too. Take a flate-blade dull dinner knife or a thin screwdriver to lift a bit of the drive-belt and stretch it around the spindle.

When you push one of the two big flat ON/STOP buttons, the spindle spins and your platter moves.

Note: there's an off/off POWER BUTTON in back of the turntable where the connections are located. Push that button ON first so lights will go on atop the turntable.

Lift up the platter underneath should be a belt (black rubberband) on the platter. Once you find it leave it there put the platter back on, pad off. With the player off put the belt over the brass motor spindle.