Pro-Ject T1 Turntable Setup Guide
Setting you your Pro-Ject T1 turntable or T1 SB Turntable will be fun and go smoothly if you prepare for everything you’ll need in advance. We hope this guide enables you to be spinning some vinyl and enjoying music faster than you expected.
Preparing Where You Will Place Your Pro-Ject T1 Turntable
If you have large speakers, it's a good idea to not put your new turntable next to your speakers. Having your turntable too close to speakers can cause acoustic feedback which is a howling sound you’ll only need to hear once to know you’ve done something wrong! Help your turntable get off to a good start by putting it on a solid, level surface.
You will want your turntable to be pretty close to your amplifier or phono preamp. It is important to remember the cables coming out of your turntable are carrying a very low-level signal. They are short on purpose for this reason. You also do not want to have an AC power cord running parallel to them.
Unboxing your Pro-Ject T1 Turntable
We suggest you unbox your turntable either on the floor or on a table near its final position. Save all of the packing (it will come in very handy when you move) and lay everything out so it's easy to get to.
Go ahead and put your turntable in the spot you picked out for it
Make the audio connections
We feel like it's best to connect everything up before you do the final assembly as it's easier to turn things around while the turntable is not fully assembled and everything should still be protected at this point.
T1 Audio Connections
If you have the T1 it will have wiring coming out of the back. The right and left cable should be connected to the right and left input on your phono preamp or amp’s phono input. Make sure they go on all the way. Also, connect the ground wire to the ground lug on your phono preamp or amp. If you are using a separate phono preamp, make sure to connect cables from it to your amp. From a separate phono preamp, you should go into an AUX type input on your amp, NOT a phono input.
T1 SB Audio Connections
If you have the T1 SB it comes with a pair of audio cables. First connect the little ground wire to the back of your turntable by turning the little knob enough to insert it under the knob, then tighten it back. Then connect the left and right color-coded cables to the jacks on the back of your turntable. Make sure they go on all the way. Connect the other end to your phono preamp or amp with a built-in phono preamp. Also, connect the ground wire to the ground lug on your phono preamp or amp. If you are using a separate phono preamp, make sure to connect cables from it to your amp. From a separate phono preamp, you should go into an AUX type input on your amp, NOT a phono input.
Make the power connections
Your turntable comes with a power supply that will plug into the wall. You’ll see a small white box with a power supply and a bag inside with various wall connectors. Choose the one for the US and snap it onto the connector. You have to push it on, then push it down (or up depending on how you are holding it) and it will lock into place. On the other end, there is a small, round connector that fits in a hole on the back of your turntable. Go ahead and plug this into the back of your turntable and plug the other end into an outlet. Try and keep the power cables away from your audio cables.
Start Assembling Your Pro-Ject T1 Turntable
Remove the glass platter from its protective bag and remove the felt mat from its bag.
Remove the belt from its plastic bag
The inner platter will have a small piece of cardboard inside a bag under it. Remove all of this and store it in your turntable box in case you ever need to pack it up for moving.
Make sure your hands are clean and put the belt on the inner platter, then loop it over the motor pulley. Carefully place the glass platter on top of the inner platter, the put the felt mat on top of the glass platter.
Almost There
The tonearm is tied down with a piece of wire tie, loosen this carefully. Now we get to the only part where you need to be careful. The stylus has a guard on it that is clear plastic. This will pull straight off. Hang onto this guard. You’ll want to put it back on when you dust or clean your turntable.
The dust cover just slides on to the two posts in the back and you are done!
Enjoy Some Music!
Put on your favorite album, then turn on your T1 using the on button which is on the left side of the table. If you have the T1 SB, you have two buttons on top to select 33 or 45.
Make sure the cueing arm is in the up position, move the tonearm over the beginning of your record, lower the cue and enjoy the music!
When the record ends, you will need to lift up the cueing lever, return the arm to its rest, and switch off the motor. Or better yet, play another record!
Should you ever need to transport your turntable more than across the room, its a good idea to remove the platter and lock the tonearm down with a twisty tie. You might also consider placing the stylus guard back on.
We hope you enjoy your new turntable for many years to come. If you have any other set up questions (or any questions at all), hop into our online chat, email us, or give us a call. We are here to help!
If you are in research mode and want to learn more about the Pro-Ject T1 Turntable, we have a complete review on our blog. Click here to the our Pro-Ject T1 Turntable Review. We also have a best turntables under $500 article if you are hungry for more.