This post has been de-listed
It is no longer included in search results and normal feeds (front page, hot posts, subreddit posts, etc). It remains visible only via the author's post history.
I assume some of you here have children like myself (3 and 5 year olds). My boys are intrigued by the idea of Dad's record player, thankfully it didn't take long to instill that they don't touch anything related to it, but they love it when I put some of their favorite songs on and they've taken a liking to my taste as they grow up Recently I purchased a copy of The Amazing Spiderman from the 70's and they actually like hearing the story. My question is what do you play for your young ones? Any other cheap story albums or cool stuff like it?
TLDR; My kids like Dad's vinyl, what's out there for them?
I know I wrote a response to /u/GothamCountySheriff, but I'll reply more directly as well. Don't be afraid to get a cheap automatic just because of bad reviews. I've had this one for almost a year, and it surprisingly has handled the abuse that comes from a toddler. The buttons feel light when you press them, but the body and motor both seem to be able to handle abuse (like when a 3 year old is pressing the speed selector constantly for a good 20 minutes to listen to the voices change) or when he slams the lid, or when he decides to flip the 12/7 switch to 12 and puts on a 7"... dragging stylus = horrid sound, but he learned not to do that since the sound hurts.
I haven't shown him where the volume control knob on the speaker setup is, so that's still "magic," but in time he'll have that power too.
All in all, the cheap turntable doesn't look bad. It doesn't play bad, it's just not a well rounded machine. It doesn't auto-cue 10" and it won't play 78s (I've got some Disney he would enjoy and some operas I'd love to listen to on a normal basis, but that's just not in the cards right now). But it does play 33/45 and will auto drop on 7/12s. It lets me spin and spend time with the tiny human in a way that is fun for both of us.
Good luck on a child-friendly solution!
Subreddit
Post Details
- Posted
- 9 years ago
- Reddit URL
- View post on reddit.com
- External URL
- reddit.com/r/vinyl/comme...
Yep! It's not anything special. It's an AT-LP60 connected to some Logitech 5.1 computer speakers. It's the child friendly setup that also works well enough for parties when people are over and drinking (because drunk adults are really just giant toddlers). In fact, I think I recall a post a while back saying "don't buy these turntables" and the LP60 was on there. I'd recommend buy it for a young child to learn on, and then teach them better ways as they grow up.
I picked the LP60 up for $40 secondhand, and the speakers I bought for $15 at a flea market. I wouldn't have really given either much thought, but it occurred to me that having a cheap and simple setup would be good to prevent the tiny human from messing up the nicer equipment. Plus they're basically plug and play with each other.
All I really have to do is press the speed selector in and toggle the switch down to 7" and my three year-old does the rest. I've got an old "Platter-Pak" 45 box that I purchased full of 45s for $5. I've added in even more 45s that I picked up for prices ranging from 10 cents to 75 cents each. None of them are particularly great, or special, but at those prices, I can afford to teach him how to put records on without worrying too much about drops, scratches, or breaks.
Alternatively, I let him select the speed. There's nothing better than him realizing what the buttons do, especially when he's happy that the voices become drawn out and deeper.
The child-friendly setup works well enough to get me through when he's here, but it has been the daily driver as of late. The current "good" setup is an SL-1200 on a Sony (no idea year or model, it was an attic find with pretty heavy surface damage) amp and some satellite Bose speakers (it's old enough to only support 2 speakers). I'm in need of a new cartridge for it as well as a child-friendly space to setup. (I'll move eventually, right?)