As an audio enthusiast, Audio-Technica has long been one of my go-to brands for reliable gear. Back in 2016, I bought a brand-new Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB direct-drive turntable. For nearly eight years, it performed flawlessly. Then came last June. While listening to a record, I noticed a subtle drop in pitch. I adjusted the pitch slider and tried tinkering with the speed controls, but the platter responded erratically. Within a few minutes, the rotation slowed down to a crawl and came to a complete stop. Power cycling the unit did nothing to jumpstart the motor, though all the status LEDs and indicators remained brightly lit. The main logic was alive, but the motor was completely unresponsive. I decided to open it up and see if I could save my turntable. Upon opening the chassis, I was surprised by the internal layout. Rather than a simple single-board design, the LP120 utilizes a complex modular dual-PCB setup: Control board: Handles user inputs, pitch control, speed switc...
This blog contains electronic, amateur radio, and embedded system projects, which I did during my free time. Unless otherwise noted, all the articles and projects described on this blog are based on my original designs.