The Edit — Audio
Why Does My Record Player Skip? Tracking Force and More
Most skipping comes from a tonearm that is not balanced, a tracking force below the cartridge's figure, or anti-skate left at zero. How Audio-Technica says to set each, and 4 turntables by how much of it you control.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick.Research-led, nothing handled. We may earn from links; it never changes a pick. How we choose
This page sets out why a record player skips and how to fix it, from Audio-Technica’s own setup guidance, then 4 turntables by how much of the setup you control, as How we choose describes. Nothing here was handled, played or tested.
Best for Tuning by hand
Watch for Manual only
Best for Nothing to set up
Watch for Nothing to adjust
Best for A shelf that shakes
Watch for Needs a phono input
Best for Every setting in reach
Watch for Fully manual
Balance the tonearm first, or no other setting means anything
A tonearm has to float level, with its 2 ends in balance, before any tracking force can be set, Audio-Technica says. With the turntable off and the stylus cover removed, hold the headshell and turn the counterweight at the back of the arm until the arm hovers, like a see-saw with equal weights at each end. It should neither rise from the rest nor drop toward it. It can take a few tries.
A tracking force below the cartridge’s figure lets the needle jump
Every cartridge has a recommended tracking force, printed in its manual or on its packaging. Once the arm is balanced, turn the gauge ring on the counterweight to 0 without moving the weight, then turn the whole counterweight until the ring shows the cartridge’s figure. Audio-Technica says improper setup can cause distortion or sound from only one channel. Re-check it whenever the stylus or cartridge is replaced.
The Fluance RT81 is the one here built for this: Fluance gives it an adjustable counterweight and an Audio-Technica AT95E cartridge, plus a built-in preamp for powered speakers.
Fluance RT81 Elite Turntable with Audio-Technica AT95E Cartridge
A belt drive with an Audio-Technica AT95E cartridge, a built-in preamp and an adjustable counterweight.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Counterweight | Adjustable |
|---|---|
| Cartridge | Audio-Technica AT95E |
| Preamp | Built in |
An adjustable counterweight, so the tracking force is yours to set.
Buy it if
- A listener who wants to set the tracking force by hand
Don't buy it if
- A buyer who wants it automatic
Anti-skate starts at the same number as the tracking force
Anti-skate is the 3rd setting, a small outward force on the arm. Without it, the arm is drawn toward the centre of the record as it nears the end, and the needle no longer sits centred in the groove. Audio-Technica’s starting point is to set the anti-skate dial to the same value as the tracking force, then listen to the last few minutes of a record. Hissing on “s” sounds, louder in one channel, means it needs more or less.
A fully automatic player has these settings fixed
Audio-Technica says its entry-level AT-LP60X models are set to fixed values, so there is no counterweight to balance and no dial to turn. That makes the AT-LP60X the safest first player: nothing can be set wrong. Audio-Technica makes it a fully automatic belt drive for 33⅓ and 45 RPM records, with a dust cover. If it skips, look at the record, the surface and the stylus instead.
Audio-Technica AT-LP60X Fully Automatic Turntable
A fully automatic belt drive for 33⅓ and 45 RPM records, with tracking force and anti-skate fixed by Audio-Technica.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Operation | Fully automatic |
|---|---|
| Speeds | 33⅓ and 45 RPM |
| Tracking force | Fixed, per Audio-Technica |
Fully automatic, with tracking force and anti-skate fixed at the factory.
Buy it if
- A first record player with nothing to set up
Don't buy it if
- A listener who wants to tune or upgrade the cartridge
A shaky shelf and footsteps jolt the needle out of the groove
A player on a light shelf or a floor that flexes picks up every footstep, and a turntable placed on top of a speaker picks up the 2nd source of vibration too. Put it on a solid, level surface, away from speakers. The Fluance RT82 is built against this: a high-mass MDF plinth and vibration isolation feet, with an Ortofon OM10 cartridge and a speed control motor. It needs an amplifier with a phono input.
Fluance RT82 Reference Turntable with Ortofon OM10 Cartridge
A belt drive with an Ortofon OM10 cartridge, a speed control motor, a high-mass MDF plinth and vibration isolation feet.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Cartridge | Ortofon OM10 |
|---|---|
| Plinth | High-mass MDF |
| Feet | Vibration isolation |
A heavy plinth and isolation feet, for a room where the floor moves.
Buy it if
- A room where footsteps shake the shelf
Don't buy it if
- Powered speakers with no phono input
A fully manual deck puts every setting in reach
The AT-LP120XBT-USB is a fully manual direct drive with 3 speeds, a built-in preamp and analog, Bluetooth and USB outputs. Manual means you set the balance, the tracking force and the anti-skate, and you lift the arm yourself. It suits a listener who wants to digitise records and tune every setting. All 6 players are compared in the record players guide, and the Record Store Day Black Friday guide covers the records to play on them.
Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB Direct-Drive Turntable
A fully manual direct drive with 3 speeds, a built-in preamp and analog, Bluetooth and USB outputs.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Drive | Direct, fully manual |
|---|---|
| Speeds | 3 |
| Outputs | Analog, Bluetooth, USB |
Fully manual, with USB and Bluetooth: every setting is yours.
Buy it if
- A listener who wants every setting in reach
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who wants press-and-play
Prices, savings and deal badges are Amazon's own, read from Amazon within the last hour. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Keep reading
Compared
Record Players for 2026: 6 Turntables by SetupBelt drive or direct drive, automatic or manual: which record player suits the way you will actually listen?
Explainer
Record Store Day Black Friday 2026: How It WorksCan you pre-order an RSD Black Friday record? No, and the online rule matters even more.
Compared
Budget Smartphones 2026: Galaxy A, Moto G and Pixel aA budget phone is worth what its software updates are worth. Which one is still supported in 2032?