Product Manual

© Pro-Ject Audio Systems · Pro-Ject Debut Pro · Revision 2021.09.01
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2. Fitting and connecting a cartridge
The following instructions for fitting and connecting a cartridge are provided in case the cartridge is replaced
by a different model at a later date, the included cartridge comes fully adjusted and aligned from the factory.
** All cartridges with half inch mounting holes can be fitted. Leaving the needle's protection cover on, fit the
cartridge to the headshell using the screws supplied with the cartridge by passing one screw through each
slot in the headshell (20). Do not tighten the nuts yet.
Connect the tonearm wires to the cartridge pins as follows:
white left channel positive (L+)
red right channel pos. (R+)
green right channel return (R -)
blue left channel return (L -)
The full sound quality of the record player can only be achieved if the cartridge is correctly adjusted. Particular
tools like the Pro-Ject alignment tool are required to accomplish this job properly.
If you are not well acquainted with the adjustment of cartridges you are advised to call upon the willing help of
your Pro-Ject dealer to accomplish this task for you.
Please note: Adjusting a cartridge and tonearm calls for the greatest care in order to avoid damaging
the cartridge or tonearm bearings. Refer to the documentation of the alignment tools you are using
for setting up your cartridge correctly. Leave this work to your dealer if you are in any way unsure of
the necessary steps and precautions to be taken.
PRO Info: Cartridge, Tonearm and Main Platter
Your Debut PRO comes with a new cartridge, specifically developed for the turntable and the new upgrades
and features it received compared to the previous Debut iterations. We have always been looking for the
best price/performance ratio, with perfect manufacturing quality and „Made in Europe“. For this reason, we
decided to work with Ortofon, and specifically, their main head of development, Professor Leif Johannsen, to
develop a unique cartridge. Thanks to the excellent manufacturing skills of Ortofon we were able to produce
a very special cartridge: The Pick it PRO.
Cartridges are electromechanical transducers, where mechanical energy is transformed into an electrical
signal. The real difference in sound happens here. The turntable itself should be as neutral as possible. The
colour and life of the music come from the cartridge.
We, therefore, designed our new Pick it PRO that delivers a more lively and robust sound and convinces with
its big dynamic range. The actual sound of the cartridge depends on how you combine the different
components that make up the cartridge: stylus, cantilever, cantilever suspension, coil material, number of
coil windings, generator, etc.
You cannot judge the cartridge by looking at just one specific part. Experience and the art of fine-tuning
make a cartridge unique and special. The perfect combination of components is the key to achieve the great,
charismatic sound of the Pick it PRO. Intensive research, development, and listening tests have been
necessary to gain the sound we were looking for.
As a result, the internal inductance and impedance have been lowered, which will give it characteristics
typically found in MC cartridges. You will also notice that the output level is lower than comparable MM
cartridges, which will potentially increase the dynamic range, and make it work well with excellent dedicated
phono stages. With the upgraded tonearm bearing, which is now much heavier and sturdier, we saw that the
new carbon/aluminium tonearm works incredibly well even with higher tracking force levels and more mass.
The friction is still so incredibly low, which enabled us to run cartridges with more tracking force (which
naturally puts more strain on the tonearm/bearing system). This was great, because higher tracking force
typically is good for reaching higher tracking ability. With further changes to the suspension and cantilever
(to accommodate the above-mentioned characteristics), the Pick it PRO is a Pro-Ject cartridge like never
before!