turntable help

DMV: Get a piece of notebook paper and roll it into a cone (.3" diameter on small end / 2" diameter on large end). Connect the safety pin to the small end and touch the point to a spinning record. You are now Edison, MUSIC IS MAGIC.

Any clue on what I can do?

If you can't figure it out, post the model numbers

I'm now using a Yamaha P-750 for the home. It sounds just great. However, it is loaded with buttons and knobs, and its manual has never been posted online. Anyway, there is a LOCK/FREE flipswitch by the base of the tonearm. I've farted around with the thing, but I don't know what it does. Help!

I'd imagine it is to lock it in place when you transport it so the tonearm doesn't get damaged.

Thanks. I'll try securing the tonearm in the clasp, then flipping the switch to LOCK -- see if that somehow locks it in there.

I have just purchased a Pro-Ject Debut III (partly due to people recommending it here) and am finding there's something weird about the tonearm/cartridge/needle/I'm not sure — I get this humming sound, mostly in the right channel. If I move the tonearm a little, especially if I lift it so it touches the anti-skating weight support hoop, I can usually get the hum to go away... but it comes back after a few minutes.

Does this sound familiar? Is there a way to fix it? Do I have to "adjust the azimut," whatever that is?

This is my first serious turntable — before I just had this old Garrard changer and didn't ever have to do any assembly or anything, just replaced the needle once or twice.

HEEEELLLLLPPPPP

Do you have the grounding wire connected? (little fork shape cable that runs beside the two phono connections - should screw on to a post on your amp/ phono stage)
If that's not it then it might be a loose connection from the arm to the cartridge - 4 connectors with fiddly little sleeves that fit over 4 posts on the cartridge; try touching them one by one and see if the hum changes or goes away...

Thanks for your reply. The grounding wire is connected. If I touch the metal screws connecting the tonearm to the cartridge, the hum reduces but doesn't quite disappear. Touching the sleeves (black, rubbery things?) makes the hum louder.

Ok - without hearing the hum, its hard to tell (and might be hard to tell anyway) if it doesn't entirely disappear when you touch anything on the cartridge, it suggests a more fundamental earthing problem; if you've just bought this, the safest - and cheapest - thing might be to bring it back to the shop, and either get a replacement or get them to fix it......

I just had a similar problem and it ended up being an internal ground in the cartridge itself. Replacing the cartridge solved it....if it's a good shop they should definitely be willing to replace or fix.

I have a Rega so I'm not sure exactly how the Pro-Ject's ground out...the Rega ground internally in the arm...so it could be a number of things but maybe if you have another old cartridge around it might be worth throwing it on just to see if that solves it.

Thanks again.... I ordered the turntable from NeedleDoctor, which makes returning it a hassle, but I'll probably do that since even the prospect of replacing the cartridge frightens me terribly. (NeedleDoctor provide a link to this Beginner's Guide, but just the list of "tools at a glance" is intimidating.)

Just read the guide....... have the say, I've changed cartridges without a tweezers loads of times but it makes sense to use one; is there anyone local who does repairs who could swap the cartridge if just to eliminate that?

'have to say'

Hey guys I've got a Pioneer PL-990. My cat knocked it off the stack last night and I think the motor might be fucked up: the platter is spinning v irregularly. I thought I might just need to rethread the belt, so I did, but no dice.

Any other suggestions? If it is the motor, is it cheaper to get a motor and repair/have it repaired, or do I just need a new turntable?

i'm getting a cat

pics or its not true

HALP u guys

In case you want to geek out - http://www.vinylengine.com

A repair might work, but it's going to cost you parts and labor and you'll still be left with a Pioneer deck. Double your costs and you could end up with something much better—for example,

http://www.needledoctor.com/Pro-Ject-Turntables-Debut-III-Basic-Black?sc=2&category=352

hoos, kinda echoing michael, but yeah getting them fixed is tough. very few places fix turntables anymore, don't know abt your city.

if you don't want to step up to the 300+ range, like the Rega P1 (which i own) or the Pro-Ject, then i'd definitely check craigslist you can find some great deals on there.

remedial turntable question: with an old, 80s all-in-one cassette/turntable unit, will a microphone input work as a line-in/auxiliary setting? would i be able to run music from a computer through the stereo? and is there a big disadvantage in it being a single jack input, rather than a dual phono red/white input?

I would try it, but most mic imputs are a lower impedance level than line inputs. some of those older systems have built-in preamps though. the jack is probably 1/4" stereo, but it might be mono (which might also be a problem for you).

ehh, i think i might just go for it. there's always headphones if not. thank you.

i bought this, by the way, it being small enough to fit my needs and also being really cool. i was shocked - SHOCKED - to see how cheap stereos are generally on ebay, though; anything without a cd player, even if it's separates with a turntable and decent speakers, can be had for >$75, inc. shipping.

anyone got any experience with packing and shipping a turntable overseas?

it's a thorens td 160 in exc

I have an experience receiving turntables sent air mail.

Dust covers shattered, a lag (in the spinning part) in both of them which never really went away, and unsurprisingly little foam/air bags in the box.

Should have known, the guy's name was Elvis Santana.

ouch

did you get a refund?

At a minimum you need to strip the thing down. Most important is to take the platter off. I'd pack it under the turntable where it can do the least harm

There are also sometimes shipping screws for the suspension accessed from under the turntable. If you don't have a manual for the 160, sometimes you can get one online. Tightening the screws will immobilize and protect the suspension.

Tie down, or tape down the tonearm to the support so that it can't get loose and damage itself or the stylus.

If the stylus has a cover, pop it into place, or take the stylus out if that's easily done. Some styli come as an insert that is removable from the larger cartridge.

Unscrew the counterweight from the tonearm.

In a perfect world, think about shipping the plexiglass cover separately. They're fragile and crack/scratch easily; if you don't pack well, the turntable (and especially the platter) can shift around and damage them.

Xpost, we sent back the non-working mixer and got much more than it was worth. I managed to get two years of use out of those turntables though, although there were always good and bad days with them.

If you have an original box they came in, preferably with appropriate fitting pieces of styrofoam that keep it in place, I imagine that would be a good receptacle.

thanks michael, just what I was looking for

reposted from another thread (threads, actually, my mistake(s))

I think I'm going to get a new set of Shure cartridges
I'm looking at these and realizing that it might be worth the extra 17 (X 2) dollars to step up to something better, namely the M44-7, especially if it's going to have a significantly longer life than a more entry level cartridge.

I really don't know anything about needles, I'm changing them now because I got a pair that came with used turntables and I'm afraid they're worn out (there's skipping here and there, sometimes I have to raise the counterweight, etc.), but ultimately I have no idea. I'm not playing at clubs or on a HiFi system, so I'm not sure (not shure?) what difference it ultimately makes for someone like myself.

― EDB, Tuesday, September 15, 2009 8:32 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

It's going to wise to change your cartridges if they've seen a lot of use as they wear down, and eventually get to a point where they might start damaging your records.

Always set the weight of the cartridge to the maximum recommended by the manufacturer - less weight could mean the arm may bounce up and down, again damaging records. As a general rule, hi-fi carts are set to around 1.5g, house and techno DJ carts where some back-cueing is used are around 3.5, and scratch DJs will use at least 5g to lessen the possibility of skipping.

Records skipping can sometimes just mean the records are damaged of course.

It's always good to have some spare cartridges around just in case anyway - they'll last virtaully a lifetime if not used.

I'm sure you know this, but for anyone who doesn't:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4886060_set-turntable-tracking-weight.html

Actually ignore that - it's good up until point 4, which seems plain wrong. Just turn the counterweight to the required number which should correspond to the weight you are after. If setting DJ tracking weights you may need to add a weight to the headshell (very often this will be a small coin held on with blutack!)

The link that should have been where I wrote that was lost, so there it is again.

Thanks, though. Mainly I'm mixing records, so I'm concerned about wear. At this point I'm definitely going to buy new cartridges, the question is whether the M44-7 is worth the extra $17 (times two, $34) dollars over the M92E for a bedroom DJ like myself, looking in the long run (i.e. how long these will last for, etc.)

Sorry, can’t help you there, I’ve always been an Ortofon man myself. The main thing to take into consideration with wear is that a spherical diamond will damage records much less when back-cueing, but will not have the clarity of an eliptical diamond.

Well I got cartridges and everything is set up (properly, I hope). My question now is what's the deal with this screw in the cartridge at a 23% angle business? I've had Stanton cartridges which came pre-angled, but turned clockwise, and with a straight tone arm if that makes a difference?), but otherwise I am again in the dark, but it seems to make sense, and better tracking is better tracking...

Are there potential pitfalls to this? If it's angled at say 15, 20 percent will it make a difference?

Thanks.

You can get pfs of protractors to help with alignment. Make sure you print at 100%

http://www.vinylengine.com/cartridge-alignment-protractors.shtml

I've just used the 'stupid protractor' in the past. Haven't bothered the last few times tbh.

An hour researching on google and I still have no idea how to use that.

You just print them out, make a hole where the blank dot is and then place it on your turntable to see if the cartridge lines up (more or less) in both positions when viewed from above. Simples.

So, when do you know when it's time to replace styli?

When your music sounds like shite! How long have you had it, and how much music do you listen to a week?

The first sign for me is always that LPs start to sound a little fuzzier toward the center of the record.

Cal, do you not have a place that deals with used stuff? The prices for those turntables seems high for what you’re getting.

Afraid of getting ripped off and just prefer the sheen of new stuff

I bought that technics about 3 years ago & no regrets, I love it. Was planning spending about half that, but felt like I would not have to worry about my turntable again for a very very long time if I went for it. Incredibly solidly built, nice on-board phono amp, easy to change cartridge, no-faff speed change etc etc. iirc most complaints are about lift & lower (and particularly the semi-auto mechanism) feeling a bit feeble for the price but it hasn't bothered me.

You've probably seen this if you're researching it but its popular on the Hoffman forums - lot of threads discussing it.

The SL-1200s have certainly gone up in price!

The 1200 GR is over 4 grand

sorry its just G "Grand Class"
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-LbQy0uA1gcM/p_133GS1200S/Technics-SL-1200G-Grand-Class-Silver.html

a 1200mk7 is about £800 but yeah things escalate fast with the GR and G.

you would have to be a pretty fancy dj to take two of those to gigs. i never understood why people wanted deejay tables at home unless they liked to dj/mix/make beats at home. but just for listening, i wouldn't pay that money. you could get something better for sound. though they are fine. don't get me wrong. technics knows how to make them.

hmmm, if i had the money maybe this one for the bedroom and my lazy automatic needs. though thorens and dual make nice auto tables.

https://www.turntablelab.com/collections/turntables-high-end-alpha/products/pro-ject-automat-a2-automatic-sub-chassis-turntable

Would a DJ even touch a new Technics turntable these days? Seems like they're only interested in classic SL-1200 MK2 through 5s. Feels like they're marketing to audiophiles now.

I think that's right, judging by every conversation I've seen about the 1200G and GR. The strobe dots, pitch shifter etc feel more aesthetic than practical.

Most of my friends who have turntables have a 1200 (or two) just for home listening. I have a lot of brand loyalty to Technics, but I've never actually bought a turntable. I had my parents bottom of the line direct drive table from 1981 or so and it never had any issues, just worked every day. Then I found a SL-Q2 in my basement that works so that's what I use now. It's kind of like a 1200 without all the dj stuff.

I have an old SL-1600mk2 that I bought from the local record store >10 years ago. I had to replace the little belt on the tonearm auto-lifter with an o-ring because it became brittle and broke. It's been a tank and a joy to set up and maintain. I am also now loyal to Technics and direct drive. The one thing I had to replace was a belt.

Scott this js the kind of thing that drives me crazy - that $1500 turntable comes with a bottom tier stylus, so you have to add the cost of replacing it

That Dual at least comes with an ortofon red “upgrade” as standard

*blue

I ob-ject!

I wonder why none of the modern automatic turntables seem to have record size detection. It drives me crazy that all of these features were figured out 40 years ago but are sold as engineering or design premiums today. I suppose that applies to audiophile gear across the board and not just turntables.

i was surprised that that pro-ject automatic table that i posted a link to had a setting for 78. that's a rarity.

if it's direct drive that's pretty easy

yup, I think all the new technics can

you're right. i guess i'm just not use to seeing it on modern turntables. but thorens and dual always have 78 on their auto tables so maybe they all do.

I have a 1500-C that I bought because I was SO FUCKING SICK of every used TT I bought breaking down on me every month or 2. It’s been good, sounds awesome*, only thing as woof mentioned is the tonearm lift — mine broke a while back and I haven’t bothered to get it fixed. Definitely a sore spot for $1000!

Since I bought mine, I think technics released a version without a built-in preamp (which I don’t need, nor do you probably) for a little less $.

* Does not sound as good as my old Thorens TD-160, which SANG. But which also required to be babied to the point where my whole family was terrified to touch it, which is NO BUENO.

I can't remember if I have gone on about it but I have a Technics SL-10 linear tracking TT which I love dearly

it sounds wicked (with the OG EPS-310MC cart) - and is just a pleasure to use, a beautiful piece of design & engineering, released in 1979 and feels like it anticipates CD player design & functionality

recommended if you want a turntable that doesn't feel like a trad TT (and if you have limited space, it's approx the size of a record sleeve)

we got a music hall ikura for the store. its cool. simple. bought it from a guy who had a lot of snake oil theories about audio gear. but his ikura came with a sweet wood body grado cartridge. it sounds nice. its not...spectacular? i feel like i've had other tables that opened up records more. made them bloom. its an insanely quiet turntable though. they don't make it anymore. the design is cool. its sits strangely on these plinths. i dunno. someone had fun designing it.

https://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/Music-Hall-Ikura-black-front-md.jpg

this is a good shot of the weird thing that the table sits on. you can lift the table right up and off.

https://www.buydig.com/shop/product-image.aspx?size=500&picId=174064

I googled that turntable and found this article, Music Hall Does Nice 'Jobs' With New ikura Turntable. I read the headline and thought "gross". Then I learned it was a pun on Steve Jobs and thought "GROSS!!!".

I have a wood body Grado!!

it's new, I got it because my MMF-5 developed an odd cartridge hum and I had to replace it after 17 years of faithful service. it's so delicate! I had to turn the weight up a bit.

In my cart:
Technics sl 1500 w/otrofon blue
Yamaha as301 amp
Nad preamp
Jbl l82s

In my cart:
gold bars
bezos yacht
eggs

I would get like a audio technica vmn40-ml over that orofon

Also probably best to by from a local shop where they can align the cartridge and tune it up etc for you

Sorry if this has all been addressed already

You need the pre-amp? The onboard phono stage is totally solid or better - I was happy with it for about 3 years & getting an external at the start of this year was basically an indulgence because I was fascinated by the praise for this guy's stuff. Also like that you could get a discount for paying in crypto or precious metals. I want my electrical engineers strange. (& it does sound great)

Cartridge - there a few fans of the AT-VM95ML here I think & imo it sounds great on the SL-1500c. I know there's a theoretical issue with the capacitance of the built in phono stage but i dunno I can't hear it.

Yeah! not sure I need the pre amp
Was going to a/b it and then return if not

How much difference does a moving coil make vs moving magnet

mm easier to deal with, an expensive mc probably better but you're looking at +1000$ pickups

There seem to be some avail for about 500 clams

You can’t replace the needle on a MC cartridge. You can usually trade in the old cartridge and the manufacturer will give you some credit towards a new one, or you can pay to have it retipped. If the rest of your gear isn’t top of the line, I wouldn’t fuck with MC.

xp yeah I meant for it to make sense to choose mc over mm you're probably looking at a pretty expensive cartridge + you want a very good preamp

Cost is no object
Build a system go!

aha! well, in that case I will have to admit that the best vinyl setup I ever listened to was based around an Ortofon Cadenza Black MC cartridge (and iirc a Rega Planar 6, some giant Pass Labs amp, Dali Epicon 2 speakers)

I was hearing things in records I'd never heard before

So I think if you can be bothered to set it up properly and if you have the money, MC is best

I've never really heard any money-no-object vinyl systems (can't even speak on MM vs MC) but getting a serious record cleaner (maybe a degritter?) would feel close to essential.

The ortofon black is $3g lol

reading about pass amps - "The INT-25 had a dynamic and lively sound with that mid warmth I have come to expect from Pass. The INT-250 was more airy and holographic and felt even more spatial and delicate when it comes to the details..." *groans*

the mouthfeel is fucking epic!!

*vomits*

Stuck between a sub 1k “my vibe” setup (miles ahead of what I used to have) or going 3k per component

you're really going to need to A/B "Fields Of Gold" by Sting if you want to compare the aural density and cross-burn

Supertramp half-speed masters or GTFO

The Nightfly

Stuck between a sub 1k “my vibe” setup (miles ahead of what I used to have) or going 3k per component

― calstars, Monday, February 17, 2025 3:17 PM (two days ago) bookmarkflaglink

buy something that won't break your heart if you get drunk and fall into it one night