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Owsla
Aug 31, 2003

Where are my bitches?

Pibborando San posted:

EXCEPT, it seems to be riding really low on the LP surface, and the very bottom of the plastic housing sometimes scrapes against the record which makes an annoying dull "khkkhggkhh" sound.

I got the same thing on my table at first. You probably need to raise the rear of the tonearm with the VTA dial. It's the giant indexed ring at the rear of the tonearm.

There's a little silver lever to the upper left of the anti-skate adjustment that locks and unlocks the VTA dial. Unlock the dial by moving the lever to the left. Set the tonearm level by looking at the table from the side with your eyes at the same level as the record and raise the rear of the tonearm until the tonearm is parallel with the record surface, then re-lock the dial.

Owsla fucked around with this message at 05:30 on Dec 26, 2008

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Bass Ackwards
Nov 14, 2003

Anything can be used as a hammer if you try hard enough.

Pibborando San posted:

The cart that came attached is an Audio-Technica 8008, which I couldn't find much info on, except that it's supposed to be the same as the AT331LP which requires 1.0g - 1.6g of TF, so I set the counterweight to 1.5g. Since I have NO frame of reference, I can't tell how good this cart is, but I have no complaints so far. EXCEPT, it seems to be riding really low on the LP surface, and the very bottom of the plastic housing sometimes scrapes against the record which makes an annoying dull "khkkhggkhh" sound. Could it be the cantilever is giving more than it should? I wish I had another cart to test, but I'm pretty much broke. Sometime soon I should be able to get the DL110 to replace this AT.

Yeah, you need to set the zero balance on the arm before the indication on the counterweight has any semblance of accuracy.

1) Lift the arm off the rest, and let it sit between the rest and start of the record.
2) Wind the counterweight out until the arm "floats" straight and level, neither rising nor falling when you let go.
3) Turn the ring with the numbers on it (not the whole counterweight, just the black part at the front) so that "0" lines up with the marking on the counterweight shaft.
4) Rotate the counterweight inwards till the marking is halfway between 1 and 2.
5) Adjust the anti-skate to the same setting as the counterweight, in this case 1.5.

This should give you a somewhat accurate measure of tracking force, but no turntable's reading is going to be as accurate as a basic dedicated scale, like this one:



Or for something really accurate (and more expensive) there is always this.

Bass Ackwards fucked around with this message at 06:21 on Dec 26, 2008

Pibborando San
Dec 11, 2004

oh yes. two kinds... of dances
Oh yeah I forgot to mention, I did balance the arm first, and I did set the VTA. I think the stylus might just be a little hosed. When I first opened the box and took out the deck, I noticed that the arm was not locked down. It had been allowed to swing freely and was sitting on the rubber platter mat. Perhaps it was damaged in shipping.

I haven't had a proper surface to get the table level on, so when I get back home I'll set it up properly and re-do the cartridge alignment. I really should get a tracking force scale... do you think my roommate's milligram scale could work for the job? It's one of those that looks like this:



Oh yeah and on the subject of cartridge alignment, anyone have experience with various protractors? I understand that the little white plastic thingy that comes with the 1200 is equivalent to a Stevenson alignment which minimizes distortion at the very end of an LP. I downloaded a Baerwald arc protractor (specific for Technics tables) from vinylengine.com and was planning on setting up the new cart with that. Baerwald is supposed to keep distortion at the beginning, middle and end even correct? I know it's the most popular. Then there's a generic Loefgren one which I'm tempted to try because that alignment is described as minimizing the distortion across the record. Makes sense.

Advice?

Pibborando San fucked around with this message at 09:19 on Dec 26, 2008

CuddleChunks
Sep 18, 2004

Pibborando San posted:

EXCEPT, it seems to be riding really low on the LP surface, and the very bottom of the plastic housing sometimes scrapes against the record which makes an annoying dull "khkkhggkhh" sound.
http://www.stephensykes.com/blog_perm.html?111

Adjust the tonearm height so that your cart isn't scraping up your records. Otherwise, enjoy that tank of a record player. I've got one sitting next to me right now and good lord they're awesome.

For moving that around safely I'd recommend buying a turntable case. It doesn't have to be extravagant but something to protect that mighty beast is a very good investment. It also makes it easier to lug it from your parent's place to yours.

This is mine:
It wasn't terribly expensive and factored against the cost of a new turntable, it was a no-brainer. The only frustrating part is that your dust cover doesn't fit inside so you have to lug that around separately.

Prince Turveydrop
May 12, 2001

He was a veray parfit gentil knight.
I just bought a Pro-ject Xpression III for my Marantz 2245 receiver. One of the reasons I got this receiver was because they were made during the heyday of vinyl and would come with a really nice phonostage built-in.

I hooked it up and it sounds like garbage. Distortion all over the place. The cartridge was professionally installed for me and I got to listen to it before I left the store. It sounded great, but it's not nice at all at home. I worry the most likely scenario is a bad phono input. I won't know unless I get a pre-amp and hook it up to a different input. But, can anyone think of other things I can try?

andretti
Jun 28, 2008

Chaucer posted:

I just bought a Pro-ject Xpression III for my Marantz 2245 receiver. One of the reasons I got this receiver was because they were made during the heyday of vinyl and would come with a really nice phonostage built-in.

I hooked it up and it sounds like garbage. Distortion all over the place. The cartridge was professionally installed for me and I got to listen to it before I left the store. It sounded great, but it's not nice at all at home. I worry the most likely scenario is a bad phono input. I won't know unless I get a pre-amp and hook it up to a different input. But, can anyone think of other things I can try?

I'm assuming that the 2245 sounds fine on all other inputs, and on AM/FM.

Try wiggling the cables from the TT and toggle all the buttons on the front panel a couple of times to free up any crud. On my SX-525, the phono input jacks were dirty (I guess) and I had to plug/unplug them a few times to get rid of static.

Next step is to listen to the TT through the headphone jack on the receiver. Any distortion there? Do you get the distortion on both the main and remote speaker outputs?

Next step I would do is to open the receiver up, and look for any leaking or scorched. While it was open, I'd also clean all the pots with Deoxyit, as outlined here. Also, clean the microphone input jack, sometimes it's a part of the audio path for phono, and it gets filthy with age.

If that doesn't do the trick, next step is to get the service manual and start testing with a mulitmeter.

Does the distortion only come in after the receiver has been on for a little bit, or is it there at the start?

andretti fucked around with this message at 21:35 on Dec 30, 2008

andretti
Jun 28, 2008

I'm having a cat fur problem with my LPs, they seem to attract tons of it. I always operate my turntable with the dust cover on, and my LPs are only out of the sleeve when they're being played.

Is there a way to keep the cat hair off my records? It adds pops and occasional skips, and I can't blow it off.

Prince Turveydrop
May 12, 2001

He was a veray parfit gentil knight.
Thanks for the advice, andretti. I will try to troubleshoot when I get everything situated. A proper stereo rack is arriving next week and I think I'll wait to tackle it then.

For cleaning your vinyl, have you tried using a record brush like this?

Pibborando San
Dec 11, 2004

oh yes. two kinds... of dances

andretti posted:

I'm having a cat fur problem with my LPs, they seem to attract tons of it. I always operate my turntable with the dust cover on, and my LPs are only out of the sleeve when they're being played.

Is there a way to keep the cat hair off my records? It adds pops and occasional skips, and I can't blow it off.

Your records are building up static charge, which attracts hairs. If they're in paper sleeves, this can be part of the problem. Buy a bunch of poly-lined sleeves to replace the paper ones. And get an anti-static brush.

MullardEL34
Sep 30, 2008

Basking in the cathode glow

Chaucer posted:

Thanks for the advice, andretti. I will try to troubleshoot when I get everything situated. A proper stereo rack is arriving next week and I think I'll wait to tackle it then.

For cleaning your vinyl, have you tried using a record brush like this?
AVOID THOSE BRUSHES IF YOU VALUE YOUR RECORDS AND YOUR SANITY.

I bought one of those no name carbon fiber record brushes. After a few weeks of using it, all of my records began to sound like utter poo poo. As it turns out, the brush ended up shedding all over my record collection, and the microscopic fibers ended up getting embedded into the grooves of my LPs. I had to have them professionally cleaned.

Aeka 2.0
Nov 16, 2000

:ohdear: Have you seen my apex seals? I seem to have lost them.




Dinosaur Gum

MullardEL34 posted:

AVOID THOSE BRUSHES IF YOU VALUE YOUR RECORDS AND YOUR SANITY.

I bought one of those no name carbon fiber record brushes. After a few weeks of using it, all of my records began to sound like utter poo poo. As it turns out, the brush ended up shedding all over my record collection, and the microscopic fibers ended up getting embedded into the grooves of my LPs. I had to have them professionally cleaned.

so how does one clean them at home?

Veeb0rg
Jul 24, 2001

THIS CONVERSATION IS NONPRODUCTIVE!

Aeka 2.0 posted:

so how does one clean them at home?

woodglue..

seriously http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=99837

Owsla
Aug 31, 2003

Where are my bitches?

Aeka 2.0 posted:

so how does one clean them at home?

I built a record vacuum. Using the Mobile Fidelity cleaning fluid with it currently with great results.

(I use a carbon fiber brush too, no shedding on mine I love it)

andretti
Jun 28, 2008

I got my ATN3600DLX stylus the other day. I thought there would only be a small difference in the sound, but the new stylus is very noticeable. Instruments and vocals are much clearer.

I got it from LP Gear, it was definitely worth the money, even for an entry-level turntable like my AT-PL50. Note that if you buy the AT-PL50 from LP Gear (link), it comes with the better stylus and a better belt. If I had known the difference in sound, I would have just bought them all together and saved a little money.

Bonobos
Jan 26, 2004

Owsla posted:

Nice choice. I'm beyond pleased with my 1200/Shure m97xe cart for listening duty and I'm just trying to stop buying records long enough to afford some mods for it.

I'll probably pick up the KAB tonearm fluid damper eventually, it seems like a really great idea and I've read nothing but great reviews.

I have this eact setup hooked up to my Denon AVR and I can't figure out what I am doing wrong. I calibrated it per the manual, exchanged the cartidge twice, but I still get this warbling sound whenever I try to play a record. Any record.

I can't explain it beyond that, a warbling sound. I don't know what I am doing wrong. Is there any place I can take this thing to get it to work? I just want to listen to old records :(

Owsla
Aug 31, 2003

Where are my bitches?
Have you checked the cartridge alignment? It can be very tricky to get right, you may want to buy (or print) a nice cartridge protractor or take it to a place and have them do it for you.

If you're sure the alignment is dead on you could try swapping receivers to make sure your Denon's phono stage is working correctly.

Bonobos
Jan 26, 2004

Owsla posted:

Have you checked the cartridge alignment? It can be very tricky to get right, you may want to buy (or print) a nice cartridge protractor or take it to a place and have them do it for you.

If you're sure the alignment is dead on you could try swapping receivers to make sure your Denon's phono stage is working correctly.

Thanks, I'll try this when I get home. I didn't even think to align the cartridge beyond the base install and subsequent calibration.

VladTemplar
Apr 6, 2008
I would just like to chime in on 2-channel audio receivers. Undoubtedly people in this forum have heard of Outlaw Audio from time to time, and I've owned their RR2150 (http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/rr2150.html) for several years now. While I haven't hooked a phono setup up to it, from what I've read this is the most ideal receiver-type setup seen in a long time.

In general the system is regarded as highly capable, so much so that Outlaw increased the price from the original. I got it when they first came out and paid $600, but they've been $700 for some time now.

dj_pain
Mar 28, 2005

So lucky i managed to score a Marantz SR-25 for free......
But in me saying that looks like the power supply on it is dead. Im not sure whether i should pony up $19 dollars and get the service manual (linky) or just try find another amp.

Also if you are in australia and want some vinyls check out red eye records

kingcobweb
Apr 16, 2005
Hey all, I'm looking to rip a lot of old LPs and 7"s, and I'd like to get some good equipment to do it. I have an old turntable (unsure how good it really is), that Chaintech sound card nerds are always talking about, but I need advice on how to rip records so that they'll sound good. I assume I'll need a good preamp, cartridge/needle... what else?

Aeka 2.0
Nov 16, 2000

:ohdear: Have you seen my apex seals? I seem to have lost them.




Dinosaur Gum
Just got my Denon DL110. WOW much better than the 774. I could tell instantly. The harshness went away. It sounds smoother than Barry White.
kingcobweb, if you've got the money, I would look into the Denon DL110 for a cartridge.

Aeka 2.0 fucked around with this message at 04:45 on Jan 8, 2009

andretti
Jun 28, 2008

kingcobweb posted:

Hey all, I'm looking to rip a lot of old LPs and 7"s, and I'd like to get some good equipment to do it. I have an old turntable (unsure how good it really is), that Chaintech sound card nerds are always talking about, but I need advice on how to rip records so that they'll sound good. I assume I'll need a good preamp, cartridge/needle... what else?

What's the make and model of the turntable? That will help with the cart/needle question.

If you can't dig up a receiver with phono inputs, you'll have to get a preamp.

kingcobweb
Apr 16, 2005

andretti posted:

What's the make and model of the turntable? That will help with the cart/needle question.

If you can't dig up a receiver with phono inputs, you'll have to get a preamp.
Turntable is a JVC, model JL-A20. How much does the quality of the turntable affect the final sound, if I get a good cartridge/needle?

I have a preamp already. Same question as the above.

andretti
Jun 28, 2008

kingcobweb posted:

Turntable is a JVC, model JL-A20. How much does the quality of the turntable affect the final sound, if I get a good cartridge/needle?

The TT should be more than fine, as long as the belt is in decent shape (no slippage) and you're not doing jumping jacks next to it. If you're picking up a new stylus/cart anyway, you may as well get the belt too. It's $18 from lpgear.com. You should be able to use any cart recommended in the OP, but I'm not 100% sure since I can't find much info about the JL-A20 online. The seller should know for sure though.

Anyway, you just need the TT, RCA cables to pre-amp, RCA cables to sound card, and probably an adapter to go from RCA to whatever plug your card uses.

ReelBigLizard
Feb 27, 2003

Fallen Rib
Anyone have any experience of Grado's phono preamp?

I've been out of the audio scene for some time, looking at building a new system primarily for headphone listening. I'll probably hook it up to a Creek or Grado headphone amp.

pim01
Oct 22, 2002

ReelBigLizard posted:

Anyone have any experience of Grado's phono preamp?

I've been out of the audio scene for some time, looking at building a new system primarily for headphone listening. I'll probably hook it up to a Creek or Grado headphone amp.

From a quick google search it looks like it's about $500 - I'd be worried that I'd be paying a premium for the fancy wooden box, but if that's your thing I'd say go for it. I liked the Pro-ject Phono Box SE-II (and will probably buy one again if I get back into vinyl). should be about $350.

Not an Anthem
Apr 28, 2003

I'm a fucking pain machine and if you even touch my fucking car I WILL FUCKING DESTROY YOU.
Does anyone use DIY vibration dampening under their tables? My table is a cheap one sitting on an MDF ikea entertainment center, walking forcefully near it will pop the needle. Any ideas on solutions? I was thinking a heavy stone slab with a rubber mat on top maybe?

andretti
Jun 28, 2008

Not an Anthem posted:

Does anyone use DIY vibration dampening under their tables? My table is a cheap one sitting on an MDF ikea entertainment center, walking forcefully near it will pop the needle. Any ideas on solutions? I was thinking a heavy stone slab with a rubber mat on top maybe?

This guy recommends that you get a gravestone with a typo in it for cheap (or a piece of plexiglass), and then glue bouncy balls to the bottom of it. It seems pretty legit to me, I'd do it if I had problems with skipping.

http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/t.mpl?f=tweaks&m=71904

Not an Anthem
Apr 28, 2003

I'm a fucking pain machine and if you even touch my fucking car I WILL FUCKING DESTROY YOU.
I thought that was a joke but that's a really smart idea. We do wood molds all day in school and getting a small bag of cement is cheap..

The other question was about spiking speakers.. whats the deal with obsessions with spikes, just that its one "point" of contact instead of a spaced out contact?

cormac
Dec 18, 2005



I just bought a bush Mtt2 turntable off Ebay. It works fine but the counterweight was unattached so I need to set the thing up properly. Unfortunately it didn't come with a user manual, and I've no idea what the tracking force and anti skate should be set to. It's got the original cheapo cartridge that came with it new, but it soesn't seem to have a brand name anywhere on it. Any one able to help me out?

1mpper
Nov 26, 2004
Where's the best place to buy the Debut III? I haven't seen it at any of the stores around my area, and the internet seems devoid of it as well. So far E-Bay and Google turn up empty.

Bass Ackwards
Nov 14, 2003

Anything can be used as a hammer if you try hard enough.

cormac posted:

I just bought a bush Mtt2 turntable off Ebay. It works fine but the counterweight was unattached so I need to set the thing up properly. Unfortunately it didn't come with a user manual, and I've no idea what the tracking force and anti skate should be set to. It's got the original cheapo cartridge that came with it new, but it soesn't seem to have a brand name anywhere on it. Any one able to help me out?

Read this.

ButteryNoodles
Jul 18, 2006
Deliciously satisfactory.

aerdil posted:

Where's the best place to buy the Debut III? I haven't seen it at any of the stores around my area, and the internet seems devoid of it as well. So far E-Bay and Google turn up empty.

http://www.needledoctor.com/Online-Store?search=debut+III

Tigertron
Jan 19, 2007

Tiger, tiger, burning bright
A guy that a met at an estate sale swore up and down that a tube amp was the only way to go. What benefit do they hold over other amps? Will they be cheaper or will they be harder to come by? What era do they come from and are there any popular brands to look into?

If there is only a subtle difference I think I am inclined to find a tube amp since the guy really left an impact on me with his passion for tubes.

pim01
Oct 22, 2002

Tigertron posted:

A guy that a met at an estate sale swore up and down that a tube amp was the only way to go. What benefit do they hold over other amps? Will they be cheaper or will they be harder to come by? What era do they come from and are there any popular brands to look into?

If there is only a subtle difference I think I am inclined to find a tube amp since the guy really left an impact on me with his passion for tubes.

The sound is a bit different (there's some harmonic distortion added which gives a 'warmer' sound). New ones are still being built, but they are a bit more expensive and harder to come by than equivalent-quality solid-state amplifiers. Some people prefer the sound, other people just like to feel special because they have glowing tubes on their equipment.

Keep in mind that tube amps are typically designed for stereo use and to drive proper, high-sensitivity speakers (preferrably > 90 dB/w/m). If you are a music enthousiast and like the sound, I'd say go for it, but be prepared to spend some money on it (or dig up an old one and restore it, but that's a whole other way of going about it, and can be expensive as well).

I like Jadis, by the way. Beautiful amps and amazing sound. You could probably pick up a second-hand one for under $1000. I had this $2500 Jadis Orchestra on loan for a few weeks, and apart from being impressively heavy and glowey, it sounded pretty good on my cheap Mordaunt Short speakers. Still like my $150 TA-10 T-amp better, though :).

Phillyt
Dec 2, 2006

by Tiny Fistpump
I used to be hugely into vinyl a few years ago and I kind of want to get back into it since it was so much fun. I have a relatively old record player and needle which I think is affecting the sound quality of my records because I have .mp3's of some of the same songs and they definitely sound better. I am looking at the Sony PSLX250H since it is affordable and regarded well. Am I correct in understanding that it doesn't need a preamp? I have a Parasound P/PH - 100 preamp right now which I've heard is pretty good (inherited from my dad).

For the needle, I am going with the Shure M97xE as that is highly recommended here. However, I have two questions after reading the OP and thread.

1) What is a good way to clean my records without building a vacuum? Is there a decent brush and fluid I can use? I don't really have a spot to place a vacuum or really want to build one...

2) Where is the best place to get record supplies? Examples being plastic outer sleeves for 45's and 33's and paper inner sleeves. Also 45 and 33 boxes.

Tigertron
Jan 19, 2007

Tiger, tiger, burning bright
I just saw a Technics SL-D2 at my local thrift store. Now I am entirely new to turntables so would this is be a decent one to start out with? It had no needle but it turned on when I plugged it in. It was priced at $15 should I run and grab it or just pass it up?

Owsla
Aug 31, 2003

Where are my bitches?

Phillyt posted:

...Sony PSLX250H...

That Sony deck uses a p-mount cart, the Shure M97xe won't work with it. There's a nice selection of p-mounts at Needledoctor, I really liked my Audio-Technica 92ECD when I had it on an old belt drive back in the day. It's worth looking into the Grado Black and a few of the nicer Ortofons on that page too.

Personally on a ~$100 budget I'd pick up one of the cheaper early Technics direct drive tables, something like one of these:

1 (awesome unit but also a p-mount cart user)
2
3
4

... a decent pre-amp (1, 2), and run the M97xe (if you get one of the standard mount tables)

Phillyt posted:

What is a good way to clean my records without building a vacuum?
When I don't feel like vacuuming, I use the Mobile Fidelity brush and their 'Super Record Wash' cleaning fluid, then when the surface dries I brush it off with a carbon fiber dust brush right before playback. I get all my cleaning supplies at Sleeve City (also where I get my inner and outter LP and 45 sleeves from the 3rd part of your ques)

Owsla fucked around with this message at 21:57 on Feb 22, 2009

Phillyt
Dec 2, 2006

by Tiny Fistpump

Owsla posted:

:words:

Thanks for the reply! Is the preamp I have not good enough? I really wasn't hoping to spend the money on a new preamp as I always thought mine was good?

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Owsla
Aug 31, 2003

Where are my bitches?

Phillyt posted:

Thanks for the reply! Is the preamp I have not good enough? I really wasn't hoping to spend the money on a new preamp as I always thought mine was good?

I somehow didn't notice you mention that in your post, my bad. That's a great pre-amp, no reason to replace it at all as it handles both major varieties of standard mount carts and seems to be pretty highly regarded in all the reviews I've read.

Also I've edited my earlier response, the first table I linked also uses a p-mount cart.

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