Turntable skipping--suggestions?

[Arny Krueger]

Hi Fi News and Record Review do one.

I'll second that.

 

[spsffan]

Do you people ever actually listen to records or do you spend your
entire lifetimes adjusting the antiskakting force?

Just set it to the same as the tracking force and listen to some music
of your choice.

Regards,

DAve

 

[Leonard G. Caillouet]

Do you people ever actually listen to records or do you spend your
entire lifetimes adjusting the antiskakting force?

Just set it to the same as the tracking force and listen to some music
of your choice.

....and it may or may not track properly. I didn't follow this thread but
the proper way to set the anti-skating and tracking force is to use a test
album with highly modulated test tones, like the HFN001 record, and observe
the cartridge output on a scope and adjust for the lowest tracking force
that maintains tracking and the antiskating force that balances the force
for identical tracking on both sides of the groove. Greater traking force
causes excess diamond wear and album wear, too little force can do the same,
only wear the album much more.

Ballparking the tracking and anti-skating may be OK but if you value those
irreplaceable LPs or have an expensive cartridge, you may want to do it
right.

Leonard Caillouet

 

[Sven Franklyn Weil]

album with highly modulated test tones, like the HFN001 record, and observe
the cartridge output on a scope and adjust for the lowest tracking force

Hmm....exept that some of us don't have ocilloscopes (yet).

Ballparking the tracking and anti-skating may be OK but if you value those
irreplaceable LPs or have an expensive cartridge, you may want to do it
right.

In my case the records are irreplaceable...a lot of them Spanish
oldies...by long disbanded (or dead) artists on defunct labels that
haven't been released on cee-dee.

However I don't have the $1,000 to pay for a new scope (I will not buy
that used, unless it's in perfect working order for a reasonably low
price) so I settle for what I can do by eye.

 

[Leonard G. Caillouet]

Hmm....exept that some of us don't have ocilloscopes (yet).

Then just invest in the test album and do it by ear. You can hear the
mistracking, though with a scope you can see it start before you can hear it
with some cartriges. Just add a little extra tracking force when doing it
by ear. Set the AS force so that when reducing the TF you lose tracking at
the same point on both channels and you will be close enough to assure
minimal wear and tear. Remember, a little estra force to avoid mistracking
is better than too little force and mistracking in terms of wera on styli
and LPs.

In my case the records are irreplaceable...a lot of them Spanish
oldies...by long disbanded (or dead) artists on defunct labels that
haven't been released on cee-dee.

Invest in a good cartridge and test album.

However I don't have the $1,000 to pay for a new scope (I will not buy
that used, unless it's in perfect working order for a reasonably low
price) so I settle for what I can do by eye.

Ear, not eye. Or you can take your turtable to any high end audio shop and
they should be able to do it for you correctly. The other part of the
equation is alignment, which on some TT can be a challenge to the
inexperienced. A poorly aligned cartridge can also shorten life of styli
and albums. Any good audio shop will have done hundreds, thousands of
alignments and should be able to get it right. Don't take it to anyone who
says they don't bother with a scope.

Leonard Caillouet

 

[Sven Franklyn Weil]

Then just invest in the test album and do it by ear. You can hear the

Yeah, one of those is no problem.

Just gotta find a place/person who sells them. Probably the hi-end audio
stores around the city might have them. Already started looking on the
web for some leads.

 

[Leonard G. Caillouet]

Try http://www.garage-a-records.com/hifinews.html

 

[Harv]

Just to remind one and all that setting up anti-skating on a blank disk side
is not the right thing to do if you intend to play records with grooves on
them.

{{Quickly cancelling bids on Johnny Winters two record set with one blank
side }} ..

..

Harv
"Kidding.. just kidding.." ..

 

[Asimov]

to "All" (06 Aug 03 23:35:21)
--- on the topic of "Re: Turntable skipping--suggestions?"

A friend had the same problem with bouncy floors when he wanted to dance
with his girl friends. So when he called me (because his roomie spilled
a coke on top of his receiver) I put 4 ring screws in the ceiling and 2
equal lengths of rope threaded through a wide board drilled in each
corner to hold the turntable suspended from the ceiling. It worked like
magic, ultra quiet, didn't swing, and it even looked super cool!


BF> From: "Buck Frobisher" <[email protected]>
BF> C'mon, guys, Don had the answer waaay back:
BF> ___________________________________________________
BF> Put it on a self attached to a wall. They don't bounce like floors.
BF> ///////////////////////////////////////////////////
BF> The dead giveaway was when he said that if he walks around it skips!
BF> Set it up like it was supposed to be set up and don't fool with the
BF> suspension, it sounds like it's working well.


.... This message transmitted on 100% recycled photons.

 

[Wayne Tiffany]

Until the people upstairs join in the dance!

WT

 

[EvanInJH]

I "built" this contraption (hardly fair, it only involves heading to
the lumber yard and the bike shop!) and I have to say, it really does
work great. It seems that the resonance with the wood floors is the
major issue here. After I added some weight to give the proper
tracking to the needle, I am having much less of a problem. Building a
shelf might work better, but this is incredibly easy and effective.
After I get a better matching cartridge and stylus I'll report back.

Thanks again to everyone for your fantastic help.

--Evan

 

[jakdedert]

I "built" this contraption (hardly fair, it only involves heading to
the lumber yard and the bike shop!) and I have to say, it really does
work great. It seems that the resonance with the wood floors is the
major issue here. After I added some weight to give the proper
tracking to the needle, I am having much less of a problem. Building a
shelf might work better, but this is incredibly easy and effective.
After I get a better matching cartridge and stylus I'll report back.

Thanks again to everyone for your fantastic help.

--Evan

Better than a shelf would be to suspend it from the ceiling. We used to do
this in the 'old days' when turntables were much less well isolated. Back
then, often the 'suspension' was a macrame' project one of our girlfriends
would knot up...but unless there was a floor above, it was effective.

jak

 

[Laurence Payne]

Better than a shelf would be to suspend it from the ceiling. We used to do

this in the 'old days' when turntables were much less well isolated. Back
then, often the 'suspension' was a macrame' project one of our girlfriends
would knot up...but unless there was a floor above, it was effective.

Audiophiles had girlfriends?

 

[jakdedert]

Audiophiles listen to rock 'n roll??? ;-)

Your description--not mine.

OTOH, I made my living as an audio professional for over 20 years...first as
sales/service person/manager for a couple of hifi stores, concurrently
designer/installer for car audio systems--and later as an audio engineer (I
hate that term); mostly live 'front of house' mixing groups in the U.S. and
Europe, along with occasional studio projects on both sides of the
pond...didn't just 'listen' to it--helped create/recreate it.

Dunno if that qualifies me as an 'audiophile' or not. I know that I'm not
an 'audiophool....'
<g>

jak

 

[Sven Franklyn Weil]

Only the MFSL Dark Side of the Moon.

What's MFSL?

Mobile
Fidelity
Sound
Lab?

 

[Stephen Worth]

What's MFSL?

Mobile
Fidelity
Sound
Lab?

Yes

See ya
Steve

 

[Tony Pearce]

Of course....the needle is also digging a tiny, but slightly visible
groove in the blank. Can't be good for needle wear either though....

I would think the shiny surface probably causes less wear than the rough
surface of a normal groove. But for the time period involved, I'm pretty
SURE it's not a problem

TonyP.

 

[Tony Pearce]

Hmm....exept that some of us don't have ocilloscopes (yet).

In my case the records are irreplaceable...a lot of them Spanish
oldies...by long disbanded (or dead) artists on defunct labels that
haven't been released on cee-dee.

However I don't have the $1,000 to pay for a new scope (I will not buy
that used, unless it's in perfect working order for a reasonably low
price) so I settle for what I can do by eye.

Do you have a computer with a soundcard installed? If so then get some
*free* oscilloscope program or spectrum analyser program off the net. More
useful than a standard CRO for audio frequencies.

TonyP.