[drk]

1) Ok, the first question is about the plastic cover thing you put on the TT that protects it:

is there a way to actually MOUNT the thing on the TT, or do you just completely take it off when you listen and put it on when you don't listen?

2) in the manual it says that during a record listening session it's best to keep the motor running. so how do you take one record off and put another on in one listening session? do you just take it gently by the sides and pull it up?

3) is it possible that the tonearm on p3-24 (RB301) loses it's alignments and settings due to playing warped records (every freaking new record i buy is warped). also, in time, do you need to adjust anything on the tonearm that's already been adjusted in the shop when i bought the TT and how do i determine when and what needs setting?

4) have you replaced the stock mat on your rega TT and with what?

 

[Toonie]

1) I take the cover completely off when using. I would have to do that anyway since the shelf I have the turntable on doesn't have enough headroom.

2) I read that in the manual as well so I leave it on and do just as you described, taking the record off by grabbing the outer edges and gently lifting.

3) Not sure about this one

4) I'm still using the stock mat but when I was researching turntables here I came across several recommendations for replacement mats though I can't recall what they were right now, sorry.

Hope that helps.

Ken

 

[proglife]

1) Sure, it should be connected via the hinges in the back. Are they not on there?

 

[drk]

thanks for the replies so far guys!

@ proglife: i must be an idiot...i mean, there are hinges, yes, but on the lid there's only plastic that goes into the spaces on the TT itself...and if i lifted the lid like on the picture you posted, i think that those pieces of plastic on the lid that slide into the openings on the TT would just break...

 

[av98m2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drk /img/forum/go_quote.gif thanks for the replies so far guys! @ proglife: i must be an idiot...i mean, there are hinges, yes, but on the lid there's only plastic that goes into the spaces on the TT itself...and if i lifted the lid like on the picture you posted, i think that those pieces of plastic on the lid that slide into the openings on the TT would just break...

nope, they won't. in any case I play my LPs with the cover down. I find that there really isn't any discernible difference between playing with and without the cover so I use it for the extra protection against dust and accidents.

 

[nikongod]

weather a warped record will damage the tonearm (or more likely the stylus!) is TOTALLY dependent on the warp. most of the time the answer is that it wont.

if the record smoothly potato-chips say 1/4 inch or so evenly around its perimeter its NOTHING. if there is an abrupt "bump" or ripple of any appreciable magnitude you have a candidate for the garbage.

it takes a LITTLE experience to gauge weather a warp will really damage things or not. i have only seen 1 or 2 records warped so badly as to cause bounce in the few hundred i played on my P3. aside from the couple that were obviously flawed, i jsut ran em.

note: if you have a record weight/clamp, it will smooth out MOST of the harmless warps. it at least tames them.

from my time with a Rega P3, a cork platter mat was a cool change.

 

[drk]

wow, i had no idea i could just lift the lid and those plastic hinges wouldn't break. i was positive they would.

@ nikongod - thanks for the great post, but how do you mean 1/4 inch around record's perimeter? 1/4 inch is very short distance and i'd consider that a definite bump, but i'm sure i'm misinterpreting something, do you mean this distance on the inner or on the outer rim of the record? i know what you're saying with bumps, but i'm trying to get an exact, identifiable idea what wouldn't be considered a bump and would be a harmless warp, that's why i'm asking this.

i have rega elys cartridge on my 301 tonearm and it doesn't have replaceable stylus, so these things are quite important for me. so, basically, you're saying you just play those "benignly warped" records and nothing has happened to your stylus/cartridge over time? did you have to calibrate and adapt anything on a tonearm after playing such harmlessly warped records for some time?

and thanks very much for the comment about clamp/weight and mat!...i was thinking about buying these:

http://herbiesaudiolab.home.att.net/ttmat.htm

Way Excellent II 2mm mat and SuperSonic Record Stabilizer lower on the same page. as that's only stabiliser, and not a weight, would you recommend that for this purpose of helping with warps or should i go with some other product?

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drk /img/forum/go_quote.gif i have rega elys cartridge on my 301 tonearm and it doesn't have replaceable stylus, so these things are quite important for me. so, basically, you're saying you just play those "benignly warped" records and nothing has happened to your stylus/cartridge over time? did you have to calibrate and adapt anything on a tonearm after playing such harmlessly warped records for some time?

One of the best aspects of the Rega tonearm / cartridge design is that they have a three point fixing to the headshell and are therefore perfectly aligned from the factory making them completely idiot-proof. You don't ever need to worry about this therefore and you could fit any of the Rega carts yourself by just bolting them onto the arm and balancing. No VTA or tracking alignment is necessary.

A warped record could only really damage your stylus if it was warped in such a way that it caused it to jump out of the grove and skate all over the record which may chip the stylus or distort the cantilever.

I have records which are completley warped where the (Rega) tonearm is going up and down by almost 2" and they track perfectly. It's the ones with big kinks in a short space of vinyl you need to watch out for especially on 45s.

For instance a warp where the record is completely uneven over it's whole circumference even by a few inches can play ok on 33 rpm whereas one which is mostly flat but with a little hump over an inch of the circumference on 45 will skate like crazy.

An analogy would be that like the stylus can handle running up and down hills as long as the incline is gentle enough but it can't deal with running full tilt over speed bumps which can damage the suspension just like on a car.

As far as clamps and mats are concerned be careful about how much weight you put on the main bearing because this can damage it. Email Rega about this. Something like the Michell clamp which doesn't weigh very much would be safe but I'd be cautious about anything weighing 300 or more grams.

With regard to mats, these change the character of the sound and also the VTA so go for one the same width as the Rega one or else you will misalign the arm. I've not personally had much luck with mats other than felt on turntables I have with glass platters like the Rega. Cork might be a good idea but silicone and acrylic didn't really sound so good to me. Not as good as they can sound compared to felt on a metal platter anyway.

http://www.thefunkfirm.co.uk/ these guys make an acrylic platter replacment which may be a better upgrade than anything you'll acheive with a mat.

 

[drk]

thanks memepool on a great post. can you just tell what "skating" really is and how do i recognize it? i've also noticed that on most of my lps the tonearm goes horizontally forward-bacward on the record in slight movements. it doesn't produce any aural glitches, it plays normal but it makes those movements. is that normal?

regarding mat replacement, i was just watching for something that would make records sit more stable on the platter and something that wouldn't generate as much static electricity on my records as this felt mat, that's why i was considering that mat i posted link to earlier.

p.s. it's amazing to hear that tonearms can go up-down almost two inches in playback and that's normal. now i think that nikongod was also talking about VERTICAL "potato-chiping" of 1/4 of an inch.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by drk /img/forum/go_quote.gif can you just tell what "skating" really is and how do i recognize it?

Skating is bad. You'd notice it

it's when the stylus careers wildy over the surace of the record over the grooves scratching the vinyl and possibly damaging itself in the process.

Quote:

Originally Posted by drk /img/forum/go_quote.gif i've also noticed that on most of my lps the tonearm goes horizontally forward-bacward on the record in slight movements. it doesn't produce any aural glitches, it plays normal but it makes those movements. is that normal?

You mean it kind of wobbles? this is perfectly normal. What you are seeing is the arm tracking the stylus as it traces the grooves which are like a tiny 3D relief map. Lateral movement is usually caused by heavy bass modulations in the music

Quote:

Originally Posted by drk /img/forum/go_quote.gif regarding mat replacement, i was just watching for something that would make records sit more stable on the platter and something that wouldn't generate as much static electricity on my records as this felt mat, that's why i was considering that mat i posted link to earlier.

That Herbie's mat looks perfect from the point of view that it will be a straight swop out for the Rega one vis-a-vis it's thickness so won't cause VTA issues. What it may not do though is sound as nice as the felt one.

I found silicon mats sounded a bit cold on a glass platter but it wasn't on a Rega deck and it may well work in the context of your system. Nobody can really tell you this because all our tastes are different as are our set ups. If you don't like it then you could always try cork. There is an ebay seller called vinyl alignment who sells cork mats for around 15UKP/30USD.

Quote:

Originally Posted by drk /img/forum/go_quote.gif p.s. it's amazing to hear that tonearms can go up-down almost two inches in playback and that's normal. now i think that nikongod was also talking about VERTICAL "potato-chiping" of 1/4 of an inch.

That's a pretty extreme example on a record I only really keep to see if anything can track it becuase I like the music. Not all carts can because the clearance and length of the cantilever also has to accomodate this kind of angle. The Shure V15's managed it without a care as I remember.

 

[Lazarus Short]

I am not a Rega owner but I want to share a POSSIBLE upgrade for these TT's. I understand that the platter spindle bearing, the vertical one, is a ball-bearing race. Is it so? The upgrade would be to upgrade to instrument-grade balls, or to ceramic balls. I've seen them advertised on eBay, and they are said to roll better than metal balls. [no jokes please] They're a bit pricey, but if you could find them in the right size, they might reduce rumble. It might be something you Rega owners might like to explore.

Laz

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lazarus Short /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am not a Rega owner but I want to share a POSSIBLE upgrade for these TT's. I understand that the platter spindle bearing, the vertical one, is a ball-bearing race. Is it so? The upgrade would be to upgrade to instrument-grade balls, or to ceramic balls. I've seen them advertised on eBay, and they are said to roll better than metal balls. [no jokes please] They're a bit pricey, but if you could find them in the right size, they might reduce rumble. It might be something you Rega owners might like to explore. Laz

You can get nice upgrades over at Groovetracer (groove tracer) though they aren't cheap. I'm slowly outfitting my Planar 3 project with their stuff. I picked up a Planar 3 bare plinth a few months back, and am building it out with mods.

As for the warped discs, get yourself a record clamp. J.A. Michell makes one specifically for Rega decks. You can find it here:

Musicdirect - MICHELL - REFLEX RECORD CLAMP for REGA TURNTABLES

I also like Michell's Technoweight - one of the best things I've done to my RB300.