Back to Vinyl Part II - Questions

[erikzen]

I recently setup a turntable for the first time in a long time. You can read the details of that in this thread.

In trying to use a turntable for the first time in a number of years this raised a bunch of questions. Any help is appreciated.

How do you setup a cartridge on a Technics SL-1900? In reading the material from Shure that came with the M97xE, it says to set the overhang to 52 mm. However, with the headshell that I have there doesn't seem to be any leeway in how you can install the cartridge. There are just two screw holes to attach to the headshell. I should probably get a service manual for the table but I'm trying to avoid paying for it. (Penny wise and pound foolish?)

How do you balance the tonearm? I had a lot of trouble with this and following the instructions resulted in a tonearm that really just floated there. I had to "improvise" a little and I really have no idea of the weight that I think it is tracking at is correct.

Should the volume on a turntable be lower than on a CD/DVD player? This is the first time I've used this receiver as a phone stage, so I'm thinking that if this isn't normal, there's something wrong or it's an inferior preamp for the turntable. I'm also thinking that maybe there's a problem with the interconnects because they don't look very good. However, they seem to be attached to the turntable and I don't know if they're removable.

On the speed adjustment what does 50hz and 60hz refer to and how do you set the proper speed? The SL-1900 has a built in strobe and speed adjustment. I had a tough time getting the speed correct on this. I realized it was incorrect when comparing it to a CD. I'm assuming that a CD has to play at the right speed, or very close. It's been so long since I adjusted a turntable and was not quite sure what those little squares should be doing. By trial and error in conjuntion to playing a CD, I figured that the squares that correspond to 33 rpms at 60hz are the ones I should be looking at, and they should look like they're standing still. However, they do move slightly and I keep fluctuating between them moving left then right. It seems close enough.

How do I clean the records and will it improve the sound significantly?I don't want to spend a fortune on record cleaning supplies. When I used to listen to records I had a velvet brush that was made out of a wood block. You put some drops of cleaning solution on the brush and rolled it from the wet side to the dry side as the record spun around. I think the brand was D4 if I recall correctly. This was good for picking up surface dust and maybe helped eliminate static. Is there something similar that can be recommended? Is there also something to condition or deep clean records that might not be in the best shape? I'd like to keep the budget on this to under $100 so now $1000 record vacuums, please.

How do you listen to headphones through a vinyl rig? I never really thought about this but I realized that if you use a receiver with a phono preamp in it, then you have to use the headphone jack of the receiver for your headphones, unless I'm missing something. I guess you need to get one of those preamp/headphone combo units if you want a good amp for your turntable setup. Is there a "cheap" unit that allows you to use headphones with a turntable? I'm looking to rip my albums to my computer so I was either going to move my home stereo receiver to my computer or buy a dedicated preamp. Since my budget is limited I thought about the XP201. This is a preamp with a headphone amp, although I don't know what the quality is like.

 

[hciman77]

Quote:

Originally Posted by erikzen I recently setup a turntable for the first time in a long time. How do you balance the tonearm? I had a lot of trouble with this and following the instructions resulted in a tonearm that really just floated there. I had to "improvise" a little and I really have no idea of the weight that I think it is tracking at is correct. On the speed adjustment what does 50hz and 60hz refer to and how do you set the proper speed? The SL-1900 has a built in strobe and speed adjustment. I had a tough time getting the speed correct on this. I realized it was incorrect when comparing it to a CD. I'm assuming that a CD has to play at the right speed, or very close. It's been so long since I adjusted a turntable and was not quite sure what those little squares should be doing. By trial and error in conjuntion to playing a CD, I figured that the squares that correspond to 33 rpms at 60hz are the ones I should be looking at, and they should look like they're standing still. However, they do move slightly and I keep fluctuating between them moving left then right. It seems close enough.

I dont know about your TT but on my old rega the way i did it was thus. Set the tracking weight to zero then move the weight backwards and forwards until the tonearm sits a small distance above the vinyl surface, then adjust the anti-skat so that the tonearm will sit just above the outer edge of the lp without moving sideways then adjust the tracking weight to the value suggested by the cartrdige manufacturer and go.

50 and 60hz refers to the electrical system. AC in the USA runs at 60HZ while in the UK it is 50HZ, iirc the idea is to get a solid line using the strobe.

 

[RickG]

There are so many good resources for all of these questions on the web. A quick Google search listed these and numerous more:

http://moze.cicada.com/audio/ttsetup.html

http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/ttsetup.html

http://www.raveindex.com/20/turntable-setup.html

http://www.xs4all.nl/~rabruil/ttadjust.html

http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vin...ges/32767.html

http://www.amtrakdjs.org/essays/ttsetup.html

http://www.nakedresource.com/library_turntables.shtml

 

[erikzen]

Thanks for the links. I hate to waste anybody's time.

Incidently, the first three links referenced the same article. The third link also contained an article that had somewhat controversial information regarding tracking. I've read two different things. One is that the lighter the tracking the less wear on the record. This might lead one to believe that it is best to set the tracking at the lower limits of the manufacturer's specifications. However, I read another article that said it is not good to set it too lightly because if the stylus does not track heavily enough, although it rides in the groove it is not seated deeply enough, causing it to wear away at the sides of the groove. I was hoping I could generate some conversation on these topics because this community is very knowledgable. It's nice to get confirming opinions sometimes, too.

I was also hoping someone might have experience with my specific equipment. I've read a lot of information on turntables but I haven't found any information on the SL-1900 specifically. A quote from article you link states: "What follows is a basic primer for table setup. To be more comprehensive here is impractical, if not impossible--spelling out how to optimize one product alone would take up pages".

More specific information was what I was after.

 

[RickG]

Sorry Erik...I didn't realize so many of those were duplicates. I just did a search on "turntable set-up" and was amazed at the number of links that came back.

However, I did find this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=48648

Technics SL-1900 Turntable Service Manual

"This auction is for a high resolution scanned reproduction of the Technics SL-1900 Turntable Service Manual with 2 supplements, printed at 1200 dpi for exceptional clarity. This is a scan of the original, not a 3rd or 4th generation copy. It is 14 pages, and is printed on 24 lb / 94+ brightness paper with 110 lb card stock covers. The manual is secured with a 19 hole plastic binder. Includes schematics, PC board layouts, component location, etc. If you have one and want the service manual to go with it, here it is. In English. S/H will be $2.75, to be paid by the winning bidder. Insurance, if desired, is $1.30 extra."

Six days left.

Hope this helps...

 

[erikzen]

No need to apologize. I appreciate you posting the links.

You can buy the manual in a couple of places. I'm just a penny pinching fool and didn't want to pay for a manual.

 

[Anders]

I suspect that the different statements about tracking force were made in different contexts. In a general sense, a lower tracking force is preferrable if everything else is equal. Brand A with an optimal tracking force of 1 gram should wear less than brand B with 2 grams. However, everything else is not always equal. More expensive cartridges usually have a better stylus geometry with a larger contact surface against the groove. So it is not easy to predict the wear of the cartridge from the tracking force alone.

For a specific cartridge, wear becomes worse if the tracking force is set too low. IMO, one should set it a bit above the minimum recommended tracking force. Then it tracks better and sounds better.

 

[KurtW]

I have a slightly different model of Technics but yours may have similar adjustments, so see if the following helps:

1. to adjust the overhang, there should be slots in either the cartridge or headshell or both that will allow you to slide the cartridge in and out. My Technics has a special adjustment tool that you insert the headshell into and then adjust the stylus to match the mark on the tool. Another way to do this if you don't have this tool is to use an alignment protractor which you can buy used fairly cheaply or maybe borrow from someone.

2. To set the weight, there should be a calibrated counter weight at the end of the arm. You adjust it to zero when the arm just floats above the record, and then you dial in the weight in grams. You usually want to use the upper end of the manufacturer's recomendations, maybe around 1.5 to 2 grams.

3. The volume will be a function of your phono preamp gain and your cartridge output. It is typical that the volume will be lower than a CDP.

4. It sounds like you figured out the speed adjustment correctly...the dots should stay still, or at least not always move in one direction only. 60Hz refers to the line frequency, which is what is used in the US.

5. The D4 is probably made by Discwasher. It's good for keeping dust off, the first line of defense. I use it for records I buy used, and normally use just a record brush without liquid for keeping the dust off. If you keep the records put away and use a brush on every play you don't have to do much else unless the records were dirty to start with. You can look at other web articles for deeper cleaning ideas on the cheap.

6. If you have a headphone amp you can use the tape output jacks of your receiver to feed it. If you get a dedicated phono preamp (for MM cartidges like you have) this can feed a headphone amp. This will give you many more choices than finding a phono preamp that has a headphone output. Of course you can just use the headphone jack in your receiver for now too. Some important specs that I don't see for the XP201 is noise level and gain. Phono preamps require a lot of gain compared to a headphone amp, so noise can be a concern. You also would like to match the gain to your cartridge so it doesn't get overdriven into distortion or is too low of volume.

It sounds like you are well on your way to enjoying your setup, but I would check the overhang and tracking force.

 

[erikzen]

Thanks for the advice KurtW. I can't really see how to adjust the cartridge in the headshell though. There are two pilot holes that the screws have to go into so there's really no room for adjustment. The cartridge is slotted but there is only one way it will fit on the headshell. Is it possible to buy a better headshell? Is it worth it?

I decided to buy the $25 Radio Shack preamp. I was sceptical about spending so little on it but it has received some favorable comments from people who have a lot of experience. If it works, great! More money for something else. If it doesn't I don't lose a lot.

 

[JefferyK]

I have an SL-1200 MK II, not an SL-1900. However, I have looked at a picture of an SL-1900 online.

Is the headshell fixed, or can you take it off by loosening the collar on the tonearm? If you can take it off, the tonearm probably takes a standard Technics headshell. You can buy one online from a place like KABUSA. This headshell has slots---not holes---so you can move the cartridge backward and forward. Sumiko makes a better-quality headshell, but it costs more and is heavier. I had to use the Technics tonearm weight (it screws into the back end of the arm) to properly set VTF with the Sumiko headshell.

The fluctuating speed is a real problem, IMHO. The strobe should be stable with no movement whatsoever. The first thing I would do is oil the spindle bearings. KABUSA sells DD spindle bearing oil.

I have yet to find an alignment protractor that matches the Technics overhang gauge (mentioned by KurtW), and I'm not sure which is more accurate. My cartridge sounds better when aligned using a protractor.

Set the VTF in the range recommended by the cartridge manufacturer. The only way you can confirm how well the cartridge is tracking (and fine-tune alignment, VTF and antiskate) is by using a test record. You can get a test record from KABUSA (the Hi-Fi News test record, BTW, comes with a very-easy-to-use protractor).

I would buy the manual. In the long run, it will probably save money.

Jeffery

 

[erikzen]

More great advice! Thanks.

I would have thought the headshell that was on it was a standard headshell but maybe not. I just asked my wife about the turntable as it was hers before we were married. She said that she actually got it "in the garbage". (Her father is a doorman in a multimillion dollar apartment building in NYC. You'd be surprised what they throw out!) She actually never used it because she said that when she went to buy a replacement "needle" they wanted to charge her $60 for a cartridge and she didn't think it was worth it.

Anyway, I will take a look at the standard headshell. This one is removable so changing it should be a piece of cake. I will probably end up buying the manual first though, as you suggest.