[eric343]

Thanks to Nick Dangerous' tip, a Music Hall MMF-5 arrived on the doorstep today... Any tips as to setup/adjustment/etc? (and a question: How is the adjustment knob graduated? The back of the manual says it does 10-30mN, which I assume means 1-3g. Am I correct?)

 

[Hirsch]

I don't usually trust the tracking force calibration on tone arms. Get a Shure tracking force guage for $20, and use it instead of the dial on the arm. I'm serious here. You can also get a free cartridge alignment protractor from enjoythemusic.com Check out the thread on darkclouds' VPI HW19 jr. for some advice on getting started with a turntable. After those initial steps, the next thing that you're going to need is some sort of record cleaner. Keeping records clean is the single most important thing you can do to minimize record wear.

Oh yeah. At some point you're probably going to want to buy some records...

I really like the Music Hall tables I've got (MMF 2.1 and MMF 7), and I think you'll really like the MMF 5.

 

[Nick Dangerous]

MY tip? Why... thank you...

I don't have a turntable right now. The MMF-5 seems like a decent affordable choice to start out with. I'd get one if I discovered a cache of vinyl somewhere in storage...

 

[eric343]

Yep, your tip - you pointed out the $380 one on Audiogon to me, and it seemed decent, sooo....

 

[Tuberoller]

The MMF-5 is the best value going in tables right now.It is so good that I would be hard pressed to advise you to spend more money on a table unless you wanted to spend a bunch more.

Advice:Get a Sure Stylus force gauge,Buy some cone feet and pucks to allow the table to be leveled,don't throw away that little weight that came in the pink plastic,it is needed for proper anti-skating of the arm.Do your best to islolate the table from footfalls.Tighten the srcews holding the hinges to the dustcover.If the table came with a spare belt,keep it in a sealed baggie.Use the clamp based on sonics,what I mean is,use it if you think it makes the table sound better.When you touch the belt to adust the speed,make sure your hands are clean,a belt for the MMF-5 is a $16.00 part and nobody stocks them.

lastly,welcome to the club,Brother.

 

[eric343]

D'oh, I guess I shouldn't have installed the belt without washing my hands first (I did it as soon as I got home), eh? Well, I hope washing it will help...

 

[fredpb]

My calibration on my MMF5 was WAY OFF. Get the Shure stulus pressure gauge!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[eric343]

You mean the $15 one from TurntableBasics? Or the Shure SFG-2 Stylus Tracking Force Guage (http://www.shure.com/sfg2.html)?

 

[darkclouds]

It's the Shure gauge. I picked one up from

http://www.amusicdirect.com/products...p?sku=ASHURSFG

for 19.99, on tuberoller's recommendation.

 

[fredpb]

Quote:

Originally posted by eric343 You mean the $15 one from TurntableBasics? Or the Shure SFG-2 Stylus Tracking Force Guage (http://www.shure.com/sfg2.html)?

Yes, that link is the right guage. Works fine! Essential for any turntable.