[RokabillySwagger]

Although I've been listening to vinyl for a while, i really have no idea whats out there. I'm using my dad's old Technics SL-D202 and want to know what budget upgrades i could do. I need a new cartridge and if there are any essentials i need it would be nice to know. Mostly i listen on a really cheap set up so lets not get carried away with addons. i just want to get the best sound i can without spending alot. Thanks

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RokabillySwagger /img/forum/go_quote.gif Although I've been listening to vinyl for a while, i really have no idea whats out there. I'm using my dad's old Technics SL-D202 and want to know what budget upgrades i could do. I need a new cartridge and if there are any essentials i need it would be nice to know. Mostly i listen on a really cheap set up so lets not get carried away with addons. i just want to get the best sound i can without spending alot. Thanks

Most important thing to do is put it on a solid surface to isolate it from vibration. If you have suspended wooden floorboards then it needs to be on a wall shelf. If you have concrete floors then put it on a rigid table or hi-fi stand.
A good tweak is to get a marble or granite slab like a chopping board and put sorbothane pods under it on whatever platform it's on and then sit the turntable of top of this.
Next you can try experimenting with the mat the records sit on. KABUSA sell the original Technics heavy weight rubber one for the 1200 which may be better than your one. Silicon and acrylic mats are also worth a try as are cork and felt. You'll find these on ebay.
The best cart you can get for this kind of arm is probably a Denon MC like the high output DL110/160 or if you have a phonostage with switchable gain then a DL-103. If you don't want to spend this much then an AT440 or cheaper AT110 will work.
You could also try upgrading the headshell with a Magnesium one. Stanton make a pretty cheap one with variable ballast weights which they sell in DJ stores. Removing the rubber between the headshell and arm is also meant to be beneficial.

 

[RokabillySwagger]

How are the budget Grado carts (grado black)? I don't have the best gear so really high end gear isn't worth the investment at this point, i figure when i'm ready to dive head first i'll start with a better turntable. The stanton headshell seems promising. My rubber mat seems to be in great condition (still soft and pliable). I will definitely investigate adding some isolation to the TT although my dorm room is in a 100 year old house so this joint creaks and sways. Also, what should i set up for the anti-skate and tonearm weights? I'm new to actually knowing whats going on and what effects sound.

 

[Ingo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RokabillySwagger /img/forum/go_quote.gif How are the budget Grado carts (grado black)? I don't have the best gear so really high end gear isn't worth the investment at this point, i figure when i'm ready to dive head first i'll start with a better turntable. The stanton headshell seems promising. My rubber mat seems to be in great condition (still soft and pliable). I will definitely investigate adding some isolation to the TT although my dorm room is in a 100 year old house so this joint creaks and sways. Also, what should i set up for the anti-skate and tonearm weights? I'm new to actually knowing whats going on and what effects sound.

I'll send you a Stanton headshell gratis if you can't find one locally. If you have a Guitar Center near you they should stock them in the pro-audio dept. It didn't work on my TT because the stock headshell on it has a higher rise to get the right VTA. The only thing is, it doesn't have any leads on it, so you'll have to find some of those if you want to use mine.

The Grado Black is what I've been using for about a year. It doesn't sound bad to me, but I haven't heard very many cartridges. It will probably, definately, maybe be an improvement over whatever you have right now, or not.


Your counter-weight on the tone-arm should be set according to what the cartridge manufacturer suggest for your particular cartridge. You can buy a little gauge that measures the tracking force (best option) or you can set it by the marks on the counter-weight. First you have to zero the arm by turning the weight until the arm neither rises or falls but stays level. Then turn the marked part of the weight (NOT THE WHOLE WEIGHT) to zero. Next, you turn the whole weight (all together) until the numbers on markings read the correct number given by the cartridge manufacturer. The Vinyl Engine forums have a lot of archived info on carts and TT related stuff. Anti-Skate is usually set to around the same number as the counter weight, but the way I was told to do it was:

Quote:

Originally Posted by memepool The idea of the anti-skate control is to counteract the centrifugal forces exerted on the arm as it spins from a fixed pivot point. It's usually a spring. All you do is put on a record and raise and lower the cuing lever adjusting the anti skate until you make it drop the needle in and out of the same groove ( part of the song) each time.

 

[RokabillySwagger]

Thanks for the offer but fortunately we just got a guitar center a few months back and for $11 it would be cheaper to pick one up then have you pay shipping, thanks for clearing up some of the setup, i will definitely be getting that headshell and ordering the grado soon enough, hopefully i can figure out this setup business and clean up my signal a bit.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RokabillySwagger /img/forum/go_quote.gif I will definitely investigate adding some isolation to the TT although my dorm room is in a 100 year old house so this joint creaks and sways.

Definitely put it on a shelf mounted to wall brackets then as the main problem with these kind of decks is that they pick up a lot of vibration from there surroundings.

The next problem is that the platter where the record sits is made of light presed steel and is directly in contact with the motor so damping it as much as possible is the best way to optimise it. Basically to get more music and less noise from the recording. A lot of people swear by the original Technics rubber mat but a lot of others don't so it's worth trying different mats to see what works best for you.

The arm is a higher mass than most modern ones and is less rigid having lots of joints and rubber damping which tends to muddy the sound. This is why a cart with a stiffer suspension like the Denons are the optimum match. The Grado will work fine but it's really desinged for lower mass arms. The magnesium headshell will help here though so it's certainly worth getting one.

 

[RokabillySwagger]

Are there any sub $50 carts that i could get from Musicians Friend or Guitar Center (same company i know) that would compare well to the Grado, it would be nice to order stuff together. I know they sway towards DJ gear but maybe they have something worth getting.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RokabillySwagger /img/forum/go_quote.gif Are there any sub $50 carts that i could get from Musicians Friend or Guitar Center (same company i know) that would compare well to the Grado, it would be nice to order stuff together. I know they sway towards DJ gear but maybe they have something worth getting.

The only cart they have which is worthwhile for non DJ applications is the Stanton 680EEE which is over 100USD. It's also a great cart and will work well on your deck but it's over twice your budget.

 

[ssportclay]

I ran an Audio Technica AT120E on a stock Technics 1200 for a while and it did OK on the stock tonearm.The AT110 and AT95 should also be OK but save for the AT120E if you can.I think LP Gear has them about a cheap as any one.