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-- Don't know if this will start a war but....Cartridges

Don't know if this will start a war but....Cartridges

i would like to know a few things....
1. are all cartridges universal to tables...
2. whats a better brand....
3. do you neccasserally have to spend more in order to get more...
thats about it....
askin alot of questions...because i just plain dont know....

lol
There has been a war (of sorts) on this before..

Generally carts come in two types:

Headshell mount (as most turntables have as factory fit)
And
Concordes- which mount directly onto the tonearm.

there are many types and many different applications for specifics (wouldnt be wise buying a scratch cart for spinning trance really)

There are pros and cons to each cart and stylus and each dj will have their own favourites..

Personally i swear by ortofon concorde niteclub 'S' (at least at work i do)and i know a lot of other proffesional djs of many genres who do also.
I would highly recommend a look at ortofons as they range from budget all the way up to pro standard (and price)

however, when im at home i use boggo stanton 500 carts and stylus

generally you get what you pay for in terms of sound and longevity- mine cost me a shedload but i do this for a job and only the best will do.

here's the thing about carts. everyone has their favorite and everyone will tell you how their favorite is the best because, whatever. try out different carts and choose the ones you like the best that suit your style the best. choose the ones that sound best and "feel" the best to you when you work the vinyl. forget price, if the cheap stanton 500 series work best for you, then get those. if the expensive ortofon nightclubs work best, then get those. don't worry about what everyone else says. since you're a beginner just get a set of stanton 500's. they work just fine for you. i used a set for years before i bought my new carts. one pair of carts isn't going to make it easier or harder for you to beat match. now if you're going to scratch then it's a different story. it's the same with headphones. getting one pair of headphones over another pair won't make you a better or worse dj. as long as they are loud and undistorted it doesn't matter who makes them, get what feels best to you. cheers.

there is NO DOUBT about th� best needles. The Shure Whitelabels


Specs:

Replacement Stylus: N-WHLB
Stylus Color: Dark Blue
Stereo Output (1kHz at 5 cm/sec peak recorded velocity): 6.0 mV
Frequency Response: 20-20,000Hz
Typical Tracking Force: 2 grams
Tracking Force Range: 1.5-3 grams

Skip Resistance: high
Output: high
Record Wear: very low
Sound Emphasis: solid drop bass with detailed mids and highs

I haven't heard a single bad thing about it.

Next, you have the Ortofon Nightclub

A very decent needle, a little cheaper than the whitelabel, but you get what you pay for. I will buy these soon.

specs:
Output voltage at 1000 Hz, 5cm/sec. 6 mV
Channel balance at 1 kHz 1,5 dB
Channel separation at 1 kHz 23 dB
Channel separation at 15 kHz 15 dB
Frequency range at - 3dB 20-22.000 Hz
Frequency response 20-20.000 Hz � 2 dB
FIM distortion at recommended
tracking force, DIN 45.542 < 1%
Tracking ability at 315Hz at
recommended tracking force 80 �m
Compliance, dynamic, lateral 7 �m/mN
Stylus type Special elliptical
Stylus tip radius r/R 13/25 �m
Equivalent stylus tip mass 0,5 mg
Tracking force range 2,0-5,0 g (30-50 mN)
Tracking force, recommended 3,0 g (30 mN)
Tracking angle 20�
Internal impedance, DC resistance 750 Ohm
Internal inductance 450 mH
Recommended load resistance 47 kOhm
Recommended load capacitance 200-600 pF
Cartridge colour, body/stylus Black/Yellow Neon
Cartridge weight 18,5 g

And next, you've got the ortofon Concords. That's a pretty good needle for a nice price.

I've got these now, but the advantage is, that you can easely upgrade to a nightclub by just replacing the stylus. (25� / nightclub stylus).

Output voltage at 1000 Hz, 5cm/sec. 5 mV
Channel balance at 1 kHz 2 dB
Channel separation at 1 kHz 20 dB
Channel separation at 15 kHz 15 dB
Frequency range at - 3dB 20-20.000 Hz
Frequency response 20-18.000 Hz + 3 / - 2 dB
FIM distortion at recommended
tracking force, DIN 45.542 < 1%
Tracking ability at 315Hz at
recommended tracking force 70 �m
Compliance, dynamic, lateral 7 �m/mN
Stylus type Spherical
Stylus tip radius R 18 �m
Equivalent stylus tip mass 0,5 mg
Tracking force range 3,0-5,0 g (30-50 mN)
Tracking force, recommended 4,0 g (40 mN)
Tracking angle 20�
Internal impedance, DC resistance 750 Ohm
Internal inductance 450 mH
Recommended load resistance 47 kOhm
Recommended load capacitance 200-600 pF
Cartridge colour, body/stylus Silver/Silver
Cartridge weight 18,5 g
Replacement stylus unit PRO


You to decide, you want THE best, the best or the best

I don't think they answered your questions correctly.

1. are all cartridges universal to tables...

A1: YES, unless you end purchasing needles for those cheap tables you get at RADIOSHACK.

2. whats a better brand...

A2: The answer is this...THERE IS NO BETTER BRAND just personal preference and mixing style. Finding needles is like taking a shower. You twist the knobs until you find perfection.

3. do you need to have to spend more in order to get more...

A3: Not really. When you're playing at a venue or recording, it is ideal to have higher end needles. If you're playing at home, you might as well play with some of the mid to lower end needles.

That's all really.

quote:

Originally posted by T:REBEL I don't think they answered your questions correctly.

other then the "are the universal" i answered his questions.

quote:

Originally posted by VIO other then the "are the universal" i answered his questions.

I know. LOL. Really, how constructive is it when someone tells the guy to GET a certain type of needle when all he wanted was general information and not what the best needles are?

I should expand but only if he replies back.

I started off with some headshell mounted Shure carts (SC-35Cs), and they've done the trick so far. Frankly, I've beaten the crap out of them, so it's probably a good thing I didn't start with primo carts.

At this point I'm starting to look at improving my set-up with the goal of improving quality, so I'm probably going to be picking up some Concorde carts in the next few months. Not sure which model yet, as I don't exactly have loads of cash, but probably the mid-range one.

ok i've read what everybody said....and yes telling my to buy a certain kind is quite confusing because their is so many out their to choose from...
now what i also got was that all carts have needles with them...so i am guess buy perchasing needles i am just perchasing needles for carts that need new needles on them.....right?
so for now im going to go with something not to pricy....untill i can afford to buy the things that are better in some ways...but thats beside the point....
anyway thanxs for all your help....

ive heard that there is one possible problem with concordes...

i dont own concorde carts, but not too long ago, i heard that there was a small problem with the way it screws onto the tone-arm...

because of this, channels can drop out sometime, and there are only two ways to fix it... either wet the connections on the back of the cart (which will corrode the ends). or really crank it onto the tonearm, which will eventully strip the tone arm.

i dont know if ortofon has fixed things since then (i assume so) or if it was even that commom of a problem. but i guess it isnt that big of a problem, because so many people swear by them...

yes that can happen with concordes (happened to me a few months back in front of 1600 people ) Thank god mixer has mono buttons on each channel!

Basically you need a very very fine grade of sandpaper- need to very slightly rub the terminals on the top and the side.

Simple fix and hasnt happened since...happened to others and they have done the same fix and it solves it.
There are other ways to fix it also-

Happens due to corrosion and constant unscrewing and screwing in.

im using shure whitelabels on my finalscratch. i was using the numark ones that came w/my shi**y turntables & they kept skipping & distorting the sound. when i got the whitelabels everything was perfect

quote:

Originally posted by Acid John ive heard that there is one possible problem with concordes... i dont own concorde carts, but not too long ago, i heard that there was a small problem with the way it screws onto the tone-arm... because of this, channels can drop out sometime, and there are only two ways to fix it... either wet the connections on the back of the cart (which will corrode the ends). or really crank it onto the tonearm, which will eventully strip the tone arm. i dont know if ortofon has fixed things since then (i assume so) or if it was even that commom of a problem. but i guess it isnt that big of a problem, because so many people swear by them...

Yeah ur right.... Ortofons do tend to build up crap on the contacts of the tts, so you just have to use an eraser to get it off. My buddie had that same problem yesterday, so i had him use the eraser and it worked .. Either way, they are excellent carts.

The main thing that concerns me about the whitelabels is that youve seen many ppl say that they got a defective cart right out of the box. I dont like dealiing with quality control issues on expensive items, because you don't know how their long term durability stands.

Ortofons have been around for years and they have proven to perhaps offer the best high end dj mixing carts (referring to Nightclub seriese).

quote:

Originally posted by Teraform ok i've read what everybody said....and yes telling my to buy a certain kind is quite confusing because their is so many out their to choose from... now what i also got was that all carts have needles with them...so i am guess buy perchasing needles i am just perchasing needles for carts that need new needles on them.....right? so for now im going to go with something not to pricy....untill i can afford to buy the things that are better in some ways...but thats beside the point.... anyway thanxs for all your help....

well a lot of people use the terms "cart" or "cartridge" and "needles" interchangeably. this shouldn't be the case. the cart is the main body that screws into the headshell or in the case of the all in one, concord style it screws right into the tone arm. the needle is the stylus. it's the part that has the actual needle and it slides into the cart. when you buy new a cart it comes with at least one stylus so you don't have to worry about buying them separate. when the actual needle is worn out then you just simply buy a new stylus, pop the old one off and the new one on. there are two type of stylus. there is the spherical and there is the elliptical. the tip of a spherical is actually a rounded like a sphere. it's best for scratching but can be used just fine for mixing and most dj setups use spherical. the elliptical stylus is more oblong in shape like an oval. it has more surface contact with the groove of the vinyl and tends to provide a brighter more accurate sound. it's used primarily for mixing but there are maybe two "scratch" carts that use an elliptical stylus but they aren't really taken seriously. if you're just going to mix then you can go with either spherical or elliptical but if you're going to scratch at all you should probably stick with a spherical stylus. cheers.

just a word of advise. since you stated that you're a beginner and that you're going to go with something that's not so pricey, i would suggest you go with a stanton 500 series cart. they're inexpensive, they'll do the job just fine and they're tough. they'll last a long time. there are better cats out there for sure but the 500 is probably the best bang for the buck, especially for a beginner.

i've heard the nightclubs sound crap in comparsion to the grado... but you'll have to shell out for the dj200 if you want better tracking... the dj100 will sound better than the nightclubs.. but the tracking isn't great from what i read.

I started out with teh cheapest Stanton 500's, and learned teh basic with them. they worked fine for my purposes. I just bought a pair of Whitelabels, and they live up to the hype, and then some. the sound quality is so noticeable, that when I switch back to my shitty carts I cringe at the sound. Those are teh only two types of carts I have ever used. but when I went to Guitar Center to get them, I was originally gonna get teh Nightclubs, but teh guys workign there literally forced me to get teh Whitebales cause they are so damn good. Couldn't be happier.

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