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-- What the Heck is wrong with my needles?

What the Heck is wrong with my needles?

I have some Stanton Trackmaster II SKs. They were $300 CAD, with 2 extra stylii, and a carrying case.

They seem pretty goood, but already, the highs are starting to sound hissy, especially the S sounds in vocals, it's really annoying me.

Here is a sample of what it sounds like, you can hear it pretty good in this track. I uploaded the whole track, you can sort of hear it in the high hats, but when the vocals start at about 2:00 minutes in, you can really hear it on the S sounds in the vocals, it sounds horrible!

Go here to download a sample:

System F cry.mp3

I'm thinking that i need to change the stylus already, but, i've only had my decks for 2 months, and don't really use them that much, like a couple hours a week, and one or two parties with 6 hour session on them.

I keep them pretty clean, i brush the records off everytime, put the dustcovers on my decks when not using them, and i even bought a staton stylus cleaner kit, and have cleaed the needles several times.

I tried changing the stylus, but the hiss is still there, a little less. Maybe this is because the stylus is not elliptical?

ON a related question, i have heard of people changing the stylus on ortofon carts, do you think i could do that with stanton? put a better tip on my Trackmasters?

the link is not working

It's working now.

(stupid ISPs)

have u tried cleaning the contacts on ur tonearm & trackmasters?

maybe try some gruv glide for ur rekz...couldnt hurt

maybe check the "high" settings on ur mixer

i do hear it though

damn that sounds like shit dude

have you tried turning the gains down on your mixer if they're really high, and turning up the main volume instead?
sometimes the sound will be distorted because people crank the gains thinking its the same thing as volume...which it isn't

i suggest what liquid said, clean the connection between the tonearm & needles

also check the wires coming from your tables to the mixer

your needles should last you a hell of a long time
i have trackmasters myself...
ive had them since feb. and they are still working perfectly...spinning about 7 hours a week
if your'e just spinning at home...put your counterweight very very light so the needles have nearly no pressure on your vinyl...it saves your needles and vinyls...
and honestly whocares if the needle skips once or twice while practising at home?

ps - the dotnl remix of cry is so much better

Thanks guys. Unfortunately, i've tried everything you mentioned. EQ is set at 12 oclock on all knobs, channel fader volume is at max, the gain is set so that the leds are bouncing just at the Odb mark.

I use 1.5G of tracking on my needles, with the antiskip also at 1.5. that's about as low as i can get it without the needle skipping.

occasionally, when recording a mix, or spinning at a party, i crank the weight up to 2 - 2.5 and turn the antiskate off, just to ensure the needles don't skip.

all the wires and connections are perfect and working great, nicely snug.

the only thing i HAVEN'T tried is checking the connection between the tonearm and the needle, but, i don't think that's it. wouldn't that give me all around bad sound, not just on the S sounds? I know that the S sound is a high frequency, and i'm thinking my needles just don't pick up that frequency well.. but then why do other peoples?

And, i've tried switching stylus to the brand new one in the box, and it's a little better but still pretty bad.

can i get better stylus, without buying the whole cart again?

BTW, i know the dotNL mix is better, i can't find it on vinyl, do you know where to get it?

i got mine from a local record shop...
however unless i have the memory span of a rock...i believe its on Essential Records
and has an orange cover

did you record that sample straight from the mixer - computer? or from your amp - computer?
it could be a problem with your amp if its the latter

when you listen to the track in your headphones from your mixer do you still get that distorted sound?

quote:

Originally posted by Kid Lax i got mine from a local record shop... however unless i have the memory span of a rock...i believe its on Essential Records and has an orange cover

hmm.. thanks, i'll look around.

quote:

Originally posted by Kid Lax did you record that sample straight from the mixer - computer?

mixer into MD player (no compression applied), then into computer as a wave file, using soundforge, then converted to mp3 using lamemp3.

maybe the distortion comes in there somewhere?

but, i've had no problems with anything, and i've recorded tons of stuff like this.

[/QUOTE]

quote:

Originally posted by Kid Lax when you listen to the track in your headphones from your mixer do you still get that distorted sound?

yes, and just the same on the MD after recording.

Re: What the Heck is wrong with my needles?

quote:

Originally posted by JohnSmith They seem pretty goood, but already, the highs are starting to sound hissy, especially the S sounds in vocals, it's really annoying me.

I swear there was a thread about the S hissing sound a while ago. It's due to the fact of how the record was recorded. If it was recorded in that particular way the S sounds make it sound fucked. So I am assuming it's not your needles.

Yes, i know. but, it's not just this vinyl. It's all my ones with this sound, and i can hear the hissing in all sorts of high frequency sounds if i listen for it.

Can anyone help me? I don't think i need to shell out $500 for ortofons, when i have already paid $300 for Stantons, but this hissing is driving me crazy!

is it just on one turntable or both?
of not, then try switching the tables or something

you said it was on all the records?
then try cleaning the contacts between the tonearm and the cart with some rubbing alcohol

quote:

mixer into MD player (no compression applied), then into computer as a wave file, using soundforge, then converted to mp3 using lamemp3. maybe the distortion comes in there somewhere? but, i've had no problems with anything, and i've recorded tons of stuff like this.

does the sound come up when playing normally, through the speakers or headphones?
if not, then it could be a recording problem


ummm... give a litle more detail, like how you have your system set up and that sort of thing, and i can help you troubleshoot this

it's just a matter of going through every single possible thing and finding out where exactly the problem is

the sound comes out of both headphones and speakers.

my setup is a standard DJ setup, two technics 1200 SL M3Ds, and a vestax PCV 275. the decks are plugged into the phono inputs of channel 1 and 3.

the output goes straight to my amp, through a good quality and well secured cord.

I have tried to isolate the problem, both decks exhibit it, and all 3 channels of the mixer. i assume that it must be the needles because of this. i have tried switching stylii, it's pretty much the same, maybe a LITTLE better with the brand new stylii.

I haven't cleaned the contacts yet, i suppose that could be the problem. i will go buy some rubbing alcohol. although, i have only had the decks about 2 months! somehow, i don't think it is that though.

it happens on all records, more notably on high frequencies.

oh yeah, and the needle seems to "shake" a little left and right when it's happening, like it isn't in the groove all the way.

i though, i must not be using enough weight, and cranked it up to 4 grams, still no change, and that will eventually wear out my records pretty badly.

borrow someone's mixer... or take your needles to someone else's house and try it that way, if it still does, then i think it is the needles or the carts

Yeah i will try that. I took off the needles yesterday (and by needle i mean the whole thing) and checked the connection to the tonearm, everything looked clean. and this stuff is brand new, bought this summer, from the store, not used of course.

anyway, how do i clean the contacts, i bought some rubbing alcohol, do i just put some on a cue tip and rub it on there? do i also clean the inside of the tonearm connections?

well, the simple answer is too add more weight unfortunately. i had the same prob and was directed to add more weight, a particularly bad tune being the a+b remix of underwater, and i went from 1.75g to 2.5g there was no hissing, but as carts get older the frequency range becomes poorer, i have ortofons and they really shud be replaced asap lol

i put it up to 4grams!

dude, i have the same carts. . . .and they suck. I have the hissing problem and it just sounds so distorted with everything else. im pissed.

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