|
Re: Question about stylus, care and feeding of vinyl, calibration of deck, etc.
| quote: | Originally posted by emc^2
[quote]
height
|
So the tonearm is near flat when the needle is on the record. Some prefer it a little higher, but I adjust mine so they are just about flat. No, I don't use a laser level or anything, hence "just about flat".
Adjust the weight so it free-balances. Move the ring so it's on zero, as you are now at zero grams (balanced) tracking force. Move the weight so it's at 3 grams, putting 3g on the needle, as recommended for your arkiv.
| quote: |
anti-skid adjustment
|
zero.
some people prefer to actually adjust the antiskid. the proceedure here is simple; use a one-sided record, put the needle on the side with no groves, spin it, adjust anti-skid so the needle hovers in the center of the record.
Place record on platter, place needle on record. enjoy the music 
| quote: |
Now, next is what is the optimal turntable settings and tuning procedure for optimal performance in a mix environment
|
another gram of tracking force so it doesn't skip as easy with aggressive cueing or etards bumping/dancing close by
| quote: |
3. Taking care of vinyl - what to buy, what not to buy?
|
http://www.gruvglide.com/ -- unless you plan on routinely dipping your records in used motor oil, that should be all you need. Those black pads are like magic, especially with a little of the spray on them. even dry they are excellent for removing dust and are very gentle.
A small brush for cleaning the needle tip is handy. Your ortofons should have came with one.
| quote: |
Some records don't come with a plastic/paper inlay sleeve - just the external sleeve.
|
Some feel that the paper is abrasive and will put micro-scratches on the vinyl. They are probably right, but it's a bit anal for me. Personally I get annoyed by the plastic crap.
| quote: |
most of "electronica" records won't be considered collectible enough to freak out over some white label cover condition?
|
bingo.
| quote: |
So, the question is - for those smaller warped records - is it normal or should I be more discriminating in my vinyl choices and not purchase anything that's not perfectly flat? What's the "acceptable norm" for record warping before it should not be purchased?
|
If you already own it, and you can cue it without jumping the needle, good enough.
As far as buying vinyl, if i'm hand selecting it and it looks warped, I don't see any reason to buy it. Most records are basically flat, and should be that way. I don't see any reason in paying for a poor pressing.
| quote: |
Are the styli/cartridges I have right now - e.g. Concorde Archiv and Stanton 680HP considered good? I know that for audiophile level quality, I'll need to spring for some serious cash. I'm not that rich and crazy about my vinyl... yet  - however, I'd like to get the sound to come out as good as it can possibly be, without breaking the bank.
|
Your ortofon archiv's are fine. The archiv is actually one of ortofon's better sounding tips, however not one I would purchase for mixing. They were designed for recording vinyl, and are an eliptical tip so they wear in the vinyl faster than a spherical cartridge. They are certainly not what you want for scratching.
Ortonfon offers a wide range of tips that will fit on their standard cartridge. Eliptical tips, like the arkiv and nightclub-e are best for recording. Spherical tips like the DJ-S and scratch are better suited for mixing and scratching use.
My personal favorite is the scratch (red) tip, it is beefier and more durable than the pro, nightclub or DJ-S tips, but doesn't have the reduced high-end response of the q-bert tip. All around it's a solid tip with a clean, balanced response pattern.
Honestly, vinyl isn't as picky as most people make it out to be. the differences in sound between cartidges and adjustments is minimal, and pretty much not even notable to the untrained ear, unless you've got something really out of whack or have a badly worn out tip.
Now quit fussing over the little things and go mix some records 
|
