i have a pair of Technics 1210's w/ Stanton Trackmaster II cartridges. Anti-skating set to 0 (changing this made no difference), changing counterweight made no difference. i first set up my table just right so the needle would float, optimal for scratching

My needles jump one or two grooves whenever I pull back on a vinyl to queue it up, not every time but still way too often. it also happens when i push a vinyl forward (not applying much pressure at all) but not nearly as often. it happens on all vinyls and even when i pull back a vinyl really slowly it will still jump, i can see the tonearm move up and down very slowly while i pull a vinyl back and it will very slowly jump back a groove or 2. keep in mind i'm not putting any force on the vinyl, never had this problem with my old turntable and old cartridges. the thicker and older vinyls noticeably and predictably have more problems with this but even my new ones have the problem too

any ideas?

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Last edited by Dj Dizzy on Apr-18-2008 at 23:19

you dont have enough weight on it. try raising the platform to about the number 3 or whatever is halfway up. trying to remember. now put the weight on the needle all the way to the beginning and set that number to zero. now begin to turn the weight so that it gradually moves outward. it will probably land on 2.5 if you have it set correctly. you dont want to much weight damage the needle or wear it away very quickly and yes there is a diffrence. you might be applying to much pressure to it.

Since the needle is skipping outwards from the centre, it is possible that it is because the tone-arm is too stiff.

Try adjusting the screw at the top of the tone-arm.
Be very careful and try google the procedure because if you take it off and everything springs out, the ball bearings may roll away and then your in some trouble.

quote:

Originally posted by T-Soma Since the needle is skipping outwards from the centre, it is possible that it is because the tone-arm is too stiff. Try adjusting the screw at the top of the tone-arm. Be very careful and try google the procedure because if you take it off and everything springs out, the ball bearings may roll away and then your in some trouble.

this is what i did when i had the same problem, worked for me

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quote:

Originally posted by T-Soma Since the needle is skipping outwards from the centre, it is possible that it is because the tone-arm is too stiff. Try adjusting the screw at the top of the tone-arm. Be very careful and try google the procedure because if you take it off and everything springs out, the ball bearings may roll away and then your in some trouble.

dude the tonearm is always going to driftoutward. thats what it is designed to do. kind of like you take your hand off the steering wheel the car immediatly goes right.

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Originally posted by Vern Yip dude the tonearm is always going to driftoutward. thats what it is designed to do. kind of like you take your hand off the steering wheel the car immediatly goes right.

Your very wrong with both things there...
First of all, the car should go straight, get your wheel alignment checked. (I guess you have roads made for the rain to run-off so meh...)
And an S-shaped tone arm's natural tendency is to go inwards, anti-skate is what you raise when it is "skating" inwards too much.

quote:

Originally posted by Vern Yip you dont have enough weight on it. try raising the platform to about the number 3 or whatever is halfway up. trying to remember. now put the weight on the needle all the way to the beginning and set that number to zero. now begin to turn the weight so that it gradually moves outward. it will probably land on 2.5 if you have it set correctly. you dont want to much weight damage the needle or wear it away very quickly and yes there is a diffrence. you might be applying to much pressure to it.

Thanks for the reply but no luck, this is what i tried initially with no luck but i went ahead and did it again except at 2.5, i usually keep it at 2 grams.

I'm going to try T-Soma's suggestion when I get back home.

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there might be something wrong with your tonearm. remember set the height of the needle to about halfway. then put the weight on there and bring it all the way in and set it to zero then turn until you get to whatever you desired setting. you could leave it at zero but would put alot of wear and tear on your needles. or you might just be to forcefull altogether.


I dont care how good your alignment is, most cars are designed to turn right if you take your hands off the wheele this way if you fall asleep while driving you dont drive into oncoming traffic.

Hey I'm curious, I used to use the 1200s a few yeas ago, and had this problem occasionally, all the tricks outlined here wrked to correct it. However, now I use Stanton STR8 100 TT's with a strait tone arm and NEVER haev any kind of trouble... I love these TTs, what the real difference between S and Strait tone arms as far as skating or drifting goes?

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A couple of things....for 1200/1210's - read all the way though this post first please.....

1, The tonearm height should be adjusted (using the lockring at the base of the tonearm assembly) so that when the needle is on a record, the tone tonearm is completly parallell (flat) with the body of the turntable. Turn the turntable so you the tonearm is closest to you and adjust the lockring so it is completely flat - this will vary between stylus manufacturers.

2, To sort out bearing play in the tonearm....READ THIS THROUGH VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE ATTEMPTING AND IF YOU"RE NOT SURE TAKE IT TO A PROFESIONAL.

Be incredibly careful if adjusting the tonearm gimball pivot bearings - they are simply a sharp point against a domed surface, held in place by pressure from the outer securing ring - too much pressure when tightening will blunt the point, which means you will not be able to get the fine balance of pressure vs. movement back again and they will probably be loose.

If you do end up removing the barings, take that opportunity to clean them and lube them (I have always preferred a teflon based lightweight grease - check a brand called finish line from mountain bike shops).

Hold one part of the tonearm gimball assembly (one allows the tonearm to move up/down and the side to side) - very gently wiggle part of the assembly to see if it has some play. Do this for both bearing sets (up/down - side). If it is loose, very gently and very slowly screw the centre screw in (clockwise) 1/8th of a turn per time at most!, also making sure the outer securing ring will hold the centre pin securely - and keep checking until until the play disapears but the bearings allow smooth, free travel in the intended direction. You can't just tighten one side usually, so adjust one side 1/8th of a turn, then the other (etc.) until the play is gone.

The two tricky bits are getting the correct balance of smooth travel and zero play, and making sure the pin part and outer securing ring of the bearings are secured well without too much pressure. if you can't get smooth travel once you have eliminated the play (i.e. you have to loosen it to the point you get play so i will travel in the intended direction without resistance) then you will need new bearings. By the way, as always, If you trash your deck doing this don't blame me!

3, To correctly adjust the weight, once these two things have been done (if needed), set the tonearm weight backwards so the needle just touches the record and balances ever so slightly on it. Then set the weight marker ring to zero. Turn it to add the desired weight (2.5g to 3.5g usually depending on application/styus) and the add anti skate as neccesary - there are conflicting opinions on this: some say the same amount as the weight, others use none. Just try and see what works for you.

4, Finally, I had a skipping and bass rumble problem that drove me mad until I figured out the problem: MAKE SURE YOUR TURNTABLE IS ON AN EXACTLY FLAT SURFACE OR ADJUST THE FEET TO COMPENSATE BEFORE DOING ANY OF THESE FIXES. Get a circular "bubble" or flat spirit level from a hardware store to check your turntable stand surface. Even a couple of degrees can badly affect stylus tracking

Hope this helps.......

quote:

Originally posted by DJ RANN A couple of things....for 1200/1210's - read all the way though this post first please..... 4, Finally, I had a skipping and bass rumble problem that drove me mad until I figured out the problem: MAKE SURE YOUR TURNTABLE IS ON AN EXACTLY FLAT SURFACE OR ADJUST THE FEET TO COMPENSATE BEFORE DOING ANY OF THESE FIXES. Get a circular "bubble" or flat spirit level from a hardware store to check your turntable stand surface. Even a couple of degrees can badly affect stylus tracking Hope this helps.......

You solved it!
I had done everything to make sure the tonearm was completely flat/parallel and had everything down to a science. 2.5 grams on the counter weight, zero anti-skating, tonearm height set to zero but still had the problem (it only got worse when experimented with different adjustments on the tonearm height and anti-skating).

So I followed your advise about using a level and horizontally everything was perfect but vertically (front to back) both tables were way off! I raised the front to even it up and the problem was much better. Like I said earlier the problem happened on all my vinyls but some more than others, I used The Roc Project - Never (so i'm a little outdated) because I could easily replicate the problem with this vinyl easier than in the others but it's in perfect condition so i knew it wasn't the vinyl. i actually had to TRY to get the problem to come back for it to jump again (happened about 75% of the time before now it took me 4-5 tries before it jumped). then i looked at the tonearm height again, since i had raised the front of the turntables of course it made what was a perfect parallel tonearm before the adjustment now look a big angled so then I adjusted the tonearm height a little bit and everything looked perfectly level. Now it's not doing it anymore at all, this is so great, you have no idea how many times this problem has f'ed me and made me rush into a mix all because it jumped so much!

I would've never thought to use a level! You guys are a lifesaver, and geniuses I might add

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quote:

Originally posted by SteelWolf Hey I'm curious, I used to use the 1200s a few yeas ago, and had this problem occasionally, all the tricks outlined here wrked to correct it. However, now I use Stanton STR8 100 TT's with a strait tone arm and NEVER haev any kind of trouble... I love these TTs, what the real difference between S and Strait tone arms as far as skating or drifting goes?

STANTON STR8 100s are the perfect turntables on the face of the planet. although the pitch bend button can get stuck and they are not as durable as technics I would prefer them over any turntable. PITCH BEND SELLS ITSELF> you know those turntables were like 700 dollars a piece when they first came out.

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