So I've been mixing records seriously for about 6-7 months now and finally I'm at a point where I feel really comfortable with it and I can nail really solid mixes like 80 percent of the time (and I think a lot of the 20% comes from making poor choices with regards to which records to play).

With that said, there are still some things I'm just not sure about, and would like to have clarified if possible by someone with more experience.

1. Determining the proper tone arm weight.

Is this something that's really down to the individual record I'm playing? I generally don't put a lot of weight on my records, but I notice sometimes when I play one I'll hear really loud pops. Is this a result of putting too much weight on?

2. Why do some records slip so much more easily than others?

Is this purely due to the record's thickness? Because unless I haven't been paying close enough attention, I haven't necessarily noticed a correlation. I may be wrong. But generally I get irritated when a record slips very easily (i.e. virtually no resistance). Is there something that can be done?

3. Black vinyl vs. clear/colored vinyl

I don't really understand the big debate here. I've generally had good experiences with my clear and colored vinyl, save for one UQ record that just skips like crazy so I have to put more weight on it). I find colored records don't tend to generate as much static so they attract less dirt. I've never really noticed anything about them not sounding as good though. But I have heard they don't last as long.

4. Playing 2 tracks that are the same BPM at zero pitch

I find that when I'm playing, say two records that are 120 bpm (which happens quite frequently) at zero pitch, I have a pretty hard time keeping the mix tight. Is this more a problem with my pitch or is this something that is actually common? Because I find that pitch movements are not as precise right near the middle. In other words I'm finding it easier to mix two tracks that are a different bpm than two tracks that are the same bpm if the pitch fader is at zero.


Those are my questions for now and would greatly appreciate if anyone could shed some light on these things.

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quote:

Originally posted by SYSTEM-J Levels is...decent...damn better than a lot of the shite dominating the charts at the moment. It sounds absolutely nothing like...a billion and one similar tracks in this big-room style. I always had a soft spot.

I'll try and answer these as best I can seeing as I have played with and collected vinyl for well over a decade.

1. It largly depends on the cart and stylus you use and doesn't really have much to do with particular records at all. The more worn out a stylus becomes, the more you will notice a tendecy for skipping to occur, so you may need to look at using the anti-skate dial.
The pops I think you're referring to probably have more to do with dust being burned into the vinyl, which may have initially been caused by too much weight, but it is largly unavoidable over time with repeated plays.

2. Well I think there's a couple of factors at play here, 1st and foremost the actual weight of the peice of vinyl. Also you might find some records to be slightly dished, where one side will seemingly slip too much and the other side not enough. This is one upside to buying records from a store as opposed to online. You can see the condition of the vinyl before you buy it.

3. Agree that there's not a really noticable difference apart from aesthetics here. Coloured releases may be somewhat more collectable to some people. But usually I'd say it comes down to press quality. It's a bit hard for me to say, perhaps someone with pressing experience can shed some more light on this.

4. Wow and flutter, unavoidable aspects of playing with vinyl, you'll never get 100% stability even with the most expensive and revered turntables. This will cause slight drifting even with the pitch locked.

Hope this helps.

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What Teez said. I'll even add to it.

1.- When you buy the cartridge, it usually comes with a little piece of paper that tells you the recommended settings for it. However, many DJ's, including my self, adjusts them to out liking. That's because some DJ's are more heavy handed than others. I have big heavy hands, so I need some tough settings or else the needle will be skipping like crazy.

I use the Shure M44-7's and these are the settings that work for me. Again, they work for me and might not be best for you.

I set my tonearm height so that the tonearm is parallel to the platter. Being at an angle is a bad thing, it has to be straight. I take out the weight, than put it back in slowly. When I put it back in, I push it until it clicks. When it clicks, I set the weight to zero (0) and spin it clockwise until it gets to 2.5 grams. I set up the anti-skating to around 2.5-3. It depends on the turntable.

2.- Some records also have a bigger hole than others. That's why many times you'll see DJ's put a piece of paper in the center hole. The bigger the hole, the looser the record. Another factor is the weight and thickness of the record. You can also try buying thicker slipmats.

3.- Color has nothing to do with the record. It's all looks.

4.- Your turntables might need to be calibrated. If you bought them new, they should be exact. If you bought them used, they probably got messed with. When you take out the platter, there's a little hole that lets you adjust the pitch. It can actually make them +/-10%. I would leave it alone until you research it enough to feel comfortable on fixing the pitch. Also, some records are warped and that affects it too. They might look straight to you, but they could still be warped which can cause you to "ride the pitch." This is perfectly normal and it's a skill that needs to be learned.

If you have any other questions let us know.

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Last edited by DjWoody on Jan-04-2013 at 16:35

Thanks guys! That's great info for me.

Woody - Never thought about the size of the hole but that makes so much sense! I'll look out for that in the future.

One more question - can I seriously damage a record by putting too much weight on the arm?

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quote:

Originally posted by SYSTEM-J Levels is...decent...damn better than a lot of the shite dominating the charts at the moment. It sounds absolutely nothing like...a billion and one similar tracks in this big-room style. I always had a soft spot.

quote:

Originally posted by Adam420 Thanks guys! That's great info for me. Woody - Never thought about the size of the hole but that makes so much sense! I'll look out for that in the future. One more question - can I seriously damage a record by putting too much weight on the arm?

You can definitely wear it out quicker and damage the needles. When you put too much weight, the needles tend to bend sideways.

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i will get back to you when more sober, but this is a good thread

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Here's a video I found that shows you how to level the tonearm. This is what I was talking about earlier.

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This is how to adjust the weight on the turntable.

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AntiSkating.

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BTW, that guys has a lot of good videos about 1200's. He even shows you how to fix them.

https://www.youtube.com/user/viperfrank/videos?view=0

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The 1200mk2 service guide is also worth having on hand, it never came with the decks but is full of good detailed info on them and how they're built.
It's a good reference if you ever need to do repair work or alterations like the pitch as Woody mentioned or even to replace the strobe and tracklights with new globes etc.
The info is easily transfered to 1210's too as they are virtually identicle apart from the colour.

here

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Great videos! I have a problem now though....

I'm trying to adjust the tone arm height and on one turn table I can unlock it but the height mechanism is still locked and just won't budge and on the other one I can't even unlock it.

Has this ever happened to anyone?

It's frustrating because I had them worked on quite recently.

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quote:

Originally posted by SYSTEM-J Levels is...decent...damn better than a lot of the shite dominating the charts at the moment. It sounds absolutely nothing like...a billion and one similar tracks in this big-room style. I always had a soft spot.