tech heads - help wanted : cartridge issues
djsoulfever
39 Posts
I have two M447 cartridges with Technics headshells, one of which is all of a sudden not as loud as the other, it's not the needle or mixer channel either. It's for sure either the cartridge, or the headshell or both. I tryed fudging with the wires, etc, to no avail. Any idea as to the source of this problem, what I can do, or should I just get a new headshell?
Comments
If that doesn't isolate the problems, try changing the stylus from the "faulty" headshell to the other, to see if the needle itself is worn. unless they were dropped or crunched or sumpthin, cartridges are usually pretty tough.
How long have you been using these needles/how often/scratchscratchscratch?
How old are the cartridges?
Old enough, as in 7 years. The "good" one sometimes gets the green wire loose, which lowers the output on one half of the stereo channel, which is easily fixable, just reattach the wire. But this other cartridge doesn't have a wire problem seemingly, just isn't as loud. If nothing else tho, thanks for replying.
I have somewhat the same problem using M44-7's and I'm convinced that it's my shitty Vestax mixer...they use pretty cheap electrical components. I've been procrastinating, but someday I'll get a Rane 56.
The way I tested was by swapping headshells, then swapping turntable inputs. For me, everything on input 2 is just a little bit softer. Hasn't been enough to make me go get a new mixer though...
Ok, this is very longwinded, so hopefully my real tech heads can follow.
No my prob is not mixer related, I have an ecler nuo 2, it's solid. However, incidentally, my OTHER cartridge is now fucked, the one with the loose wire(green wire). The problem with that one kept reoccuring last night, kept reattaching the green wire and now i only get loud output through one half of the stereo channel with that one. Reattaching does nothing. But that was the louder cartridge...
I did manage to figure out the softer cartridge's problem. The slit where you lodge the needle in is somehow looser , to the point where the stylus wobbles a little bit when playing. This means it is not as securely connected to the cartridge/headshell, hence, the lower output. So I have two seperate headshells, two seperate problems, I've solved the source of both of them, now I need to figure out how to fix them. Probably impossible. Probably need two new headshells and/or cartridges, but I'm very low on funds right now. And I need to make some mixtapes, digitize songs, asap. If there's any super duper technical people out there, who can at least follow what I'm talking about, maybe someone knows how to fix these shits. I would be very much obliged to this uber-guru expertise if it exists.
I've never seen a technics headshell itself malfunction, but the way to check would be to run a continuity check on the contact points on both sides. there should be very little (if any) impedance.
get a detoxit pen @ radioshack and make sure on the inside of the tonearm and back of the headshell, everything is nice and clean. run a continuity check on your headshell wires.
other than that:
Thanks man, I will do these things. I will post results, once I get everything sorted out.
how long does a cartridge generally last? I try to get new needles at least every 6-8 months, but i am using my m447's since at least 7 years (i recently replaced one, but the other is still working)...is there like a general time frame that is widely agreed upon?
In terms of how long will M44's last... WOW, gotta say that I've had the same cartridges for about 6 years now and have replaced the tips (stylii) once or twice for each cartidge. The M44's are known for taking a beating and I replace the tip when I can see the stylus really riding close to the records with almost no weight on the tonearm. I had a pair of tips that were so worn out that you could hear a background noise on every record I was playing because the tip was actually being dragged on the record! haha
this problem is a bitch! you need a very small jewlers screwdriver set.
there are 2 screws located under the tonearm where you insert the cartridge...they are loose making all carts loose that you attatch.
i have this problem on one of my 1200s, this is a bitch if you use Microwave cause it simply kills it for you everytime the cart is wiggled the wrong way.
you need a screw driver with a VERY short handle to fix this...
take this one to a shop for this repair. you wont have the right tools sitting around.
No, it's not the cartridge that's wobbling in and out of the the tonearm. It's the stylus enclosure that's wobbling in and out of the cartridge, in a slight up and down motion, if you can picture it. It doesn't affect play, cueing, scratching, just the decibel output. Probably equally as hard if not impossible to fix as your problem, bloodcell. The other cartridge has the wire problem, this one could be fixable. Either way, what a pain in the ass.