Anyone got their turntable pitch recalibrated?

sloppywhite · February 2007

What's a normal charge for something like this (first time i've ever needed it)? I was quoted $60.Any "do-it-yourselfer's" out there? Is it hard?

prof_rockwell · February 2007

not hard at all. I've re-zeroed my turntables and matched their pitch shifts as well as replaced the popup lights. I have the link at home, so I'll post it tonight if someone else hasn't provided a link.

sloppywhite · February 2007

not hard at all. I've re-zeroed my turntables and matched their pitch shifts as well as replaced the popup lights. I have the link at home, so I'll post it tonight if someone else hasn't provided a link.

thanks dude!
any help would be mucho obliged...

white_tea · February 2007

What's a normal charge for something like this (first time i've ever needed it)? I was quoted $60.

Any "do-it-yourselfer's" out there? Is it hard?

I see that you're in Chicago -- just curious, who quoted $60?

we_eat_trains · February 2007

Scott, there is a place in Berwyn called BB&W, they can get you the pitch control, and just about any other part you may need for a Technics. I think it was 16.00 bucks , but that was a few years ago. Tony

sloppywhite · February 2007

I see that you're in Chicago -- just curious, who quoted $60?

i called saturday audio exchange first, but they were backed up and recommended midwest audio on diversey and clark (the $60 quote).

Scott, there is a place in Berwyn called BB&W, they can get you the pitch control, and just about any other part you may need for a Technics. I think it was 16.00 bucks , but that was a few years ago. Tony

hi tony... thanks for the tip, man. is their turnaround time good?

TheeeCasualMale · February 2007

Holler at your boy DJ Assault. He starts every DJ set off by adjusting the pitch shift to + / - 16.

matamatic · February 2007

is it that wack ass(from what I've heard) mid-west stereo? You can open up your turntable platter and do it your self. Just take the platter off and you'll see a plastic case over the motor, remove the screws and you'll see the motor and on one side you'll see a light blue screw looking thing...you just adjust that to recalibrate your turntable. For me it always takes awhile because I want to make sure that both turntables are running at exactly the same speed so I have to adjust the tables, put it back together and check to see if the pitches match. If not i have to take it apart again and start over until I get it right.

sloppywhite · February 2007

Holler at your boy DJ Assault. He starts every DJ set off by adjusting the pitch shift to + / - 16.

MIKE!!!
dude, when do we get laced with that Rub set you did?

+ / - 16

matamatic, i'd totally give it a shot if i had some link action to a step by step guide (if one exists).

matamatic · February 2007

well I need to do it anyways so if I do it tonight I'll take pics and post

prof_rockwell · February 2007

here's the linkage: http://www.massive.com/in_tune/technics_pitch.html

and here's the text:

To All,

OK, this is how I calibrate my tables and the ones that I service, It takes no fancy tools just a little common sense and a little know-how.

First we will start with my list of precautions:

Whenever the platter is to be off of the table, be sure to unplug it from the wall. If it were plugged in and accidentally turned on the motor will torque with no feedback and it could possibly smell really bad (smoke) believe it or not smoke is not cool, hu hu!
If any of this seems unclear to you please write me back, I would hate to see one of you torch your babies. I will be at the address listed above until May 5, 1995. After that who knows, but the kind people at BPM or alt.music.makers.dj can help you for sure.
In no way do I claim responsibility for the work that you do to your tables. In other words, if you screw up you cannot blame it on me, just a legal ramification that must be said in order to maintain my identity.
Now for the fun stuff......
These series of adjustments will make your tables match each other as perfect as possible. If you feel that your tables are fine then do not tamper with them. Also, if your pitch lock is modified then I would be leery of doing this. Off of the record I would not recommend defeating the Quartz Lock of any of the 1200 series, you paid too good of money for this luxury so enjoy it.
As stated above this will make your tt's match each other but will probably also make the scale on the side return to the accuracy it was at the factory. This just happens to be 6% right at 6 and 3.3% at just a little over 3. Also, by no means should this scale be considered accurate, it is just a rough estimate, the true pitch is what the strobe dots read on the side of the platter.

Making sure you only have one Zero......
This is a very important step in determining what needs to be done to your tables, it is also very easy. Some tables (especially older ones) have, what is called, two zero points. The 1200 has provisions for utilizing two zero points one of which is the Quartz Lock which is guaranteed to be exactly 33.333333 RPM. The other point is set by a potentiometer on the same circuit board as the master slider. The adjustable point is factory set so that it corresponds with the Quartz Lock. If this adjustment were to be bumped forward for some un-foreseen reason your table would slow down from 33.33333 RPM then re-zero then speed up from 33.33333 RPM as the pitch slider is pulled forward. The exact opposite would happen if it is bumped the other way. The only tables that I have seen this problem in are ones that happen to contain a LOT of what is commonly defined as Bar Gunk.

Checking for two zero points........
If you haven't gathered you only want one zero point, unless you know of some trick that I don't. This can be checked by placing your slider so that the green LED lights up, your 0% dots should be holding still, if not then you are out of the league of this post and should be consulted separately. Now move your slider forward so that the green LED just shuts off. If the table slowed down, even just a little, then you have two zero points. If not then continue. Now push your slider back a little so that the green LED goes off once again. If your platter speeded up then you have...yes...two zero points. If all checked out well then be happy, very happy, and continue to Matching Your Tables. If not then continue to the next section.

Zeroing your tables........
This will go in a series of steps:

Be sure you are completely sober. (this is not a joke)
Unplug the tt from the wall and the mixer/amp/whatever.
Lock the tone-arm in place and secure any fly-arounds.
Place the dust cover on the table and put a pillow on the kitchen table.
Place the table upside down on the pillow.
See all of those screws on the bottom? Take 'em all out except the ones around the little round piece of metal holding in the signal cables.
I bet you've found all of the little washers. Don't LOOSE them. There also little chrome spacers in the corners and where the long screws go in. SAVE these too.
Carefully pull off the rubber housing taking care not to damage the power cord while getting excited.
Do you see the circuit board with the pitch slider on it, there should be a hole in it with a screwdriver slot in it, this is your zero adjust, if you do not see a hole, some don't have 'em, then you'll have to remove circuit board, follow directions below.
Reach around and pull the knob off of the pitch slider on the top.
Unscrew the screws holding down the board and pull straight up. Now you should have a circuit board in your hands, with; a large slider, a LED, a resistor, and a potentiometer-this is your zero adjust.
Clean out the potentiometer by blowing on it or spraying TV Tuner and Contact cleaner on it, many times dust causes these problems and can be remedied by a cleaning.
Place the rubber housing on the table and temporarily flip it over, plug it in and check your zero again, if all is well you are done and can put your baby back together and continue to Matching Your Tables, if not, then continue.
Unfortunately you have to adjust your potentiometer . Now bear with me. If your zero point is too far forward then the potentiometer must be moved clockwise if you are doing it from the bottom and counterclockwise if turning from the top, TOP BEING THE SLIDER SIDE.
Turn the potentiometer in small increments each time, checking the position by repeating step 11.
Within minutes you should find the zero point you are happy with; just don't get in a hurry, you only want to do this once.
If you are happy with the zero point, then put the tt back together and have a non-alcoholic drink, because you might have to continue.
CONGRATS THE FIRST STEP IS THE HARDEST!!!!!
thought I'd tell you last though....

Matching Your Tables
Matching a pair of 1200s is a relatively easy job that proves helpful when working with doubles. This just ensures that when both sliders are at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc. the two tables will be at the same speed. It may sound useless at first and many DJ's claim they don't need it but all DJ's love a matched set of 1200's and you can have 'em.

First set both tables up and set the slider to +6, the strobe dots corresponding to 6% should be holding still, very still, dead still. If both tables are, then you are done and they should OK for the whole range. If not then read on.

Technics has what is called a pitch gain adjustment, this basically determines how sensitive your pitch control is. Some DJ's tweak this so that massive amounts of pitch adjustment are possible, this can be cool for rave and other things that have limited vocals, trance, etc., but I find it rarely used for house/high energy/hip-hop and other styles with vocals. I personally prefer mine stock and this adjustment will make them stock.

Adjusting the pitch gain.
this is also done in a series of steps.....

Set your tables side by side on a table that is easy to work on.
Unplug the tables, and remove the platter, this us usually done by placing your fingers in the holes and lifting straight up, but, this rarely works soooooooo... find a friend you trust A LOT and have him/her tap on the spindle very LIGHTLY with the handle of a screwdriver while you pull up, this will free it.
See the black plastic piece with a warning label on it, read it, now remove the screws and take it off like it says not to do.
Inside the tt you will see a circuit board with the drive circuit on it, in the near upper right corner you will see a potentiometer with the pitch above or near it, the potentiometer is ususaly bl ue and white, this is your pitch gain.
Now place the platter on the table and look through the holes, you can see the potentiometer can't you??? Wasn't Technics nice!?.
Plug the table in and set the slider for 6, are the 6% dots pitching too slow or too fast? Remember this!!!
Unplug the table before you stick your metal screw-driver back in it and inch the pitch gain potentiometer forward if the dots were pitching slow or backward if they were pitching fast.
Repeat steps 6 & 7 until the 6% dots are rock steady for both tables when they are both at 6.
Check to see if the pitch dots correspond at different speeds relative to each other, they should be very close.
That was the last step, now you are done, unplug your tables and put them back together.
CONGRATULATIONS, Your tables should now be calibrated to one-another, I hope that I could help you with your quest for the perfect DJ dream.

I highly recommend checking to see if you have two zero points as this guy says. One of mine had two zeros and would throw my mixes off from time to time.

DJ_Enki · February 2007

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matamatic, i'd totally give it a shot if i had some link action to a step by step guide (if one exists).

My homie tuned mine up about a year ago--I just sat and watched him do it, and it's pretty much as matamatic said. You just take off the platter and that cover and then turn the screw (you don't have to turn it much, as I recall--just a little tweak does a lot to the platter speed...and I forget if turning the screw clockwise speeds up or slows down the platter, but it's not hard to figure that out once oyu're in there). But like you, I'm pretty nervous about doing such a thing unsupervised because I have an uncanny ability to make "simple" repair jobs like this turn into gigantic catastrofucks.

sloppywhite · February 2007

here's the linkage: http://www.massive.com/in_tune/technics_pitch.html

thanks, man!!!
i'm gonna see if i can do it tomorrow night when i have more time to spend with it.
although i may chicken out...

ako · February 2007

wow mine is WAY off. the +6 dots stand still at +4.5

prof_rockwell · February 2007

here's the linkage: http://www.massive.com/in_tune/technics_pitch.html

thanks, man!!!
i'm gonna see if i can do it tomorrow night when i have more time to spend with it.
although i may chicken out...

it's not so bad. I was a bit timid the first time I opened my TT up, but it's really not difficult. Just requires some patience. It's one of those things that when you're done you're like "that was it?"

JimBeam · February 2007

I've done this for a lot of people, on both pristine and completely fucked up turntables. I have only found one set that had two zero points and even needed the bottom taken off to adjust the zero contol. (Those were my own)
More than likely, you can get away with just doin the top adjustment by pulling the platter off, unscrewing the five screws holding the plastic in, and adjusting the "pitch" pot screw. I find it easiest to leave the plastic out, adjust just a little bit at a time, and putting the platter back on sans plastic. Then you can adjust through the hole in the platter until everything is perfect, before puttin the plastic back in. While you're in there, adjust the brakes w/ the "brake" pot screw so they match too, (use a record and adjust by ear for the sound on the same down-beat). I like my brakes a bit on the slow side, but you can make that thing brake so hard that it backspins. It's pretty uncomplicated as far as technics repairs go, the tonearms and pop up lights are the real bitches.
Oh yeah: anyone in San Diego needs work on their turntables or mixers: holler on the PM.

matamatic · February 2007

Oh yeah: anyone in San Diego needs work on their turntables or mixers: holler on the PM.

where do you work at?

JimBeam · February 2007

I work at the SD Undercutters.
Actually, I just do it independently-- cash only (hello IRS!!). But, if you're nervous about someone hacking up your turntables, I can give you reputable references of people whom have had me work on their setups (including bars/clubs/etc.).

undertheradar · February 2007

Oh yeah: anyone in San Diego needs work on their turntables or mixers: holler on the PM.

where do you work at?

Can you do something about the mixer at Landlord Jim's. That thing sucks.

JimBeam · February 2007

Can you do something about the mixer at Landlord Jim's. That thing sucks.

Supposedly, the mixer in there is "borrowed", so they don't want to put any money into it. Yeah, that fader is jacked. I have their "real" mixer sitting in my apartment. I guess S***h was saying that the line switch was bad, but I've tested them and they are both fine.
Honestly, they probably shouldn't be running a setup like that off of an 05 Pro. Those things just peak so fast, it's not good considering the scumbag dj's that don't watch their levels they get rollin through there (har har). I've called S***h a couple times and left messages, trying to figure out who complained about the mixer in the first place, but I haven't heard anything yet.

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Anyone got their turntable pitch recalibrated?

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