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whats wrong with the tonearm set up? needle?

The_Hook_UpThe_Hook_Up 8,182 Posts
edited June 2007 in Strut Central
gettin' lots of sibbilence(sp? sizzlin' on the s sound) on 45s, and the second half of LP sides...dont have this problem on the 1st half of LP sides, if it was the needle/cartridge it would be an all the time thing, right? help plaese...

  Comments

  • PATXPATX 2,820 Posts
    possibly your cart is not sitting in the tonearm correctly or more likely/expensively, your tonearm bearings have been slightly fucked up and there is too much resistance when the arm swings closer to the spindle. That's the two scenarios I am familiar with.
  • JimBeamJimBeam Seattle. 2,012 Posts
    play with the anti skate setting a bit, it sounds like as the speed of the vinyl rises, the needle isn't settling into the groove properly, and you're getting bad sound as a result.

    if you think you might have a bearing issue--
    simple bearing check:
    set the anti-skate to zero
    adjust the tonearm so it "floats" (pull the needle out of the cart for this test, btw)
    make sure your turntable is level using a bubble-level, adjust the feet as necessary.
    turn the anti skate up all the way, as you do this, the floating tonearm should move toward the middle of the platter, when it reaches the middle, turn the anti skate all the way back down to zero, and the tonearm should move back toward the starting position.

    If the movement of the tonearm "seizes" or "drops" during this test (it's pretty easy to tell) the tonearm bearings are shot and should be replaced.
  • The_Hook_UpThe_Hook_Up 8,182 Posts
    play with the anti skate setting a bit, it sounds like as the speed of the vinyl rises, the needle isn't settling into the groove properly, and you're getting bad sound as a result.

    if you think you might have a bearing issue--
    simple bearing check:
    set the anti-skate to zero
    adjust the tonearm so it "floats" (pull the needle out of the cart for this test, btw)
    make sure your turntable is level using a bubble-level, adjust the feet as necessary.
    turn the anti skate up all the way, as you do this, the floating tonearm should move toward the middle of the platter, when it reaches the middle, turn the anti skate all the way back down to zero, and the tonearm should move back toward the starting position.

    If the movement of the tonearm "seizes" or "drops" during this test (it's pretty easy to tell) the tonearm bearings are shot and should be replaced.

    wow,mine is really fucked up...it went the other way as I turned the skate all the way up and returned to the middle when I turned it back down.
  • JimBeamJimBeam Seattle. 2,012 Posts
    that sounds like your turntable might not have been level...
    how much "play" is there at the swivel point in your tonearm? You really shouldn't be able to jiggle it much at all, the only direction it should move in is that which is paralell to the platter. Get out them screwdrivers and adjust those suckers!
    these are 1200s, i assume? you can take out the top adjustment screw all the way on the top of the tonearm, and the tonearm can be maneuvered out, exposing the bearing underneath. If it's gouged or scratched at all, it's bad. If not, adjust those set screws on the top and sides of the swivel point until the movement against them is gone, then back off about a 1/4 turn, so it's not too tight. If you're just listening and not dj'ing, and you get weird noise as the tonearm gets closer to the spindle, it's b/c the needle is pulling to one side of the groove, (it's natural tendency is to pull away from the spindle due to the sped up spinning of the surface it's riding on) and that can be adjusted for with the anti-skate control. (Then again, this could be a stylus issue, even if it's slightly twisted, which most are.)

    The last time I heard the sound you described, it was a new stylus that got rid of the problem, but I went through and did a serious tuneup on the old girls to make sure.
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