Sl-1210 set-up

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Emmodd

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 14
Sl-1210 set-up
« on: 1 Oct 2007, 11:22 am »
Being a relative new comer and, not having owned a t/t before my recently purchased Technics my expectations of what it should sound like are very low. From my distant memory, I remember my dads records sounding very scratchy and not at al inviting when played back on his all-in-one Phillips jobby and so have been pleasantly surprised listening to my (admittedly newer) records on the Technics.

Whilst on the whole my newer pressings are very enjoyable with little background hiss, crackle and interference, the older pressings are generally a pig in this respect. I understand that this is perhaps a failing of the material and you have to accept that this comes with the territory however, recently listening to a friends (newer and more expensive) belt driven t/t, i noticed a distinct lack of the aforementioned when playing the same exact same records on his t/t.

Briefly, his turntable is isolated on a Target wall shelf and is fed into the phono section of his Luxman amp. Mine unfortunately doesn't have the isolation (sitting on the same unit as the amp) and is fed into a lowly Cambridge 640p. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect it to compete sonically - why would it? However, I wouldn't expect to receive the level of crackle etc I do having heard his t/t.

Is it likely to be the fact that the t/t isn't well isolated or could there be something else (ie;electronic) which is causing the problem (or a combination of things)? To briefly advise, my t/t is a used SL1210mk11 with an Audio Origami re-wired (original) arm. I have a Isoplatmat and a Funk Achromat but no isolation per se and no damping trough on the arm. I have a Denon DL110 cartridge and have set this up using the protractor provided by J7 when he returned my arm.

Any tips on how to maximise the sound and minimise the 'feedback' would be appreciated.

Many thanks.

Upstateaudio

Re: Sl-1210 set-up
« Reply #1 on: 1 Oct 2007, 12:37 pm »
Do you clean your records before playing them? 

If you do not, a wet vacuum cleaning of your records will clean up the sound.  KABUSA.com sells a relatively inexpensive cleaner that you supply your own vaccum cleaner to power it. 

Other higher priced options are the Record Doctor III sold by Audio Advisor ( A Nitty Gritty OEM machine), machines by Nitty Gritty and VPI.  There are also other machines available.  They are even pricier.

Cheers.

ixlr8

Re: Sl-1210 set-up
« Reply #2 on: 1 Oct 2007, 01:08 pm »
Being a newbie in the land of vinyl, my guess, and it is only a guess, as to why your records sound  better, less pop and scratch, on your friends TT has to do with the shape of the needle and how it is fitting in the grooves. What does your friend have for a cartridge? Do you know the shape/kind of needle you have and what does your friend have?

  Jim

Jampot

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  • Posts: 318
Re: Sl-1210 set-up
« Reply #3 on: 1 Oct 2007, 02:20 pm »
Hi Emmodd,

Glad you have it up and running :thumb:

Have you experimented with vertical tracking angle? I have no personal experience of this but recall previous posts here where this has been mentioned, and IIRC can help to minimise surface noise.

We have to follow up on our visit to Marco's :drool:

Jim

Emmodd

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 14
Re: Sl-1210 set-up
« Reply #4 on: 5 Oct 2007, 11:27 am »
Thanks for the replies guys. VTA is set up correctly - no issue there.

Also, he had my cart installed and so I know that the issue isn't there.

Read on the KAB USA site about the increased 'buzz' on the older Technics decks from the mains. Wonder whether this is having some bearing? Thinking about the external PSU anyway so that may help. Could also be that his t/t is simply better isolated (his is wall mounted after all). Will keep playing though.

Jim, deffo on the road trip. We'll have to have a word...

docbp

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 1
Re: Sl-1210 set-up
« Reply #5 on: 5 Oct 2007, 02:36 pm »
Emmodd

I agree with John. Background hiss an pops, are almost assuredly from not cleaning your records properly and have nothing to do with your setup or turntable.
I also recommend a wet cleaning with one of the many available commercial or home made cleaning fluids, followed by a vacuum dry with a Record cleaning machine (RCM) such as John mentioned, although I prefer the VPI 16.5.
If you do this, you will be shocked at the difference in surface noise.

Bruce


lcrim

Re: Sl-1210 set-up
« Reply #6 on: 5 Oct 2007, 08:15 pm »
Emmodd:
Concur w/ the others, dirty records are the cause of the noise.  I have the relatively inexpensive KAB EV-1 vcuum cleaning machine @ ~ $160 and have recently switched to a multiple step regimen of cleaning w/ a couple of different premixed liquids and this has made a night and day difference in playback quality.  Vinyl playback is infinitely more labor intensive than digital but the results, when done right are the closest thing to "live."

Wayner

Re: Sl-1210 set-up
« Reply #7 on: 5 Oct 2007, 09:14 pm »
A tool I find useful is the Zerostat 3 by Milty. It is fairly effective at neutralizing static charges imbedded in the vinyl. Good cleaning, as Icrim says, is also the road to "salvation".

Wayner