[WireNut]

Define "Splatter".
I think I'm experiencing it. Sometimes cymbals or hi-hats have a ssss to them and sound somewhat distorted / like there breaking up. Is that splatter 

[Bob in St. Louis]

Bob,

Red, Green = Right Channel
White, Blue = Left Channel

If I understand what you're saying there appears to be a problem with that cartridge.  Have you tried it on an other arm, & is it known to be a working cartridge?  Does a different cartridge work on that arm?  Again it may be a problem with the cartridge.  With a DVM you may be able to check the cartridge pins for continuity.  BTW, if this is a LOMC are you supplying enough gain to hear it???

Jeff

Jeff, thank you very much. The reasoning being the color codes is very helpful, indeed.
Here's some answers to your questions, and some more 'back story':

- The table was just taken out of storage. Just before it was put into storage, it was played with the Shure cart and it sounded great. Now, not so much. It makes music, just a bit muffled sounding. I discovered that the tip of the needle is bent. I'm assuming that's a very presice angle and there's no way I can bend it back?

- I have two carts. The Ortofon and a Shure. The Shure is the bent one. The Ortofon is the one that is inoperative. I do not have the ability to check it on another arm. I do have a DVOM. Would I be checking for "zero" between the left circuit terminals and same on the right? And I'd assume there should be no continuity between left and right channels?

- The cart and headshell have different color codes, but knowing the logic behind the colors is most helpful.

- I didn't know what LOMC was, but Google provided me with the definition. Despite knowing the definition, I'm not sure what I have. That's gonna take some research on my part. 

I hate being a noob. 
Bob

EDIT: I checked both carts, and there is no continuity between any of the four pins. 

[Jeff V.]

Jeff, thank you very much. The reasoning being the color codes is very helpful, indeed.
Here's some answers to your questions, and some more 'back story':

- The table was just taken out of storage. Just before it was put into storage, it was played with the Shure cart and it sounded great. Now, not so much. It makes music, just a bit muffled sounding. I discovered that the tip of the needle is bent. I'm assuming that's a very presice angle and there's no way I can bend it back?

- I have two carts. The Ortofon and a Shure. The Shure is the bent one. The Ortofon is the one that is inoperative. I do not have the ability to check it on another arm. I do have a DVOM. Would I be checking for "zero" between the left circuit terminals and same on the right? And I'd assume there should be no continuity between left and right channels?

- The cart and headshell have different color codes, but knowing the logic behind the colors is most helpful.

- I didn't know what LOMC was, but Google provided me with the definition. Despite knowing the definition, I'm not sure what I have. That's gonna take some research on my part. 

I hate being a noob. 
Bob

EDIT: I checked both carts, and there is no continuity between any of the four pins. 

Bob,

so it sounds like the Shure works, but not very well?  Bending the cantilever back is not easy to do.  Depends on how bent it is.  It's very fragile & can break off.  If the Shure is providing sound then there is a problem with the Ortofon.

Does the Ortofon have a fixed stylus or is it one that comes off & can be replaced?  Do you have the model of the Ortofon?  If the stylus comes off, try removing it and putting it back on.  Maybe it's no seated properly.

To further elaborate on the colors:
Left Channel: White
Left Channel Ground: Blue
Right Channel: Red
Right Channel Ground: Green

With the DVM you can check continuity from the cartridge pins (while connected to the headshell) to the ends of you interconnects.  This probably won't help much seeing that you Shure doesn't exhibit the same problem.  I still think there is an issue with that Ortofon.

Jeff

[Bob in St. Louis]

Thank you for the continued tech support Jeff.

The Ortofon FF15XE MkII is dead. Knowing the rhyme and reason behind the wire colors helped to wire it up despite the mismatched colors of the headshell. I tried again, but its output is absolutlely nothing, at any volume.

Yes, the Shure M91E worked, but not very well. I bent the cantilever back as best as possible and wired it back up.
It's now working much much better. I gave my 9 year old daughter the meager box of donated reords and told her to choose which one we'll listen to, assuming I get this all fixed.

Turns out "Thriller" is the best sounding vinyl I've got.  I'll have to change that. ASAP.

Things are getting better. Thanks again!
Bob

[JackD]

Bob

If you want to get the Shure going for little money, this JICO sourced stylus will fit the bill.  Many or us on Audiokarma have used it with good success.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STYLUS-SHURE-HI-TRACK-N91G-M91G-M91ED-N91ED-N91E-M91E-RS-1000E-761-DE-DED-/200880339866?pt=US_Record_Player_Turntable_Parts&hash=item2ec566bb9a

Carole is in Ok. so should get to you fairly quickly

Jack

[Bob in St. Louis]

Jack, thank you. I'll be buying one of those for sure.
Something tells me that a $13 purchase that improves sound quality of vinyl doesn't come along very often.
So I'm just going to buy it and shut up. 

Define "Splatter".
I think I'm experiencing it. Sometimes cymbals or hi-hats have a ssss to them and sound somewhat distorted / like there breaking up. Is that splatter 

You might be refering to "cymbalince"[sp?], with "splatter" being the next level of discomfort. Not sure though, but they're both in the same are me thinks.

Bob

[JackD]

Bob

While it isn't quite up to the level of a NOS American made M91 stylus it does beat the Mexican versions and JICO sells the same stylus on their website for over $30 plus $10 in shipping.  It does however need to track at 1.5 grams and not the .75-1.25 grams of the original.  Good luck with your new journey.

Jack

[Bob in St. Louis]

While it isn't quite up to the level of a NOS American made M91 stylus it does beat the Mexican versions and JICO sells the same stylus on their website for over $30 plus $10 in shipping.  It does however need to track at 1.5 grams and not the .75-1.25 grams of the original.

Well..... 
THe first part of your statement doesn't bother me at all. I'm not an elitist, and I do have a budget, so I'm cool with it.
It's the second part that made me throw my hands in the air.

Sounds like I need to buy a guage ("scale") of some sort?

Bob

[JackD]

Bob

As I am late to this discussion, I don't know what TT you have so can't tell you how accurate the scale on the TT might be.  But as to a stylus gauge, yes one does come in handy.  You can always buy the trusty Shure one, had mine since the 70's, or a digital Jewelers scale from Ebay.  If you just balance the arm and zero out the scale on the TT and then set it to 1.5 grams you will be in "the ballpark." If it mistracks then raise it up .1 grams at a time until it tracks correctly.  I have had TT's where the counterweight scale was close and some where it wasn't.  Just trial and error if you don't want to buy anything else.

Jack

[Bob in St. Louis]

Hey Jack,
I've got a stock AR-XA.
From what I understand, it's one of the tables with the least amount of adjustments, but that is one aspect that is adjustable.
Looks like another piece of equipment is in my future. Thanks for the heads-up.   

Bob

[Bob in St. Louis]

How does this jewelers scale look?

[PETE6737]

Hello All,
I have been exploring the idea of getting into vinyl for a couple of years. I read all 11 pages here and ther posts before writing this. I spend most of my time in the Salk and Bryston forums, I listen to a lot of SACDs and well mastered CDs, but I think vinyl can open me me to more music that I can't get on Hi rez formats. I bought some awesome Salk SoundScape8 speakers earlier this year and I think I want to buy a turntable. I want the TT and phonostage to be as good as my other components so I get the full effect of the "new to me"/old format. I have an Oppo BDP 105 Bluray for hi rez SACD music and Cambridge Audio 840C Cd player for CD duties. I put that through a Bryston SP 1.7 in pure Bypass in 2 Channel and Bryston 14BST amp in a well acoustically treated room.

The system sounds great, so now I need help picking out the gear that will sound the best in my room, with little tinkering. I read opinions in the forum generally saying that at some price point a TT will sound better that a great CD player, which I think I have here..so how much more do I have to spend to get the next level?  I was thinking of  VPI or Rega, Clearaudio...with the cost of a phono stage and a TT, could I get better sound than my digital components at 2, 3, or 4K?...I think my MAX would be 5K for everything. I figure with the money I have tied up in gear now, that I should be able to get a really nice analog set up with maybe some accessories....so Please, if you had to start frome scratch with the existing gear I have, what would you do? Thanks in advance, Pete

[foz1982]

Hi , just started looking into the tt stuff. Lots to learn here, but I have to ask one question.
What is up with 2 and 3 armed tt. Are  they for lazy people, when one craps out, the second one can be
used and when that one goes the 3rd can be used???

[bacobits1]

Different  qulity arms and different cartridges. Maybe a mono catridgee also used.

[sunnydaze]

Laziness?!   Hardly!

One arm / cart is tons of work.   Vinylistas are the hardest working peeps in audio.     

[pslate]

My wife asked for a turntable for Christmas  I about lost it, she has never expressed interest in gear, although she uses the main/family system everyday. It's a system that is a bit of a compromise and not a big budget affair. The most important thing to me is that it is accessible and easily used by others so music fills the house as much as possible. I was wondering if the vinyl aficionados have any input or recommendations on the following system. Please note that I am extremely budget driven. Possible kid number two, and I'm saving 30% of my income to be hell bent on early retirement in the distant future, so I have to have a sound strategy for any additions, mods, or changes. One thing that caught my eye was the Hagerman Coronet3, but I will need to save up a few months after Christmas to do it. Man as a Dad I've become a cheap bastard! I don't spend the audio money I used too. Lastly I am totally new to vinyl, but am excited about it. I can easily hit up the Jazz Record Mart on lunch in Chicago 

Pre: Parasound ZPre 2
Turntable Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB (just arrived yesterday along with Shure adjustment tool)
Amp: Gary Dodd built Class D SDS-254  (sweet amp!)
Speakers: Soundfeild Sam-1 
Apple Airport Express
Musical Fidelity V-Dac (first gen, also have a Peachtree Dac iTX that could be thrown in)

Happy Holidays 
Paul

[kingfisher]

Hello AudioCircle, my name is Francis and I am a vinyl addict! Like many out there I was swayed by the lure of sparkly bright highs and lightning fast response of digital recordings! The attraction was so great that I fell def to my friend's and family's advice to stand strong. Like the flashy lights and polyester of 'Disco' I displayed weakness to the glitz and glamour. My pursuit of nirvana had me hunting down digital-to-analogue decoders, buffers and clocks, all of which promised better sound! A promise of, I dare say, a more "Analogue" kind of sound! I should have caught on, I should have seen it!

"A more Analogue like sound!" Why did I not see it? I suffered for many years buying and selling gear, switching out cables, spraying formulas and salves all promising better sound! I was continuously lead to the door, but it remained locked, jammed or wedged closed! So close it was that I ran to it like a fiend!

I abandoned audio altogether and stored my gear. I began watching television but cringed at the advertisments for better sound for your 'digital' TV! I had hit bottom! I lay destitute and broken... till... one cloudy nondescript day, my son asked.. "Dad how do LPs sound and why did they go out of favor?" Though the clouds of discourse a shard of blinding light pierced the gloom! Thinking heavily for, what seemed a dog's age, I answered with... "I'll bring out my old gear, set it up and you can hear and decide for yourself!" 

From the moment the needle touched the black licorice, memories flooded my mind! So quiet this table is! Then... the music came through. It didn't strike me like the bold, abrasive, uninvited guest like Digital, but polite harmonious and natural! Like an old friend barring good tidings, the notes bloomed into the room with fluidity, ease and a silkiness of ... of how can I describe it Analogue! Yes Analogue! Suddenly the familiar sound of Music  appeared in the room. I was no longer listening to my gear, but Music, the same Music that excited me so long ago! The sound of Music!

I'm Back!           

[Robert212]

Just ordered my first turntable in over 25 years, a Rega RP-6 with Exact-2 cartridge.  Since my preamp doesn't have a phono stage, I also ordered a Rega Fono MM phono preamp. 

The cartridge will be factory installed so I don't think the setup should be too challenging.  In anticipation of this purchase I've bought about a dozen LP's to get started.

I don't have a record cleaning devices, not even a brush.

I expect the turntable to arrive Wednesday or Thursday.  Any newbie advice or suggestions for getting started would be welcomed. 

Bob

[Blackmore]

Hey Bob, good choices! Get a bubble level and make sure your new table is as level as you can manage. I've used playing cards under a foot to help dial it in. You'll want to splurge for a cleaning device soon. I have a Spin Clean and a VPI and both will do a decent job. My preference is the VPI, but it is more involved. Congrats on the new table and getting back into vinyl. Enjoy the trip!

[Guy 13]

Hi Bob,
I have an Rega RP-3 with the Exact MM (Not the new model 2) w
ith ProJect ss phono stage.
The Rega TT and MM cartridge are good,
but the Project phono stage does not have enough gain.
I also have the inexpensive Spin Clean (From Amazon)
and I am very satisfied with it.
I've cleaned 80 LPs, time consuming, but did a good job.
I also have a 30 years old brush, still work fine.
I also have an LP clamp with built in buble level,
that's a must have item.

Guy 13