Well, I hope you guys are happy now....

TroyD

I also have the ingredients to make Ken's cleaning ju-ju and have been using it for a couple years......For what 2 bottles of commercial cleaner costs, you get enough ingredients to literally last a lifetime.

LP is no different than any other format in that there are good recordings and truly HORRIBLE recordings. Just because it's vinyl doesn't guarantee anything.

BDT

treitz3

As with all formats and recordings. Comes with the territory.

wingnut4772

TroyD wrote: »

LP is no different than any other format in that there are good recordings and truly HORRIBLE recordings. Just because it's vinyl doesn't guarantee anything.

BDT

I may have had high expectations for ALL of it after gearing Norah first.

jm1 wrote:

I hope you never need to resort to an interim solution like this with your Scout. Enjoy the TT; its definitely a keeper. Don't be afraid of mounting a better cartridge on it one day.

First of all, I would have no idea how to even come up with an interim solution lke that so kudos:) . Secondly, a 'better' cartridge would need a 'better' pre and etc. and so forth in perpetuity, Amen.



But of course I am nuts so I will eventually go that route I am sure but not now.:D


Maybe next year....




..Or next week...:D

TroyD

You think Norah is good?

Go to acousticsounds.com and order Eva Cassidy - Songbird and/or one of the Alison Krauss/Union Station MFSL releases. That'll really curl your toes if female vocals is your thing. Natalie Merchant on MFSL is damn good too.

BDT

madmax

wingnut4772 wrote: »

a 'better' cartridge would need a 'better' pre and etc. and so forth in perpetuity

Cool, you have the philosiphy of vinyl down. Plan on upgrading everything.

hearingimpared

madmax wrote: »

Cool, you have the philosiphy of vinyl down. Plan on upgrading everything.

LOL!:D

lightman1

Upgrades never end. Tragic.

madmax

I can see the cart being a good place to play around. They all sound different, much like speakers. A really cool way to do this is buying used on audiogon (or wherever). Pick a price, select a cart, use for awhile then sell for the same price and do it over and over. You will know when you find perfection and can go from there with nothing lost.
madmax

cmy330go

TroyD wrote: »

You think Norah is good?

Go to acousticsounds.com and order Eva Cassidy - Songbird and/or one of the Alison Krauss/Union Station MFSL releases. That'll really curl your toes if female vocals is your thing. Natalie Merchant on MFSL is damn good too.

BDT

Amen! Norah is certainly better than average, but Eva is stellar!

wingnut4772

madmax wrote: »

I can see the cart being a good place to play around. They all sound different, much like speakers. A really cool way to do this is buying used on audiogon (or wherever). Pick a price, select a cart, use for awhile then sell for the same price and do it over and over. You will know when you find perfection and can go from there with nothing lost.
madmax

I have to learn how to set it up myself though...I don't have a clue.

jm1

wingnut4772 wrote: »

I have to learn how to set it up myself though...I don't have a clue.

See if your retailer has some time to teach you how to install a cartridge.

If they have a Scout on display, you can just take your tonearm/cartridge into the shop. If not, you will need to take the whole table and alignment jig into the shop.

He can then assist you while you remove and reinstall the cartridge on your tonearm. You would then have the knowledge to change a cartridge and what know what additional tools are required. This will be beneficial when you decide to upgrade to another cartridge next month.

wingnut4772

jm1 wrote: »

See if your retailer has some time to teach you how to install a cartridge.

If they have a Scout on display, you can just take your tonearm/cartridge into the shop. If not, you will need to take the whole table and alignment jig into the shop.

He can then assist you while you remove and reinstall the cartridge on your tonearm. You would then have the knowledge to change a cartridge and what know what additional tools are required. This will be beneficial when you decide to upgrade to another cartridge next month.

He is an hour's drive north though:( . I saw that Acoustic Sounds has an intructional DVD on the subject. Yea or Nay? I would really like to be independent on this like I am with the HT.


Also. just to clarify...you guys wash the record EVERY time before you play it...?

hearingimpared

wingnut4772 wrote: »

He is an hour's drive north though:( . I saw that Acoustic Sounds has an intructional DVD on the subject. Yea or Nay? I would really like to be independent on this like I am with the HT.

I have Michael Fremer's 21st Century Vinyl and find it very informative. If you look around the internet you should find it as low as $15.

wingnut4772 wrote: »

Also. just to clarify...you guys wash the record EVERY time before you play it...?

I usually give mine a spin on the 16.5 with the VPI record cleaning fluid. I've also just used the Hunt brush when I know the record is clean and gave it a spin or two using the dry brush.

wingnut4772

hearingimpared wrote: »

Get Michael Fremer's 21st Century Vinyl. If you look around the internet you should find it as low as $15.

Ok. Thanks. Will that be nough for a blonde like me?

Also ..I am still hearing some snap crackel pop even after cleaning my records with the VPI cleaner. When we played the Scout in the shop after he put it together it was dead quiet. We secured everything for the drive home but is it possible an adjustment changed..? Or what could be the difference? It's not bad. Just not dead quiet like at the shop. I am cleaning the stylus as well with the megabuck cleaner I got.:p

hearingimpared

wingnut4772 wrote: »

Ok. Thanks. Will that be nough for a blonde like me?

Also ..I am still hearing some snap crackel pop even after cleaning my records with the VPI cleaner. When we played the Scout in the shop after he put it together it was dead quiet. We secured everything for the drive home but is it possible an adjustment changed..? Or what could be the difference? It's not bad. Just not dead quiet like at the shop. I am cleaning the stylus as well with the megabuck cleaner I got.:p

The only other thing I can think of that would cause a crackle or two that wasn't there before is static. After you give your record a spin on the vacuum system the record is chock full of static. I think Troy advised to use the Hunt brush which is a an anti-static brush and it does work well. I also have a Zerostat 3 that Sal so magnanimously posted above. This definitely kills all static. An occasional pop or tick is to be expected expecially with such a high output, sensitive, MC cartridge like the 10 x 5.

I think 21st Century Vinyl is good for novice TT folks especially the PDF that comes with it. Very, very informative and it takes the fear out of doing the work blonde, brunette or just plain dumb!!!:D

hearingimpared

Lasareath wrote: »

Joe Also does this little Dance. Some sort of ritual thing. It must be working, His TT sounds Awesome!!!

Wow you post some unflattering pictures!!!:o

wingnut4772

hearingimpared wrote: »

The only other thing I can think of that would cause a crackle or two that wasn't there before is static. After you give your record a spin on the vacuum system the record is chock full of static. I think Troy advised to use the Hunt brush which is a an anti-static brush and it does work well.

I actually have been using a Hunt brush after cleaning. I wasn't sure of the name.

Is it possible my interconnects are not suited for the TT?

hearingimpared

Are you speaking of the audio lead that goes from your tonearm to the preamp?

wingnut4772

hearingimpared wrote: »

Are you speaking of the audio lead that goes from your tonearm to the preamp?

The RCAs that go from the player to the pre.

hearingimpared

wingnut4772 wrote: »

The RCAs that go from the player to the pre.

I was thinking about your problem. You say it was dead quiet at the store but at home you are getting crackles.

Make sure that when you clamp your record with the VPI clamp (I'm assuming) that the grooved portion of your record is making intimate contact with the platter from the runout all the way out to the lead-in bead. The lead-in bead can be off the platter but not the grooved portion of the record. This is essential for quiet performance.

If the record is not making intimate contact with the platter, the stylus born energy and the air born vibrations have no where to go except back into the stylus and by the time they do get back to the stylus they are anything but musical sounding undulations!!!

The best way to ensure that your record is making intimate contact is; once the clamp is in place, start the record spinning, then lean down and get your eye level with the record and platter. The record should now take the shape of the platter and you should see no light or any space between the record and platter. You may see the bead lifted but NOT the grooved portion of the record. I do this every time I clamp my records down. I am pretty good at applying the clamp and I still have times when I have to re-clamp the record because it is lifting off the record.

To address your question about the ICs. Are these the ICs that came with the turntable or did you have to buy them separetely? I forget the configuration that the JMW-9 tonearm box comes with.

You can PM me if this is a little deep for you and I'll try to be less wordy.

wingnut4772

Not too deep. I am not that blonde! I thought I was clamping it down pretty tightly but I will double check that as well. I was a little timid to break the center.

The VPI lets you get your own interconnects so I am using my DH Labs Air Matrix which are usually splendid.



Edit: Picked up Allison Kraus, Eva Cassidy and Bob Marley Live today.

engtaz

Those albums should be great. Have fun.

wingnut4772

Ok. Tomorrow I am taking EVERYTHING to my dealer so we can see what the culprit is. It's the only way.:D

madmax

I'm glad I never had a problem with vinyl...
madmax

reeltrouble1

wingnut4772 wrote: »

Not too deep. I thought I was clamping it down pretty tightly. I was a little timid to break the center.
Edit: Picked up Allison Kraus, Eva Cassidy and Bob Marley Live today.

Oh my Wing, easy on those three!!!!!!:o

Maybe the whatsamathingy is misaligned, I had a little fun with the Rega when I first started too, Chuck talked me down, well, if it works fine at the dealer then you at least know its not the TT, we are all guessing at this point but I think it might be static, but its just a possibility.

jm1

wingnut4772 wrote: »

Ok. Tomorrow I am taking EVERYTHING to my dealer so we can see what the culprit is. It's the only way.:D

Make sure you take your pre-amp and any cables along as well.

Just curious, did you try different ICs? This thread is so long, I don't recall if you did. There might be a problem with this specific IC that is causing the problem.

Is there time for a Cartridge Installation 101 class?

madmax

As I played with mine to get it running the first time I stayed away from the high dollar audiophile recordings just in case I was doing something that would harm the recordings. I got a few nicks here and there from various things so it worked out for me. I over cleaned one lp and it didn't sound as good, scrubbed another in one location where there was a lump of gooey something or other on it, dropped a couple, scratched one while setting the weight etc etc...
madmax

reeltrouble1

yes, I remember overscrubbing one to the point of making it much worse and thinking how dumb that was, I thought those brushes surely could not hurt the record.....dumb dumb dumb.

Well I guess Wing is headed back to the dealer.

RT1

hearingimpared

I can relate also. I am very heavy handed with everything and I've pressed down too hard with scrub brushes or let it spin to many times and caused some minor damage to the sonics of a record. Max's advise is excellant!

wingnut4772

Well here is what I learned from my sojurn...


But first, I wish to highly recommend Hollywood Sound in Hollywood Florida to anyone wishing to get into analog. Larry is EXTREMELY helpful and patient and very knowledgeable. Hollywood Sound.com . Tell Larry Darla sent you!;)


Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.




Ok I learned......





Wait for it.......








Wait for it.........






...that some recordings are just plain *&^%!!!







I took everything up there (except the 110lb amp cuz I am getting a new one anyway:D ). Everything is perfect but more importantly, I put the Amy Winehouse LP and the cds I was having issues with and put them in Larry's system and guess what? They were still crappy. So I have peace of mind knowing that my gear is good and from now on I will only get well recorded media.....Oh and I also picked up a Benchmark DAC






..and I may or may have not picked up a Dynavector P-75.