Vinyl LP fans - advice needed...

[swee'pea99]

Recent posts enthusing about vinyl got me dusting off my turntable and among other things I got a copy of Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert off ebay.

Now, the LPs look pretty pristine, and quiet sections sound great, but every time there's a strident note, it's like it comes out within a burst of static. Any ideas? Could it be wear on something? The disc itself, or the stylus? Or perhaps that's just the way the recording was made? I have noticed a degree of the same effect on other records, but not to the same extent. Any advice appreciated.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

It sounds like the stylus is mistracking due to wear, incorrect tracking weight and/or bias. This was a common phenomenon in the days of vinyl which became more important after the advent of cds which had no such problem.

If your turntable is ofgood quality, it will have mechanisms for adjusting both tracking weight (using a stylus weight balance) and bias, (usually a wheel control at the pivot point of the tone arm). You could try adjusting those. However it must be said that there are some vinyl recordings which necessitate such violent movement of the stylus so as to make mistracking almost inevitable with all but the very very best of deck/tonearm/cartridge/stylus combinations. Abba's "Dancing Queen" being one such example.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Always worth checking on someone else's system.

Another method I've used to clean records, and it's sounds scary, is to gently clean the record with a cloth/sponge soaked in water and a drop of washing-up liquid. Clean around the disc in line with the grooves and then rinse under the tap avoiding soaking the label. I then lay the record on a clean tea towel and fold it over the top and press gently to dry. I realise this may strike the fear of God into some people but I read this years ago and have used the method loads of times - it works, just be careful!!

 

[Fab Foodie]

Always worth checking on someone else's system.

Another method I've used to clean records, and it's sounds scary, is to gently clean the record with a cloth/sponge soaked in water and a drop of washing-up liquid. Clean around the disc in line with the grooves and then rinse under the tap avoiding soaking the label. I then lay the record on a clean tea towel and fold it over the top and press gently to dry. I realise this may strike the fear of God into some people but I read this years ago and have used the method loads of times - it works, just be careful!!

Alternatively, Iso-propyl alcohol (used to get it from the Chemist) applied to the rotating disc and worked onto the grooves with a felt record brush works wonders too.

 

[Dave5N]

Nah, it's just a crap record.

 

[swee'pea99]

Thanks chaps. Well, with one exception - you know who you are...

I'll definitely try cleaning, one way or another. The washing up liquid does sound a bit scary - I'll try it out on an old Pete Allen record first. The Isopropyl alcohol sounds good - and as it happens, I actually have some - but what's a 'felt brush'? (And where would you get one?)

As to adjusting the weight and bias and that...any tips on where to start? From a little googling, it seems the thing to do is get the weight right first, then adjust the bias 'to match'. Is that right? And if I'm getting the effects I describe, does that suggest I should start out by increasing or decreasing the weight, or could it be either?

Thanks again.

 

[User482]

I paid an engineer to fit a new stylus and set my deck adjustments up, and haven't touched it since. If you don't know what you're doing, you'll just end up wearing the discs out really quickly.

You should be able to get a record cleaning brush from any decent Hifi shop.

 

[accountantpete]

Probably a duff pressing - get a 10x magnifier and examine the grooves for muck/damage though.

 

[peanut]

why not take your deck to a local Hi-Fi shop and ask them to fit a new cartridge/needle and set it up correctly for you. At £30-£50 it has to be a good investment and will prevent you from further damaging your vynal records.

Tracking weight is probably only 2-5 gms if i remember correctly which is miniscule.
just as important is the anti skate setting which prevents the tone arm from applying sideways force .If you place your cartridge at the end of the record it should just stay there and not skid off into the centre for example.

bit of a black art to be honest



Washing up liquid is completely harmless to vynal and we are only talking one single drop of liquid. Especially for dirty,dusty or stained records.

 

[Fnaar]

What happened to the good old days of sticking a 2p coin on top to weight it properly?

 

[User482]

What happened to the good old days of sticking a 2p coin on top to weight it properly?

I used to do that in my student radio days!

 

[girofan]

Could be Keith Jarrett moaning, (as is his habit when at the keyboard)!
Seriously though, perhaps it's the cartridge itself. You didn't say what your deck and cartridge are? Shure cartridges have a tendency to degenerate over the years, but as others have pointed out it's a matter of elimination.