Five Sensational Turntable "Hacks".
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ย. 2024
- I share five of my favorite turntable "hacks" with you all. I also get re-acquainted with my old machete. Are they sensational? Not sure. But I have another amazing hack that I will be sharing very soon that is too long and involved to include in this video.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE. Thanks for watching! David "Hack" Cutter.
I have a Patreon page available if you are interested in supporting my channel: / myowndevices
My albums & turntables have been stored in a hot garage for 23 years. I just broke them out and they have suffered very little. I'm very lucky & grateful!
My hacks are something I learned when I was selling stereo equipment in the late '80s - early '90s. Make sure the platter is level before beginning to make any adjustments to the tonearm tracking force or anti-skate, and make sure the surface you place the turntable on is stable, solid and away from speakers or other potential sources of vibrations. To level the plinth use a bubble level on the platter near the spindle, then add paper or cardboard as shims under the feet, as needed, until the bubble is centered. Make sure you do this without the dust cover, or else its weight in the open position may throw off the measurements.
Turntable isolation hack: Semi-inflated small bicycle (or pram) tube under a heavy slab of timber, with your turntable on top of that. Work a treat!
Awesome. Here's another hack... on stylus, a bit of alcohol with distilled water mix, in a small bottle. Dip stylus brush in solution, shake off, and brush styli. Check in a high powered micro-scope for end results. Re-brush with zero-state solution. Amazing results.
Thats what I do. But I don't use the brush that came with the stylus. I use the one that came with my razor cause it's bristles are softer (no. I havn't use this brush for the razor and never will :-) ). I check the stylus with a small handheld microscope and it looks phantastic. For the very scratchy dustcover of my old Wega turntable I used a kind of rough method. Polishing machine with ceran field polish. I didn't use much pressure on the machine and it worked for this dustcover. Not perfect but it looks and feels much much better than before. Do on your own risk.
Ammonia based window cleaners will damage the plastic. I have found cleaning old dust covers with warm water and a mild dish soap then applying a product called PlastX it’s found in any auto parts store it’s used to restore headlights.
I can't second this enough. Window cleaner will absolutely RUIN plastic. Plain water works fine or if you feel you must use a chemical, Novus plastic cleaner #1 is what I would recommend. KEEP GLASS CLEANER AWAY FROM PLASTIC!
Thanks for the tips. The blu-tac was one I had not seen before. Keep making the great work!
A secret tip regarding Shure V15 type 3,4 and 5 if you buy a stylus from Jico in Japan, you can easily set the VTF to 1.5 gr without it damaging the cantilever and the suspension. I love those cartridges.
I also think you should try different headshells it actually does a part on the sound reproduction one of my hifi friends tries different types of headshells for each cartridge he buys.
I've done a few dust covers with an automotive headlight restoration kit. Other that deep gouges and cracks, they turned out like new.
"Skating", the force created by drag on the inner side of the stylus causing it to ride up the inner groove wall. Placing a stylus on a blank surface does not emulated the skating force needed to set anti-skating most accurately. I use the "Audio Symphony: Check Up Your Sounds Vol. 1" RCA Japan RVL-1.
And for stylus cleaning get some AT-607. Looks like a finger nail polish bottle and includes the cap/ brush even. Your stylus and cantilever will shine and it does not damage the elastomer. I have a USB "microscope" attached to my plinth right by the stylus resting spot. I can see a magnified image of the stylus before every play.
Blue Tack is excellent for cleaning the stylus as you mentioned, however it’s best to build a small pedestal with the Blue Tack on top to use next to the platter rather than putting the Blue Tack directly on the platter
If the blue tack is too ... tacky for you, of course the best is the Onzow which is designed specially for stylus. But it can be pricey (I saw $80 in some places... $40 in others).
Now, I haven't tried it but on some audiophile forums I saw people recommending Resonance Gel pads (that are used for drums. Seems to work like the Onzow and you can get a 6 pads for about $7.
Now, the neat trick to go along with: want a case for your gel stylus cleaning pad? head over to the dollar store and grab a pack of the Listerine-like strips, empty the little case and the gel pad will fit right in. So it stays clean when you don't use it and it makes it much more convenient to use.
I also use a small piece of Magic Eraser.
Great ideas, especially converting the hinges, I liked that one the best. I have that Technics turntable and I'm glad I don't have to part with it. Thanks for the help.
The easy way for the lid to look a lot better is to use Pledge to buff the lid. Apply it on the lid every few weeks to keep it looking almost like new if it was only lightly scratched to begin with.
Also the tube where the counterweight screws in and out is sometimes hollow giving you another stealth way to make it heavier at the end of the tonearm without getting close to the lid.
Acrylic polishing paste can work great on these lids to get that glossy shine back. I only used it partially on ms SL-1210 for an inside scratch caused by the retractable light before I got hinged for the cover. Use fine sandpaper to smoothen out deeper scratches and the apply the acrylic polish over it. It will be shiny again within a few minutes and at least will greatly reduce the visibility of the scratched area.
Love the lead tape idea.
I like that electronic scale! Couterbalance are not always precise i think Thanx 4 video
I use a 12" Laser Disc for checking anti-skate.
Great video, thanks.
I have just ordered lead tape as in hack # 2 . I got a Dual 506 2nd hand and I replaced the head shell so I could use a 1/2 standard cartridge , to balance the tone arm I added some nuts for weight and taped them on with black tape , but I like your lead tape idea better , I think it will be a winner !
Removing that stylus guard would reduce the cartridge weight a bit, and remove a potential source of unwanted vibration.
The Anti Skate Hank is just wrong. Anti Skate must be done in the groves of a record not a blank track. Get a test record from Hi Fi News. It has test tracks for Bias Setting(Anti Skate)-300Hz tone L+ R at 12dB next track same 14dB next track 16dB and up +18dB. Using this you should hear an even signal from both channels simultaneously. if there is hint of instability(distorted or buzzing sound) on channel or the other then adjust the bias(Anti Skate) as needed. This is how bias(Anti Skate) should be set.
All (I’m pretty sure) Technics counterweights have interchangeable threading but don’t weigh the same, so when I had the same problem as you I replaced the weight with a heavier one. I like your solution, though. The Technics auxiliary screw-in weight that is available also makes it impossible to close the cover.
This is a budget TT and I've already overspent trying to optimize it. My next video will really "get into" it. Please subscribe. Thanks, Dave the Hack
Adding additional weight to a tonearm counterweight, increases the effective mass of the arm.
Care must be taken, if a medium to high compliance cartridge is going to be used.
Lead is a known neurotoxin. If you adjust the counterweight more than once per month, I advise you to cover it in electrical tape.
Bahahahahaha! What a Maroon!
In addition to adjusting the balance pressure level with the counter weight you can also set the cartridge back further in the head, ( I noticed it was kinda in the middle). Also, I was picking up some speaker stands from a local audiophile the other day and he had a technics sl1300 and sl1350 that he had acquired with no dust covers, but he told me he found a website that sold new clear dust covers for around $40 each, of course I didn't bother to ask him what website.
My bad, I guess you use that adjustment for correct alignment. Still if you don't have a scale you need to set everything to 0 and balance the tone arm then set the counter weight and anti skate but 1st thing is to balance the entire tt
I meant level the tt not balance
If you buy some Mothers scratch remover from an auto parts store and use a drill with a polish wheel Velcro attachment you can remove a good majority of your surface level scratches. I have had success with Turtle Wax head light renewal as well but by hand it takes about an hour to buff a dust cover.
Generally good tips with little fault in them.
Curious, what Anti Skate setting did you need on your SL D2 for the Shure test track and what VTF setting did you use during it?
i used Novus number 2 scratch remover for my lids, Heavier scratches the recommend #3 Heavy scratch remover...
There is a product that drummers use call moongel damping pads or resonance pads. They are sticky just like the Oznow zero dust stylus cleaning pads that cost $40 but the moongel's are only $7.00 for a pack of 6.
I've been using these for years they are excellent & last forever.
You really need to have the pivot point of the arm at records surface level that would have reduced the amount of weight as well could go forward and less overhang as much as possible you can use a big thick bolt with a nut superglued and some Cotton bit of blu tack stop it moving and hang it. You want to bend the the headshell between 5 - 7 degrees and a 10-mm spacer of balsa wood between headshell and cartridge so can get the rake angle back. Reducers in a Groove distortion pitch stability is better jitter on the record is better. Can try it with a slight wedge of bolster Wood cut to the angle as well if you don't fancy bending or have got a fixed headshell.
I have dune the exact thing to two of my turntables adding extra weight to the counterbalance and it works well
the force from a groove is actually slightly different than a grooveless surface, but it's a start anyway...
Yes I slight drifting in is more desirable to eliminate inner groove riding count to about 5 seconds you want about 3mm movement
nice one
I use a mini level on the flat surfaces near the platter and almost always need to adjust the feet or shim them after relocating the turn table.
I know about using magic erasure on the stylus to clean it. interesting.
You probably could have found an auxiliary weight online somewhere. Most of these 70s and early 80s direct drive turntables came with little auxiliary weights that you would slot or screw onto the back of the tonearm, to compensate for heavier cartridges and head shells.
Agreed.
To clean stylus I drop needle into a magic eraser
I do this as well. Has worked well for me. I bought a pack of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser for this purpose, and it'll last me for my lifetime....
But just to clarify, are they wet or dry when you do this?
The antiskate needs to be set higher, as the groves will accelerate the arm inwards over and above the setting you have from the ungroved track on the record - try an extra .75g-1g The best way to check is using the azimuth alignment track on the record and measure the signal levels so they match _+less than 0.5db or better hopefully you should be able to get it within 0.1db.
You just supported my point on the fuzziness of anti-skating settings. Thanks for your advice. Please subscribe. Thanks, Dave the Hack
Enjoy your videos,
What do you do with severely damaged speaker corners.
What do you clean nasty circuit boards, I want to hose them down with a fire hose .
Can you recommend any books on vintage receivers repair?
Thanks for your videos, they are great.
Jim W. Living on Tulsa Time
I use wood filler and wood glue. Look for furniture repair videos. I suggest avoiding the use of water on electronics. Compressed air, artist paint brush, slightly damp microfiber cloth, electronics cleaner spray. Thanks.
Nice ideas. Does this get toxic lead on your fingers?
No, I don’t believe lead in this form is dangerous, and I have zero plans to eat it. Thanks for your concern. Dave the Hack.
Bruh. That dad joke intro 🙄😝
Dave, now I'm curious to see your record cleaning hacks.. ;-)
Spin Clean and an old Discwasher brush/fluid.
@@MODAC I found a method on on of those forums I mentioned that requires shampoo+conditioner only.
I wash them in the kitchen sink, apply a little shampoo+conditioner combo to a paint edger pad. Rinse with distilled water and dry on on a dish rack. I was dubious but I was very impressed with the result.
Technics make the best decks
Love the video BUT white polishing compound isn't wax. You have to bear down with it while you polish then buff to a shine. If you don't it will leave a haze.
Toothpaste might also work on dust covers. I've used it to polish scratches out of watch crystals.
I considered that as well. Didn't't want to deal with the strong toothpasty odor. Thanks and please subscribe! Dave the Hack.
Excellent video. :) Thanks. My 45 year old turntable does not have VTA adjustment. this might be responsible for the syblance I suffer on some records. Anything I can do about this? Another Question: I noticed you removed the rubber platter before checking the stylus force weight. Was this necessary?
A thinner mat could be a solution to the VTA issue, or a spacer between the cart and headshell. Removing the mat when checking tracking weight is necessary because you want to measure it w/ stylus at the same elevation as when playing a record. With the mat on, it's too high.
He's trying to hack his foot off
In mijn taal, zegt men "Hakken". :-)
I love my SL-D2. I'm looking to swap it out for an SL-D3, because I like fully automatic turntables.
I also have an automatic SL-1300.
My Own Devices Very nice!
My son found a SL D3 in the trash. New stylus cables and adjustment. Plays great.
I have a D303. As you say, these direct drive turntables require little maintenance and so last for decades.
I have to disagree with your method of anti-skate checking. First, setting the anti-skate so the stylus does not move when placed on a smooth surface such as the Shure test record proved to be incorrect. It would be fine if you want the very tip of the stylus to have correct anti-skate pressure. How ever, that only applies to contact with the very tip and not the sides of the stylus that actually touches the record. Under normal operation where the sides of the stylus touch the groove walls, the actual pressure should be a slight inward force if you measured on the smooth surface. Infact, after I about my VPI Scout 2, and after talking to VPI, I found that this tone arm actually needs NO anti-skate correction at all. They proved it if you must use it, but do not recommend using it. So I don't. And the way this tone arm with my Ortofon Quintet Black with shibata stylus plays records is outstanding. If you must use anti-skating, I suggest using the track on the newer generation Shure test record on the test bands with a segment from Brazil 66 called "Mas Que Nada". It is a test of both sibilance tracking and anti-skate balance. A very hard recording to track correctly. Good luck with your records. They are great fun to just watch as they play.
Here's a suggestion. Show us how to clean records using wood glue.
Thanks
Hi, can You plase share the Ebay link to Buy the hinge replacement for a technics turn table. Thanks
Sure: www.ebay.com/itm/402262589740
@@MODAC : Be patient when shopping for those hinges! I found a pair, same metal type as your hinges, for $15, free shipping, and under $2 for the tax. That's better than $30.
Hack 2, use a lighter Headshell, that crap cheapo Headshell you are using weighs 10 grams use a 7 gram Headshell instead and leave the counterweight alone
For cleaning the stylus I use a small block of Styrofoam..... gently lowering The Stylist on to several times.
If i started rubbing styrofoam on my stylist, she'd probably throw me out of the shop.
The Shure V15 III is not designed to be used in that quality of turntable, it is designed for very low mass arms eg: SME series III, Linn etc. Using in that turntable will put undue stress on the stylus. Better have a quality cartridge that is designed for that type of arm.
You’re right, but the V15 III has been successful in my Technics Q2. I actually use a V15 IV mostly. You can balance it carefully, but these products were made about the same time and it’s hard to imagine that people don’t use Shure on Technics.
Wonder if a headlight cleaning kit wouldnt work on a dust cover.
Very well could. Just using what I had in the garage.
Yeah I tried that and it did an incredible job. Yet I did use a buffer w finishing foam pad.
I actually put blu+tac on a quarter and clean stylus every other side .
Yes, that’s what I do.
Just put a big ball of blu tack next to the platter and then you can just dip the styli into it before placing it on the record. massage the blue tack now and again and first time makes it more sticky
@@johnsweda2999 i got a 12" round adhesive backed sanding disk from a wood worker friend and replaced that stupid rubber mat with the sanding disk. It does a better job of holding my vinyls and every third song i remove the vinyl and run the stylus directly on the abrasive surface for a good clean.
I can also adjust anti-skate at the same time.
why on earth would you check the downforce before balancing the arm ?
With a digital scale, balancing is not required.
Yes it is. You have misunderstood the purpose of the scale, which is to check and fine tune after initial VTF setting.
Not for checking the weight of an assembly which is obviously so far out of range it may risk stylus damage.
It bothers me that you often show a turntable on top of a receiver. Back in the day that was discouraged. It keeps the heat trapped in the receiver and adds unnecessary heat to the turntable.
Just a temporary setup for the video. Thanks for your concern.
I use Moon Gel instead of bluetack.
Q: Why did you go backwards???? Shocked. Most people chuck the Shure for the new and improved Ortofon red, blue, bronze and black. I love Shure. Only thing I use. Just shocked.
I don't think that shure cartridge is an upgrade bro I did like you tip for Setting the anti skate I do have a test record I need to check that out
It certainly is a upgrade I have both carts.
You can just get a wight that is made for the techincs tone arm for like $10
So Like where have you found one at that price because I have looked around and there a lot more than that 🤔🤔
0:21 Dude you came within a couple inches of slicing into your right calf!
Aww. Come on, it wasn’t that close. Isn’t it cool to bleed for ones art? Thanks and please subscribe. Dave
@@MODAC Already a subscriber and like your videos.We've talked before on FB on a couple of groups that we both belong to. But in all seriousness, take a couple of minutes and watch through between 0:20 and 0:22 on .25 speed while periodically stopping the video a few times. You get real close to certain injury.
I use a blank side record to set my anti skate but for some reason there are people who think this does not give an accurate setting. I never understand why they think this as it does, in my opinion, perfectly illustrate the purpose of anti skate in action.
The reason why they say a blank record is not accurate for setting anti skate is because it does not take into account the force of the rotating groove and the sound modulation which require more anti skate to overcome. Increased anti skate is required as the arm moves towards the center because the groove is "moving faster" so to speak. (The speed is the same but the circumference is smaller) What you may want to try is putting the arm down at a cut near the record label and after about 10 seconds slowly lift the arm with the cueing lever. Lower the arm back on the record and if the anti skate is correct you'll go back into the same groove. If the head shell jumps forward or back when the arm is lifted then the anti skate needs to be adjusted. Some people do this test at the center of the record so I would say let your ears be the judge.
just float the cart and adjust anti-skate accordingly
Float?
To set the counterweight properly, you float the tonearm-you move the counterweight out so that it balances the weight of the cartridge and the tonearm becomes level and “floats” on its own. Secure the tonearm. Then you can set the counterweight to the correct stylus pressure.
STOP SAYING "SO"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So so.
Dont be so greedy with commercials
What a crap all that stuff about inferior vinyl media, no matter what your do it always will sound crap, turntable and vinyl is inferior to digital
False.
@@Headsign delusional think otherwise and ignoring facts , typically for snake oil consumer lol
@@mafi211