Troubles with my 'new' Technics SL-6, can anyone help?
Stinkfinger
and you hear mostly popping and hissing, but every now and then you hear
just a mili-second of very poor sounding scratchy, very faint music. I've
tried 5 or 6 records (one was brand spankin new) all with the same results.
It seems like the arm isn't pressing down hard enough or something like
that. I've adjusted every conceivable adjustment you can make to the table
with no discernable difference to the sound. I've read the SL-6 manual
with no luck. It seemed to me that there was a guard on the needle, but
when I tried to remove it I realized it was part of the assembly itself.
Any suggestions as to what might be causing this?
Stephen W. Worth
<a...@me.com> wrote:
> Here's the problem, the needle goes down and makes contact with the vinyl
> and you hear mostly popping and hissing, but every now and then you hear
> just a mili-second of very poor sounding scratchy, very faint music.
It sounds like there is no needle in the stylus. Did you get a new
cartridge or is that the one that came with the turntable?
See ya
Steve
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Stinkfinger
> cartridge or is that the one that came with the turntable?
No, there's a stylus in it. I know, because I (eek!) touched it to see if
any noise would come out, and it did. Plus the woman who sold it to me said
there was a fairly new cartridge in it. And I can see it in there. I mean
it produces sound, just not good sound. Lots of hissing and popping
highlighted by sporadic bits of a scratchy hissing note. You can make out
music notes here and there, just no music. Its one of those snap-in style
cartridges where there's no wires to affix, you just snap it in if that
helps you. Any new ideas?
Stink
Stinkfinger
some sort of snap on protector to keep the stylus from being damaged? If
that's the case I'm stupid.
Stinkfinger
"Stinkfinger" <a...@me.com> wrote in message
news:vdQfa.120297$jP2.20...@twister.neo.rr.com...
Richard Lane
What connection on the amplifier are you plugging the turntable in to?
Sounds like it's going through a normal line input rather than one designed
for a record deck.
Stephen W. Worth
<a...@me.com> wrote:
> No, there's a stylus in it. I know, because I (eek!) touched it to see if
> any noise would come out, and it did.
Get a magnifying glass and look at the tip of the needle closely. Is
there a tiny diamond stuck to the end of the shaft? It should be a
distinct pointy thing right on the end of the cantilever.
If your diamond has fallen off, the cantilever would still conduct
sound. It just wouldn't sit in the groove properly.
The weight of the tonearm should rest entirely on the cantilever. The
case of the cartridge should not touch the record.
You need to adjust the tonearm so it floats freely. Set the dial to O
at this point. Then dial the weight to the recommended tracking weight
for your cartridge.
If it was me, I wouldn't care what the person who sold it to me said
about the age of the cartridge. I would get a new stylus anyway just to
be safe and not shave any records.
Stinkfinger
> Sounds like it's going through a normal line input rather than one
designed
> for a record deck.
It's plugged into the phono jack.
Stink
Stinkfinger
> there a tiny diamond stuck to the end of the shaft? It should be a
> distinct pointy thing right on the end of the cantilever.
I should actually be able to see it under a magnifying glass? I'll check it
out.
> You need to adjust the tonearm so it floats freely. Set the dial to O
> at this point. Then dial the weight to the recommended tracking weight
> for your cartridge.
See, the thing about my tonearm is that it doesn't float at all. It's this
mechanized dea l(Technics SL-6). Pretty damn sweet too. The motors and
whatnot are in great shape, it was really taken care of well.
Thanks,
Stink
Harv
Is this a turntable with a tonearm that rides along a rail behind the record
and moves in a straight line? (Linear Tracking they call it).. or is it a
tonearm that is mounted in the rear right hand corner of the top of the
turntable and swings across the record in an arc?
Here's an example of a Linear Tracking turntable..
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3013871583&category=3283
Here's an example of a Technics with a standard pivoting tonearm..
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3014803301&category=3283
(In fact, that's the model I own)..
So which kind is yours??..
I'm not quite sure I understand how you can't tell whether the cartridge has
a stylus in it or not. it should be obvious. The stylus will be mounted at
the very end of a very thin little arm known as the cantilever which sticks
out of the cartridge. The stylus will most likely be a very tiny conical
shaped diamond, but it should be visible to the naked eye, you don't need a
microscope to see it.. it will be pointing downwards. The cantilever arm
will be pointed downwards at an angle.
Most if not all brand new cartridges come with some kind of a snap-off, or
flip-down plastic shield to protect the stylus while it is being installed.
Do you have a digital camera? If so, can you take a macro closeup of what
the cartridge looks like?
But don't post photos here, this is a discussion group. Post it to your
personal Web space somewhere and then post a URL to the photo here instead..
Or you can email the photo to me as an email attachment (send a .jpeg) but
it should be really close up with good lighting. Then I could have some idea
of what it is you're trying to describe..
Here is a photo of my Shure M95ED/D cartridge (circa late 1970s or early
1980s) mounted in the headshell of the arm of my turntable. I have labelled
some of the parts for you. This particular model of cartridge has a swing
down black plastic stylus guard (which I forgot to label) in the front. It
also has a tiny floating brush in the front. Notice you can see the actual
diamond stylus at the tip of the cantilever (tiny arm) although it's very
very small.. notice there are also four different colored wires that come
out of the headshell and connect to four pins in the back of the cartridge,
which is typical.
If you can manage a photo like this of your cartridge, then email it to me
so I can try to figure out exactly what it is you're trying to describe..
Here's my photo:: http://www.harvlaser.com/pics/shure.jpg
Harv
Stinkfinger
record
> and moves in a straight line? (Linear Tracking they call it).. or is it a
> tonearm that is mounted in the rear right hand corner of the top of the
> turntable and swings across the record in an arc?
> So which kind is yours??..
Mine's a linear tracking turntable. I mean I can actually see the stylus,
but can't tell if its any good or not. Steve Worth (of a couple posts up on
this topic) thinks the diamond might have fallen off, does that sort of
thing happen?
Stink
Harv
Well either it's there or it isn't. There are only THREE parts of a
turntable that come into actual physical contact with a record. The
turntable mat on the bottom, the spindle in the center hole, and the stylus
on the top. Well, a fourth, if your cartridge has a little brush ahead of
the stylus as mine does (did you look at my photo??..)..
It's unusual but not entirely impossible that the diamond stylus may have
"fallen off" or been broken off its cantilever. You're going to have to look
at it under a good light. On a linear tracking turntable, the arm carrying
the cartridge should flip up vertically, with just light finger upwards
pressure, without forcing it, I would think, although I've never owned one..
so you can get a good light on it and examine it.
Did you get an owner's manual with the turntable??.. the arm might have some
kind of little release switch so you can swing it up vertically..
Use a magnifying glass or a loupe if you have one and give it a good look..
it should then be horribly obvious whether there is a little tiny conical
shaped diamond on the end of the cantilever or not. If it's gone, you'll
have to source a replacement, either the stylus assembly (which often is
mounted in a plastic doohickey and just pulls out of the cartridge) or an
entire new cartridge that that particular tonearm can handle..
Harv
Richard Lane
Is this a specific connection for a turntable (in that it's actually
labelled "phono") or is it just a spare input on your amp? If you're not
sure let me have the make/model of your amp and I'll do some digging.
Richard Lane
"Harv" <hla...@socal.rr.com> wrote in message
news:k4%fa.21125$cj5.6...@twister.socal.rr.com...
Amazing what you can find on the net. This is it... At least I hope it is..
http://panasonic.jp/technics-audio/introduce/aph/SL-6.htm
The cartridge IIRC is called a "P mount" type, where the whole cartridge
just plugs in, no connection wire from the tonearm (such as it is) to the
cartridge. Many years ago i use to work for a Panasonic/Technics dealer and
this was quite a common thing around the 80's. they use to use it on
turntables that were sold as part of complete system a lot. I believe the
cartridges originated from Audio Technica but it's far too long ago to be
100% sure.
> I'm not quite sure I understand how you can't tell whether the cartridge
has
> a stylus in it or not. it should be obvious. The stylus will be mounted at
> the very end of a very thin little arm known as the cantilever which
sticks
> out of the cartridge. The stylus will most likely be a very tiny conical
> shaped diamond, but it should be visible to the naked eye, you don't need
a
> microscope to see it.. it will be pointing downwards. The cantilever arm
> will be pointed downwards at an angle.
>
> Most if not all brand new cartridges come with some kind of a snap-off, or
> flip-down plastic shield to protect the stylus while it is being
installed.
They had a clip on/ snap off protector that covered the whole bottom of the
cartridge, some slid off forwards and some just uncliped from the bottom.
>
> Here's my photo:: http://www.harvlaser.com/pics/shure.jpg
>
> Harv
Not the same Harv Laser of Amiga fame by any chance?
webweaver
stage? This would cause the effect you describe. Check the cartridge model
on the web and you should get an answer.
Ian
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In article <vdQfa.120297$jP2.20...@twister.neo.rr.com>, "Stinkfinger"
<a...@me.com> wrote: