decks have developed a fault!

[benjybars]

my right deck (1210) has started behaving oddly... it feels like the motor that drives the platter has become loose somehow and now if you try and turn the platter anti-clockwise (in order to find the right point in the record) it 'lags' slightly before returning to it's clockwise motion..




i'm not sure i've explained this very well but does anyone have any idea what the problem might be and if/how i can go about fixing it?

cheers.

[xthewiddler]

Go digital


sorry cant help you

[benjybars]

anyone else have any ideas?

it's bare stressful having a deck that's not 100%

[dvnt]

Contact the Deck Doctor. You can find him on Myspace.
http://www.myspace.com/deck_doctor

[concept_]

sounds like the torque is not at full power which would mean there is a problem with the motor. But you knew that already :S

Im not sure about any easy remedies. taking the platter off of a 1210 is a mission in itself due to alignment issues (and if you do, it wil never be the same again) but there are tutorials on the internet giving direction on how to tighten the motor response for more torque and better start/stop time so if it a lost cause, you could try one of these. Don't know if this will be a suitable remedy, but if this doesn't work, then it suggests there is a problem with the motor itself which is a whole other, often more serious issue.

Ill try dig up a link if you want to DIY?

[benjybars]

sounds like the torque is not at full power which would mean there is a problem with the motor. But you knew that already :S

Im not sure about any easy remedies. taking the platter off of a 1210 is a mission in itself due to alignment issues (and if you do, it wil never be the same again) but there are tutorials on the internet giving direction on how to tighten the motor response for more torque and better start/stop time so if it a lost cause, you could try one of these. Don't know if this will be a suitable remedy, but if this doesn't work, then it suggests there is a problem with the motor itself which is a whole other, often more serious issue.

Ill try dig up a link if you want to DIY?

cheers, yeah the torque not being at full power sounds like a good way of explaining it.. would be good to see that tutorial if u can find it.

nice one.

[FSTZ]

dude

you just need to clean / adjust your pitch control

you can take it to a professional and have them calibrate it

[concept_]

dude

you just need to clean / adjust your pitch control

you can take it to a professional and have them calibrate it

this is what i'd do if you don't want to risk totally f'ing up your deck. Think a typical service is something like 30 quid? Though repairs can be a lot more. I got a turntable from ebay which arrived with a totally bent tonearm due to parcelforce delivery being complete stnuc. They wouldn't replace it or fix it even though I had bought extra insurance as cover, because the packaging wasn't suitable. It was- it was just the parcelforce man smashing it down in the van and on the floor. The dust cover was rattling in pieces in the box when it arrived.

Anyway, rant aside, I had to get tonearm totally replaced which cost about 100 quid overall. There are many technics repair places in London, ask somewhere like WestEnd DJ or Sapphires to recommend you one. The latter sent me to a wierd little place in Shepherd's Bush, but they did the job very well.

If you still want to try and do it yourself, I wasn't able to find an exact tutorial but I'm pretty sure there is something on this website
http://www.djresource.eu/Topics/cat/5/Turntables/
Its a great resource for all DJing equipment as well. Check it out and have a look around, as I'm sure I saw a torque tutorial around there a while ago.
Hope this helps

[badger]

Im not sure about any easy remedies. taking the platter off of a 1210 is a mission in itself due to alignment issues (and if you do, it wil never be the same again)

what really? bugger... you mean the big metal plate on top of the spindle right? i've taken that off loads of times

[concept_]

Im not sure about any easy remedies. taking the platter off of a 1210 is a mission in itself due to alignment issues (and if you do, it wil never be the same again)

what really? bugger... you mean the big metal plate on top of the spindle right? i've taken that off loads of times

i didn't mean the main platter. Yea you can take that off jus by pulling the 2 holes. I meant underneath with all the screws etc. And if you really want to get at the innards of a 1210, you got to flip it over and take the whole thing apart..lengthy procedure.

Still yea taking even the top platter can change the alignment and mean that it doesn't sit straight. Though this doesn't really matter. Mine don't sit straight and most don't as a matter of fact- the tonearm wobbling up and down makes up for it, so no need to worry.

[badger]

ah ok. that's good then

you seem to know what you're talking about so can i ask you a question? i posted this in another topic but it got ignored so reposting here

in drunken retardness i've managed to rip out the earth cord from one of my technics 1200s and i was wondering if anyone knows how to reattach it. i've tried google searching and come up with nothing. i remember there was an online guide for things like because i used it when the power switch broke, but i can't remember where it is or find it with a search

can anyone help?

cheers

i had a look on that link you posted above and there's something about replacing the ground wire but that's about the ground wire on the tone arm (that's not the same one as the that connects to the mixer is it?)

[kidlogic]

Im not sure about any easy remedies. taking the platter off of a 1210 is a mission in itself due to alignment issues (and if you do, it wil never be the same again)

what really? bugger... you mean the big metal plate on top of the spindle right? i've taken that off loads of times

Yeah, Ive never heard that actually. On my 1200s Mk5s you have to take it off to adjust the break speed. Also that you shouldnt keep your decks on their sides in their cases for extended periods of time, i.e lay them flat when you travel with them as the weight of the platter can warp the spindle.

EDIT: Just saw your next post... yeah, that part is a bitch to get back together the same way.

[concept_]

This is essential reading for anyone who wants to know more about their technics 1200/1210.

http://music.hyperreal.org/dj/sl1200.html#6.1

Has some info on minor fixes and repairs you can do as well, including fixing braking torque.

@ Badger, I've never had to replace a ground wire (yet) but yes this is the same ground wire and I know what you have to do from dissecting of 1210s in the past. Both phono RCAs and the ground wire are attached to a board under the tonearm- the same place where the signal wires from the cartridge end up. That tutorial is concerned with replacing signal wires as well (the 4 thin coloured ones) but these should be alright if all you need to do is reattach the earth. This is a really simple task and you don't need to do any soldering as far as I can remember. Openinig up the thing is the hardest part, but djresource has a tutorial for that as well so should be alright.

http://info.bergenteknomafia.com/tech/links/
This website (another good repair/info resource) has a very detailed guide for replacing phonos and ground wire here:
http://info.bergenteknomafia.com/tech/1200phono/

Again, you don't need to do any of the soldering (unless you have pulled the earth so hard that the little metal bit at the end has come off, but this isnt a problem) and jus folow the instructions for the earth wire. If you're feeling adventurous however, why not replace your existing RCAs with nice gold plated ones

With all the information from those websites, it shouldn't be too hard. Just cross reference if you dont get it or its not working.
Hope that helps

[FSTZ]

just get your pitch calibrated

it shouldn't cost you more than $60.00

this happens to almost all techs eventually

I am convinced this is your problem because it has happened to me more than once.

[badger]

yeah that's great. thanks a lot will bookmark those pages too they look really useful

does changing contacts to gold that much of a noticeable difference? might have a go whilst i'm inside the decks. also just remembered about this so it dug up... any idea how to do it?

If your going to open up your decks then you should do that quick little mod that stops them from locking to a speed.

I cant remember what it's called but basically if you turn them on and look at the red led and the dots. Now put your finger slightly on the platter as if you are slowing it down. It will like bounce forward and backwards as it tries to speed up the motor to keep the pitch correct. Well if you turn that crap off suddenly mixing becomes like velvet.

[FSTZ]

yes, gold is a better conductor

the difference will be noticeable

[stanton]

As long as you're sensible there is no danger of messing up a 1210, and they're really easy to open up. It sounds as though either the torque pot needs adjusting (very very slightly), or maybe the pitch fader is a tad gunked up.

Recalibrating the deck is a 10 minute job with a multimeter, http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?Mod ... 79&doy=9m4 £5.99 brapples.

Does the deck still play at the correct speed? By that I mean is it playing tunes slower when it's set to 0? Are the big dots on the side of the plater staying still when the fader is set to 0?

[concept_]

does changing contacts to gold that much of a noticeable difference? might have a go whilst i'm inside the decks. also just remembered about this so it dug up... any idea how to do it?

If your going to open up your decks then you should do that quick little mod that stops them from locking to a speed.

I cant remember what it's called but basically if you turn them on and look at the red led and the dots. Now put your finger slightly on the platter as if you are slowing it down. It will like bounce forward and backwards as it tries to speed up the motor to keep the pitch correct. Well if you turn that crap off suddenly mixing becomes like velvet.

I'm not really sure I know what he means but there is a centre click quartz lock on mk2 (and maybe mk3s not too sure) technics turntables (others like mk5 you can turn this off with the switch next to the pitch fader)
Basically, there is a switch which blocks pitch shifting at 0% so even if your pitch calibration is busted and way off it will still be 0% in the middle....if you remove the wires to the quartz lock, you can get rid of this "click" so the whole shifter gives you a true value at the centre region, even if it is fucked up...then you can recalibrate it effectively using a frequency counter. Removing the lock really isn't all that useful other than for calibration though when beatmixing is really tight around that centre spot, its nice for it not to automatically click to the 0 mark (this requires taking the whole fader out and a lot of soldering to get rid of the click though- takes a lot of time and care, but it is satisfying once it is all done.)

[benjybars]

As long as you're sensible there is no danger of messing up a 1210, and they're really easy to open up. It sounds as though either the torque pot needs adjusting (very very slightly), or maybe the pitch fader is a tad gunked up.

Recalibrating the deck is a 10 minute job with a multimeter, http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?Mod ... 79&doy=9m4 £5.99 brapples.

Does the deck still play at the correct speed? By that I mean is it playing tunes slower when it's set to 0? Are the big dots on the side of the plater staying still when the fader is set to 0?

yeah the deck still plays at the same speed,, slows down/speeds up when it's supposed to etc... from the 'lag' feel it has after being moved anti0clockwise i'd say it feels more like a problem with the torque pot rather than the pitch control.. how do i go about adjusting the torque pot??!

[concept_]

@ benjy,
i might have misunderstood your original post. If it is not a matter of the motor and more about pitch calibration then this is easily rectified with a little close work. As Stanton said, jus get a multimeter, hook it up to the pitch fader connector from the main board and adjust it to the value of resistance which they say. think its like 2.8 or something but it depends on the mark model as they are all different.

Another much simpler solution- the slow speed might just simply be down to lack of lubrication on the spindle bearing in the middle. This is the only moving part of the system- as well as the motor (rest is down to magnetic forces which is why the direct drive system is so indestructible) and a couple of drops of light oil will do just fine.

http://www.backspin.org/sl1200mk2.pdf
this might be of interest to anyone who likes the electronics of it. Technics sl1200 mk2 service manual

hope that helps, let us know how you get on