Is it ok to put a coin on top of needle?

[Shum]

Hey guys, I know this is a little off topic but, does anyone know the difference between Output voltage at 1000 Hz, 5cm/sec., like 5 mV vs 6mV. Because im trying to see if it would be just as good to get ortofon pro s or dj s.

From a very basic standpoint, the higher the output the better. Why? Well the more power you get from your cartridge, the less gain you'll have to apply at the amplification stage (ie. your mixer) which reduces your noise floor (very roughly). Unless your a serious hi-fi head (and lets be honest, if you were you wouldn't be looking at any DJ cartridge) don't stress too much over it. The best case scenario would be to get your hands on both carts and try them out on your system to see which one YOU like.

[Skriptah]

Word. Will do man.


Thanks.

[borrowed]

Wouldn't have this problem with digital, you old fogies.

Because I like spending money on things that don't physically exist. Feels so worth it.

Like, say, music?

[EBR]

Note the weight on the top of the cartridge. This weight was supplied by the manufacturer.



Djs have been putting weights and coins on thier cartridges for decades. It doesnt hurt the records. I've got a fair amount of personal experience with Djing, turntables and needles. Damage to records is caused by sloppy backtracking and accidents like bumping into the tone arm etc.

- Just having a coin on the needle won't hurt anything unless you have a couple silver dollars on there or something SO heavy the needle is scratching the records but why would anyone weight it down so much ? Putting one small coin won't do any damage at all. Cartridges often come with weights heavier than coins that are made specifically to go onto the top of the needle.

[staticcast]

Seems like a point is being missed here: Using a coin is exactly the same as increasing the tracking weight. With the coin on the headshell, you should reset your zero point on the counterweight, and then set the weight as normal. There is only one difference: that you can now apply more weight before the counterweight bottoms out. For example, on a 1210 with Stanton 680s, I can only get up to something like 4-5g without adding the extra weights that come with the cartridges - the counterweight won't turn any further. (Actually, there's another difference in that the overall mass of the tonearm is increased so the resonant frequency increases too, but this doesn't really affect tracking during normal playback so much; it's more of a scratching thing.)

So the only real question is "is it ok to increase the tracking force in order for my new DMZ record to play without skipping?"

And the answer is "depends how precious you are about maintaining the condition of the record". A secondary answer is "maybe you can improve the tracking by setting up your turntable better or using a different needle".

[wooda916]

Seems like a point is being missed here: Using a coin is exactly the same as increasing the tracking weight. With the coin on the headshell, you should reset your zero point on the counterweight, and then set the weight as normal. There is only one difference: that you can now apply more weight before the counterweight bottoms out. For example, on a 1210 with Stanton 680s, I can only get up to something like 4-5g without adding the extra weights that come with the cartridges - the counterweight won't turn any further. (Actually, there's another difference in that the overall mass of the tonearm is increased so the resonant frequency increases too, but this doesn't really affect tracking during normal playback so much; it's more of a scratching thing.)

So the only real question is "is it ok to increase the tracking force in order for my new DMZ record to play without skipping?"

And the answer is "depends how precious you are about maintaining the condition of the record". A secondary answer is "maybe you can improve the tracking by setting up your turntable better or using a different needle".

end thread.

[Stigmatism]

I starting buyying vinyl anout 6 months ago now. I didn't have the funds to lush out on any technics or something of similar quality so I went and bought this guy
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Soundlab-Profes ... roduct_top
Despite being a tad flimsy to be fait to it, it has never skipped! The only thing is it didn't say anywhere what weight I should have on the tone arm, anyway I looked up what I could and sort of went for 3 grams, I can't specifically remember what I read that convinced me this was the right weight. I know having it too light incurs damage but is this weight particuly high? Will it cause damage to my records? And would it be a good idea to buy something better (probably more expensive i'm guessing)?

Also that coin sounds dodgey to me I would be shit scared of dropping that coin and leaving an unsightly scratch! Not that I know anything about this matter...

wow belt drives, i kinda feel good about my stanton str8 60's now!! if u can mix on them you can mix on anything

im gona rebuild my stantons, so that as and when i get technics i can just upgrade all the parts anyway

Well not belt drives... but belt drive. I couldn't afford 2! Just bought it so I can play my records, mixing vinyl won't be happening for mr for a while yet! Can anyone answer my origional question? Cheers

[noam]

just find out what the needle is and the spec of the needle online should tell you what weight to set the tracking to.

[wolf89]

Wouldn't have this problem with digital, you old fogies.

Because I like spending money on things that don't physically exist. Feels so worth it.

Like, say, music?

The physical record exists. When you buy an mp3 you aren't getting a solid medium for the music. You can't have shelves full of mp3s you've collected through the years. They will all disappear too if you're computer/hard drive dies. People seem to not value music as much when they've just got a random mp3. It's not the same as coming back from a record store with a big bag of records.