Bought some new 1210's, and need some help!

[madmeesh]

I'm a newb, for sure. I have 2x Technics 1210 mk2s, and tried to play a record using stanton 680v3s. I didn't think there would be compatibility issues between technics and standard dj needles like stantons...but the sound I'm getting is crazy distorted. The higher frequency elements are warbling all over the place, while the sub bass is completely blown out and nearly destroyed my speakers when i tried to play Headhunter and the like. I'm using a decent Yamaha stereo receiver, so that can't be the problem.

My main question is given that certain parts of a song are distorted, and other parts are not, does this sound like a problem with the turntable mechanism itself (needle tracking fine, height / weight all good) or is there something funky with the needles.

Any help would be much appreciated. It seems pretty straight-forward to me, but maybe I'm overlooking something very basic but essential?

[breakbait]

have you plugged them straight into an amp?

[madmeesh]

yes straight into the amp, but it has a phono input. do I need an additional phono preamp?

[deadly_habit]

you need a preamp man
ugh why do people still get techs when the new high end kill em with digi output too
sorry bit of a rant
preamp so like 40-50$ more needed lol

[contakt321]

Okay, you have 2 technics, do you have a dj mixer?

Your set up should go:

Technics > DJ Mixer (in the turntable inputs)
then
DJ Mixer > Yamaha Receiver (NOT in the phono, put in through VCR or CD)

He likely has a dj mixer WHICH IS a Preamp, then putting in the phono input means he is using his amps Preamp leading to distortion.

Try what I suggested, you should be fine.

PS: your needles are fine. 8 billion+ djs use them.

[madmeesh]

thanks guys

digi output eh...i'm curious to learn more about that. does a digi output means a much stronger signal then not requiring massive amplification?? what other advantages are there? isn't there a reason people opt for analog?

[contakt321]

MAdmeesh, did you try what I said?

[madmeesh]

sorry to confuse
I don't own a mixer, I just was trying out a single deck directly into the phono stage on my stereo receiver, and expected that to work.
i'll be buying a mixer and hopefully that works, and thanks for the clear explanation

[contakt321]

sorry to confuse
I don't own a mixer, I just was trying out a single deck directly into the phono stage on my stereo receiver, and expected that to work.
i'll be buying a mixer and hopefully that works, and thanks for the clear explanation

Hmmm. That is strange then, because your receiver should have a phono preamp built in. Have you checked the Turntable to make sure it's set up correctly (correct weight, cartridge isn't rubbing the record, etc)? Check your receiver manual to make sure it has a preamp, but it definitely should.

[madmeesh]

Hmmm. That is strange then, because your receiver should have a phono preamp built in. Have you checked the Turntable to make sure it's set up correctly (correct weight, cartridge isn't rubbing the record, etc)? Check your receiver manual to make sure it has a preamp, but it definitely should.

Yea weird eh? So the turntable should be set up correctly. 2-5 grams of tracking force is recommended, i've tinkered in between those values and nothing is really changed. Physically everything looks good. One thing i noticed was when heavy sub drops on a song the needle skated all the way across the record. It really was a fucking catastrophe when i tried to play Headhunter What is that pointing to? Problem with cartridge alignment? (but I don't think so, with the techs came an overhang gauge that in theory is supposed to make it track correctly for that tonearm) sorry to keep battering this, but if the problem is not having a proper pre-amp / mixer, could that in fact cause the needle to skate abruptly. I don't know enough about the mechanics to diagnose the issue.

[lowpass]

thanks guys

digi output eh...i'm curious to learn more about that. does a digi output means a much stronger signal then not requiring massive amplification?? what other advantages are there? isn't there a reason people opt for analog?

Who said digital output?

You're dealing purely with an analogue signal at this stage,

Going into a phono will change the gain and tone much more drastically than going into one of the other inputs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIAA_equalization

by reading that you will see that when you take a source from a gramophone (dj deck) it is eq'd in the phono input by boosting the bass and attenuating the highs.

This is needed to counter how vinyls are cut (reduced bass frequency content) however if you run it through another one when the signal is already even then you will end up with too much bass, not enough highs and with the bass content being so powerful the chance's of you overdriving this is high.

nuff said? don't think so because you said you are going directly from your deck to your amp, which should in theory work if plugged in right.

-have you used other decks into this stereo receiver before? (Am I right in assuming this is the technics receiver?)

-what is your exact setup? I'm a little confused

[madmeesh]

thanks guys

digi output eh...i'm curious to learn more about that. does a digi output means a much stronger signal then not requiring massive amplification?? what other advantages are there? isn't there a reason people opt for analog?

Who said digital output?

You're dealing purely with an analogue signal at this stage,

Going into a phono will change the gain and tone much more drastically than going into one of the other inputs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIAA_equalization

by reading that you will see that when you take a source from a gramophone (dj deck) it is eq'd in the phono input by boosting the bass and attenuating the highs.

This is needed to counter how vinyls are cut (reduced bass frequency content) however if you run it through another one when the signal is already even then you will end up with too much bass, not enough highs and with the bass content being so powerful the chance's of you overdriving this is high.

nuff said? don't think so because you said you are going directly from your deck to your amp, which should in theory work if plugged in right.

-have you used other decks into this stereo receiver before? (Am I right in assuming this is the technics receiver?)

-what is your exact setup? I'm a little confused

so sorry - digital output was in response to the other guy saying i was dumb to buy technics when other decks with digi outputs are better....
what you wrote made sense, and helped me understand a little better
I am using a Yamaha rx-396 receiver that does indeed have a phono stage. Just running one sl-1210 mk2 ----> the phono inputs. Massive blow out on the low end, and weird wobbling pitch on the high end frequencies. Maybe the receiver's phono stage has just degraded, - would that explain the distortion?

[lowpass]

hmmm, have you tried in the other inputs? tell us what it sounds like

have you got a mixer you can use?

have you tried anything else through the phono inputs on the receiver?

[madmeesh]

good call lowpass, thanks for the suggestions all
through the other inputs, same problem so it's probably not the receiver. no mixer to try out, but i'll probably get one if all else fails.

could it be:

- that the motor for the table isn't spinning uniformly?
- the connection between the headshell and tonearm is compromised in some way? i dont think so because same problem on both decks, brand new
- an issue between the cartridge - headshell connection. the 4 colors don't line up, ie. i had to cross the red/white wires and blue/green wires. is that normal? snapped one right off the first try haha, i suck.
- there are compatibility issues between older technics and newer stantons? don't think so either!!

[lowpass]

Cool, so that take the connection out of the equation, down to the deck now

- don't think the plate speed should have anything to do with the integrity of the signal other than speed fluctuations

- do you have any other cartridges to try?

- I use concordes so I'm not familiar with lining up the cables but I know they can cause issues if not done properly (this could be your problem)

[madmeesh]

brilliant . yep so my next step is to try out some different cartridges. cheers

[lowpass]

brilliant . yep so my next step is to try out some different cartridges. cheers

If you don't have any lying around I'd say the cheaper option is to ask / read up about those wires on the inside of the cartridge, again I've not touched 'em before but I'd figure that out before spending money on something you may or may not need

[contakt321]

- an issue between the cartridge - headshell connection. the 4 colors don't line up, ie. i had to cross the red/white wires and blue/green wires. is that normal? snapped one right off the first try haha, i suck.

Yeah. This is likely it.

I am 99% certain they need to match up. Look at the instructions on your cartridge.

Also - did you snap off as in broke it off entirely - like it's not there any more? If so, that could be the problem.

[frank grimes jr.]

One thing i noticed was when heavy sub drops on a song the needle skated all the way across the record.

Sorry to be obvious, but did you remove the plastic guard from the stylus?
Unless the turntable is sitting on top of the speaker, there is no reason that this should occur.

[ninjadog]

- an issue between the cartridge - headshell connection. the 4 colors don't line up, ie. i had to cross the red/white wires and blue/green wires. is that normal? snapped one right off the first try haha, i suck.

I was gonna suggest to check out the wires. They have a certain place to be, your problem is probably because you crossed them. And what do you mean you snapped one off, the terminal on the cart, or the connector on the wire? So is one of the wires not connected now?
Anyway a new wire, or a new cart if you broke yours would fix the problem I'm sure.