Turntable tracking fail

High fidelity turntables with a featherweight tracking force give you the best audio quality and least wear when playing pristine records, but for something like this badly warped 45, they just don't do the job.

On some turntables you can try to compensate by manually increasing the tracking force, but this Technics is a P-mount turntable, which means the tracking force (1.25 grams) and anti-skating are preset at the factory and are not adjustable. And if you tried the old-fashioned trick of taping some coins to the tonearm, you'd wear out the stylus (and your records!) very quickly because it isn't designed for a heavier tracking weight.

This is just something to keep in mind when buying a turntable: choose the one that best suits the type of records you'll be playing -- which is not necessarily the highest-spec one you can afford!

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• turntable
• phonograph
• tracking
• force
• weight
• tone
• arm
• tonearm
• warp
• warped
• record
• vinyl
• lp
• 45
• single
• test
• pmount
• p-mount
• technics
• slbd20d
• sl-bd20d

[TheBabinne]

What is the better way to clean a stylus?

[vwestlife]

@TheBabinne Gently rub it back to front with a small, soft-bristle brush (like a nail polish brush).

[Recordbhoy]

What the hell would you expect mate ..the single was warped badly ..I wouldn't expect any turntable or arm to play it ..what is your point here ?

[vwestlife]

@Recordbhoy My Pioneer turntable plays it almost without flaw. Look up the video "Elton John - Daniel [warped 45]".

[stevie767]

Buy an Linn LP12!

[vwestlife]

@stevie767 If I could afford one, I would!

[freezazoid]

dude c'mon.... how much does it cost to buy a non warped elton john 45? Unless its a REALLY rare record, I don't get the point of even buying a warped LP/45... I suggest not basing your whole system on playing shit records.

[TwinMillMC]

The Shure M97X Phono Cartridge with "Stabilizing" dust brush tracks warped records perfectly. Unique to Shure, this damped dust brush acts as a shock absorber allowing warped, bumpy, or cracked records to be tracked without the needle jumping or skipping. Check out my Seeburg Demo Record video. This is a bent & creased cardboard record that only the Shure would track perfectly at only 1.5 grams. But it's a 1/2" mount not a P-mount. Ebay price is about $60 - $80. HQ sound as well!

[SuperRecordman]

Not surprised the stylus is having problems tracking. That record is quite badly warped so my solution is to source another copy of the record. Best thing to do. :)

[phantasm1004]

@freezazoid .....what the hell is your problem dude? no one held a damn gun to your head and forced you to read my comments. whatever your condition is, i'm sure there's a medication for it. you need to lighten up. you don't like what i wrote, DON'T READ IT. simple enough for you?

[freezazoid]

@phantasm1004 tracking force is adjusted with the counterweight. You screw it in or out to adjust force. Did you really need to take two comments just to say that?

[Zickcermacity]

just lay a BRICK on the head of that tone arm - problem solved!