Hello,
Why don’t you look at the tip of the needle with a magnifying glass and turn the Red a little to see the tip.
If you can’t see the tip and it’s flat, then you need a new needle because the tip has worn out.
On the subject of liquid, if you have some isopropanol you can also use that to clean it, dilute it to 70/30 because of me.
So 300ml isopropanol mixed with 700ml distilled water to a litre.
This will prevent streaks from forming.
I would also buy the Blue next time as a small upgrade over the Red.
Anything else would be too much for my taste.
Then add it to your inventory - that’s always helpful.
You can also try to find a better focus with a good mobile phone camera.
Cameras are sharper than the eye itself.
Maybe you can see the tip that way.
But a magnifying glass is much better.
And with the magnifying glass, you can also make a fire if the weather plays along and the electricity fails
The link doesen‘t work.
A worn belt would tend to be more conducive to speed and needle wear.
It would then have to be very worn or worn out.
However, the belt tends to be made of rubber and would tend to contract rather than wear out.
Did you adjust the tonearm correctly when you set it up?
If not, this can also contribute to increased needle wear.
If you did adjust it, try adding a little more weight to the needle before setting it up.
And see if it gets better.
I have found a photo of the needle where you can compare it with your needle.
You can see the tip there.
You can’t see it on your pictures.
But it is really only a guess that your needle is really at the end.
I once had more dropouts and it was due to the needle.
The turntable came assembled. Have been using it for years. Only recent change was to the Acryl-it platter but it sounded great even after the change to the new platter.
I think the needle is worn but now im going to buy a magnifying glass and try to get a good picture with my phone.
(The belt looks ok - but I just thought I’d ask)
The links should be working now. I made them public. Please have a listen and let me know what you think.
Hello,
There you have the cause!
If you have replaced the acrylic plate and not adjusted the tone arm to it, that is the reason why the needle is now at the end. Maybe not completely, but it probably contributed to it.
The needle is also the cause, as you can hear in your first link.
They are worn and need a new one.
Before you buy a new needle, familiarise yourself with the calibration of the needle, because you still need accessories for it, you can order them at the same time.
And stick to the settings of the blues in the manual, especially the weight.
As a tip I can give you when the needle is new, you can give it 0.2 g less weight, this protects the needle a little and gives it time to free itself. Later you can give it the recommended weight.
It is not difficult to adjust, You tube can also help.
If you set it correctly once and the turntable stays in place, it will last forever until the next needle change.
And if it’s set correctly, the needle will hold accordingly.
humm. Are you sure about that? I read that no adjustments were required that it was just a matter of swapping the platter.
Regarding your tips, you mean I should get a digital scale right? Or do you recommend anything else?
I just repeated the procedure of balancing the tone-arm with the counter weight then adjusting to the cartridge weight but I do not have a scale.
Correct me if I’m wrong but once I have it I just re-do everything I’ve done but this time set the scale on top of the platter and rest the needed on the scale. If it’s not at 1.8g I adjust the counterweight right?
I actually noticed that I had the tone-arm adjusted at 1.5g
But too much weight is what grinds it down right?
I don’t remember why I set it to 1.5g maybe I read a similar tip somewhere before.
Hello,
Yes, I’m sure.
The turntables never have the same dimensions as those where they were installed.
Even if they are tolerated by 0.1 mm, this has a great influence on the angle and depth of the needle position.
I would use a digital tonearm scale, which is more accurate, and yes, if you only have 1.5 g, add weight, and then turn the wheel back slightly to adjust it without losing weight.
This takes the play out of the thread and prevents it from turning back.
The weight is only decisive for the pressure, the depth also plays a bit of a role so that the needle does not touch down completely.
The angle is also important but tends to be more important when you change the tonearm.
But I would still check it with a new needle.
The 1.5 g was probably for playing in and later you give it a bit more weight because the tip always breaks at the front or rounds off slightly.
Then you give it a little more pressure and leave it.
Of course, if you give it too much weight, it tends to wear out.
It is better to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation, as they have tested it extensively.
There is also a good spirit level from Ortofon that you can use to check whether the turntable is level. This is also important.
There is also a kind of sound plate where you can slide the needle or something similar and test plates.
But I didn’t buy that, it was a bit expensive.
The scales for weight and horizontal testing are perfectly adequate.
The plate more makes more sense when changing the tone arm.
Always readjust the needle when it is new, when the platter is changed and when the belt is changed.
The record player can slip very quickly and then nothing is right.
Unfortunately, it is sensitive in this respect.
Oh yes, if the needle is broken or worn out, you simply need a new one, even if you take it out to check or clean it.
For practice, however, it is okay to get a feeling for it when it is already worn out.
All of this extra crap you need to really do vinyl properly, like a carbon record brush, scale, protractor, stylus cleaner, phonostage, record weight, replacement stylus; is why I gave up getting a record player again. Especially without a good record cleaner my records will soon be so full of static & dust, defeating the point of listening to records, as it won’t sound better anymore. I’ve been a staunch proponent of vinyl for most of my 50 years on Earth, always with the opinion records sound better than digital. I just can’t afford it all. I quit listening to the records I had as a kid when they became so degraded from static & dust that they were no fun to listen to anymore. I had forgotten that part until just recently.
Agreed with @Deleeh , anytime you change a component on a TT, it’s a sound idea to remeasure the weight to ensure it meets the specifications of the cartridge maker.
As a complete noob that I am I figured since I had a project debut carbon and bought the Project acrylic-IT for this turntable i figured it was a simple swap. At least all the bloody tutorials on youtube where they are trying to show you how much better the acrylic is (I did find it improved sound but maybe it didn’t and I got that felling just because all the static was gone) they never mentioned you needed to adjust the weight on the stylus. I kinda feel jerked around. Cause I don’t know these things but I am careful enough to google stuff are read it.
@AntiWoke I totally get what you mean. I seriously considered getting a new red stylus and selling the turntable and moving to digital. I don’t understand how I was able to have an old Akai turntable for 25 years with zero maintenance. When I upgraded I didn’t realize the hassle that was bound to come when things required maintenance.
But I have so many records which are very special and I just can’t let it go.
@Deleeh since I already have a pretty big shopping cart should I add anything to the list? I saw oil for the hub?
My list includes:
Scale: Project Measure IT E;
Ortofon Alignment tool;
Bubble level;
Ortofon 2M Blue Stylus.
For a very very (un)reasonable amount of 235€ + shipping.
The weight is only decisive for the pressure, the depth also plays a bit of a role
I’m sorry I didn’t get this one. I adjust the height of the tonearm then the weight with tonearm counterweight and set it on the digital scale to make sure it’s at 1.6g (recommended 1.8g).
When you say depth are you talking about the alignment?
PS: I never checked if the surface was levelled. I never even imagined this could be an issue. Jesus I feel like a complete moron.
Hello,
Look, I have found a tutorial here that is in German.
But you can translate it with deepl or if you have Google chrome as a browser should be somewhere next to the address bar right something where you can translate it.
You can watch the videos even if it is in German to just see it visually, that helps.
You can always google the English terms later.
If you need turntable oil then yes it doesn’t hurt to have some on the side.
I don’t think the Project needs it, but I’m not sure.
And no you are not an idiot.
5 years ago I bought an old Pioneer used.
Everything was fine until the needle died and I replaced it with the standard needle which broke very quickly and wondered.
When I started looking for it, I gradually found out why, why, why.
So it was a classic beginner’s mistake on my part too.
In the end, they learned from it and were able to take something with them, which is a positive thing.
And now you will do it right and better, and when everything is right again you can be proud of yourself.
And you will hear that it will be better than before.
I understand what you mean about YouTube, there are a lot of misleading videos, a lot of things are not shown how to do it properly and so on.
I’ve gotten into the habit of researching certain things I want to implement as much as possible until I know what’s going on.
This has saved me a lot of money and trouble several times.
In the end, you only buy the accessories once and they last forever, and you can use them to adjust other needles.
Don’t forget that they are measuring devices that are calibrated and unfortunately also have to be manufactured accurately.
A record player is more sensitive than a CD.
But it is a pleasure to listen to music with it.
Remember that many salespeople are not as knowledgeable about turntables as they used to be in a normal shop, so try it out for fun and you’ll be laughing inside when you leave.
Or with the younger generation most of them confuse it with cd’s.
You have also helped me by encouraging me to think about the project.
I ordered what I mentioned earlier and have set it up already.
Balanced the tone-arm without the Anti-skating weight in place.
Set up the tone-arm counterweight manually but then adjusted it with the digital scale.
My Ortofon 2M Blue is now at precisely 1.6g.
(I measured it without any vinyl of course. The scale was place directly on the acryl-it platter.)
I then added the anti-skate weight and tested 1 track in 3 vinyls that I know very well.
Wow. Problem definitely solved. I’m not going to say I can tell it sounds better than the RED because it feels that way but I have no idea for how long I’ve been listening to music with a damaged stylus.
My ear isn’t trained to be sure about these sort of differences although I did feel a change from the metal platter to the acryl-it as I mentioned.
I am going to watch the videos again and make sure I did everything right anyway.
But I wanted to thank everyone for their help and input. I learned a lot from this “mistake” and now have equipment at home which hopefully will allow me to enjoy my music in a better way and also provide proper maintenance to my turntable and make the stylus last longer.
I just wanna bother you with 3 more questions.
1 - I also used the level and it could use a slight correction on the back side of the turntable. It is a bit low (I’m talking like 1mm maybe 2mm) How level exactly should it be? Perfectly level?
2 - For how long do you think I should continue having it set to 1.6g? Until it starts skipping? I rarely buy second hand records so the ones I play have been mine and so are very well taken care of. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my turntable skip during a song since I bought it.
3 - I have an Ifi Zen Phono and I use it with the option MM (Moving Magnet) but If I choose MC High I really get a sound boost. (I know this is off topic kinda but) Can using this option damage my cartridge/stylus/turntable?
Hello,
I am glad to hear that everything is fine again and that you are happy that it is working again.
If you have money to spare, you can shorten the waiting time if you have a spare needle ready.
Regarding your questions, I can only answer 2-3 questions.
I don’t know the Ify you are talking about.
Because of the orientation of your turntable in the horizontal plane.
It is a matter of opinion, as a rule you always do it first.
Check that it is vertically and horizontally aligned with the scales.
Then you are always sure that it is perfectly in place.
Of course, this also contributes to the life of the needle in the end, the more accurate it is, the better, so to speak.
You can correct it again if it doesn’t leave you alone and check the anti skating and the weight again.
If you are now at 1.6 grams and it is the recommended weight as stated in the instructions, it is fine.
Check what it says.
If not, you might want to email Ortophon directly to make sure.
How you handle it, that also contributes to the life of the needle.
If I remember correctly, I used to run the needle in 0.2 grams less and let it run for 20-30 hours before putting the rest on.
Remember that the needle is very sharp and too much pressure can scratch the plate.
That is why in the beginning you always give a little less pressure than usual until the tip has worn down a bit, that is actually all and the real background.
You can train your ear to see if the needle is about to wear out or not.
But it is not bad and not a duty if not.
Most people say that the last time everything was fine.
Of course, you can also buy used records if the condition is good and have them cleaned before the first use.
Such things also contribute to the end of the needle’s life.
But you will probably have to have them sent in or have a dealer who has such a washing machine.
You can also buy them but they are very expensive and only make sense if you have a good collection.
But dust and dirt is always the number one killer of needles.
You are mostly powerless against it.
I never even imagined this could be an issue. Jesus I feel like a complete moron.
