Vinyl Stereo?

[SDA1C]

OK....I got some old TT's and am about to start cleaning, fixing, tuning. I have one question right off if I might ask?

How does a TT play in stereo when there's only one needle? If it does truly play in mono only whats the biggie about vinyl and SDA? or any other stereo rig for that matter?

Thanks as always, 1C

[steveinaz]

left/right side of the needle follows L/R sides of the wall of the groove on the vinyl.

[SDA1C]

NO kidding? That's cool. So then there's side to side on the needle as well as up and down? I know I like the sound but obviously have no ides how it works lol. With that in mind I guess a side being"out" could be anywhere in the path from the needle to the board? I see the wires from the needle go to a shared point between the output cable and the pc board. How does this all work? Would it help if I posted pics? or does Technics 1360 give enough info?

[steveinaz]

Ideally the needle shouldn't be moving up/down. If it's a moving coil cartridge, then the coils are mounted "fixed" to the cantilever (the arm that holds the needle) and they vibrate around a fixed magnet. A Moving magnet cartridge is just the opposite; magnets move around fixed coils. MM (moving magnet) cartridges generally have higher output. MC (moving coil) requires more preamplification, as the output is lower--but mounting the lighter coils to the cantilever make for a more compliant cartridge---generally. There are also High output MC cartridges, that try to blend the best of both worlds (high output/high compliance).

Amazing how such a system can render such good sound.

A channel out would likely be a problem with the stylus or the cartridge.

[SDA1C]

That makes sense. The right channel is out. I wiggled the cords (with the rca plugs) and it would come and go but you couldn't hold it and make it work. So I cut off about 3 inches and soldered it back in place. no worries I can solder pretty good. But after I did that not the right channel is completely gone? WTF? I'd like to at least find out a little before dismantling something that might just be an easy fix.

[steveinaz]

Sounds like a bad cable then, or possibly a loose (cold solder joint) input jack?

[SDA1C]

So I took the cartridge out needle and all (I think lol) and put it in another table. It works fine.

[SDA1C]

Wiggling the jack end made no difference. but wiggling it at the back of the table did.

Sounds like a bad cable then, or possibly a loose (cold solder joint) input jack?

[steveinaz]

Time to look at the TT output connections then.

[SDA1C]

Pardon my noobish but is that the pc board?

[steveinaz]

I believe so, I'd chase down where the RCA cable connects inside the TT and see if you have a broken/cold connection somewhere. Hard to know, as I don't know that TT.

[SDA1C]

I believe so, I'd chase down where the RCA cable connects inside the TT and see if you have a broken/cold connection somewhere. Hard to know, as I don't know that TT.

This is where I cut off 3 inches and re soldered.

I just checked them for continuity between the plug and the inside connection and its all good there

[steveinaz]

You mean where the leads connect to the cartridge? Check that as well. There's an open somewhere.

[SDA1C]

ok I have 524 ohm on one side of the cartride and .3 ohm on the other side. bad cartridge like you said eh? lol


why did it work in the other table?

[SDA1C]

hold on ...something is screwy here. are the wires out the back of the cartridge supposed to be straight scross to the corresponding pin? or should they be in a weird order?

[steveinaz]

I don't know for sure. I was talking about the wires that are routed down your tonearm....

[SDA1C]

Yep checked those. I don't know what it was besides maybe a bare wire laying on another but I took it apart and layed stuff down in straight lines and all that then taped them down and now it works fine. too much bass compard to cd though so I have to do something about that.

Thanks Steveinaz

[steveinaz]

Vinyl tends to be a little warm in the mid-bass. Make sure your cartridg alignment is correct, re-check your tracking force, and if arm height is adjustable, check that too. You may just need to try a different cartridge. Remember, TT's are like everything else, you get what you pay for.

[steveinaz]

What are you using for a phono preamp?

[rebuy]

Check some of the recent post about TT here, there is a lot lot of good links to understanding how they work.

[SDA1C]

What are you using for a phono preamp?

Sunfire TG3

@rebuy...I will. I am really intrigued about how it corresponds to the cross talk of the sda.