AudiogoN Forums: changing anti-skating with clear red vinyl?

changing anti-skating with clear red vinyl?

Rega 3/24 and Elys 2 cartridge set up 15 months ago by a top audio retailer has been preforming great, through a Threshold FET nine. Two days ago I played for the first time an album pressed with clear red vinyl, and noticed a reproducible behavior of buzzing distortion on a few tracks. The weird thing is that the problem seemed to start with a new song...the previous track would play well, but as soon as the next song would play, distortion would start, as if something happened during the lead-in to the next song. The distortion would resolve when I lifted the tonearm and set it down.

Today I played the same album on my Rega 3 with an old Super Elys cartridge through a Marantz 2220B, my office system. It played fine.

I would call my audio retailer, and may, but I am sure that due to the season they are busy. I live a couple of hours away so it really isn't too convenient to run by. I am sure many of you in the Audiogon community will know what I need to do to get this really cool album to play.

So, friends, what do you think is happening, why, and how do I respond?

No_method (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-19-11

Responses

12-20-11: Tom6897
What album is it? What speed is it? 33 1/3, 45.
Tom6897 (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-20-11: No_method
Album: "A Very She & Him Christmas", in 12", 33 1/3 rpm
No_method (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-20-11: Dougdeacon
First, is your stylus clean? What method do you use to keep it so (if any)?

Second, is the buzzing distortion in one channel or both? If just one, which?

Dougdeacon (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-20-11: No_method
Great questions! No I do not clean the stylus other than using the carbon bristles of a Goldring exstatic record brush to tease off dust.

The distortion is in both channels.
No_method (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-20-11: No_method
I have read Tom6897 likes the Magic Eraser for cleaning the stylus.
No_method (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-20-11: Heyraz
Is your anti-skate set correctly? Does it sound like you are hearing the adjacent groove?
Heyraz (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-20-11: Dougdeacon
No_method,

My partner and I concur with Tom6897. Ask him if he's ever read my original writeup. ;-)

The bristles of a record brush are inadequate for stylus cleaning. Read that link for an explanation from Jonathon Carr of Lyra. By contrast, Roy Gandy/Rega's assertion that record and stylus cleaning are unnecessary is a concession to the deaf, the foolish and the lazy. For optimal performance, records must be cleaned before the first play and styli must be cleaned after every play.

A stylus riding on stuff dredged up from a non-clean groove will mistrack. It's not certain that this is your problem but it fits the symptoms. Lifting the stylus and cueing it back down may let some of the stuff fall off, allowing the stylus to mistrack less. Actually cleaning the groove and stylus would be better of course.

Inspect the stylus with a good light and magnifier before and after cleaning. It should appear clean, clear and uncolored (white like a good diamond, never yellow). If Magic Erasering improves it visually, it's a sure sign it needed cleaning.

As the distortion is in both channels, skating/anti-skating are unlikely to be involved, so the title of your thread was misleading. When framing a question I get less skewed results if I avoid presuming any particular answer.

Doug
Dougdeacon (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-20-11: No_method
I have heard the adjacent groove recently, but not since I have played with the anti-skating last night. Also, the record played well this morning.

I am just now learning about anti-skating. I did watch the associate at the audio store listen carefully to his favorite album to make sure it was set up well (a Bobby McFerrin album).

Before Audiogon yanks my vinyl license, I promise to clean my stylus with Mr. Clean ME!

Thanks for all your help! Tom6897 and Dougdeacon, I have learned much from reading your posts regarding anti-skating and cleaning! I will let you know in the morning how things have improved!
No_method (Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-21-11: No_method
It is time to close this up. Problem solved. I have cleaned the stylus with ME, and the album has played twice through without concern. The Audiogon community has worked, I am wiser, and my system is better because of it.

I look forward to posting my other problems in the future.
No_method (Threads | Answers | This Thread)