Crackling distortion


I have a used (new to me) VPI Scout with a new Dynavector 20x2L with a bunch of new vinyl to go along with it. I used the VPI rig to set it up and followed all the instructions on se up, with the amount of anti skate be set right not 100% there. I have a Shure force guage and I'm running 2.2g grams + .1g per VPI recommendation. 2.2 is max for DV cart.

I've noticed on some albums I'm getting a crackling distortion in some high transients and on some vocals - especially the emphasized.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong or what to do next. I did notice that after 12 hours on the new cart I had just a hair more than the 2.3 g of force, so I adjusted that yesterday, but I'm still hitting the crackling. Could I of already damaged the cart?

I double checked the overhand with the VPI and its right on the dot. My VTA is level.

The record is new and freshly cleaned and dry. The needle was brushed and cleaned as well. Both channels seem equal as well.

Any help would be appreciated.
last_lemming

Showing 6 responses by last_lemming

My phono pre is a DV P-75 (actually its my friends). But I have it set for my low output MC. But that's all irrelevant. It ended up i had not cleanrd it very well, the there was a caked on piece of vinyl on the stylus. I tried cleaning it with Last and lo and behold the sound was great smooth as butta' again.

I guess I'm still too new a newb at this vinyl stuff!
Bif,

Thanks for the advice. I set the azimuth by the rod method by using an old drafting lead that you have to sharpen. This gave me a long overhang for a bit more accuracy sharp points at either end to measure against.

I have Fremer's disc and a digital multimeter. I saw the device for the counterweight and I figured I'd use the DMM once I got the counterweight for setting my azimuth more correctly.

What's your thoughts on the VTA. Where have you found the best setting.
Well I thought I had everything sorted, but now I think the crackling distortion might just be the record, not the TT. Last night I put on a record (brother where art thou soundtrack) and the first side was fine, but as soon as I flipped to the second side I started getting the distortion at the end of emphasized vocals. So I got out my old middling pioneer TT that I rescued from the garbage and refurbished. It has a green Grado cart that I threw on it when I fixed it. I hooked it up to my Onkyo receiver in my "man cave" and what do you know, same distortions from the same moments in the song were heard.

The only thing that disturbs me is that I heard this similar etched vocal distortion (emphasized vocals not soft vocals) on "tea for the tillerman" lp but that was on the last track on a side which makes me think its end of lp distortion, though it seems more sever than maybe it should. Its a brand new album. How bad does the end of lp distortion usually sound? I can't imagine it would be so bad as to be hearing screechy etched vocals. I played around with TF to no avail, and I triple checked my overhang with the VPI jig so I'm good there. It might be the album, but I'll need to try it on the pioneer TT to be sure.
I tried from 1.8 to 2.2g. It didn't change anything on the particular album that had the distortion. Interestingly most other albums are fine. No distortion at all. So I'm beginning to think it my just be the album. I'm going to tri it on the pioneer to see if the sound replicates.
Ok. I got my dig force guage in. Now I'm even more confused on how to deal with setting the force and dealing with anti skate. I know your suppose to take off AS when setting force. However no matter where I place the metal pigtail off the TA it changes the AS between .2 and .3 g. I can't find a place to set it when it's unplugged that acts "neutral" to the tone arm. The only place that seems like it would be truly neutral is directly above where it plugs into the tone arm with alll the slack of the wire removed and the pigtail hovering in the air - and the wire can't be pulling up or pushing down on the tone arm bc that would change the force reading. Same is true for setting azimuth. The best I can figure is to twist the wire in such a way as to impart as close to zero AS while its plugged in, make all the other adjustments the put the twist in the wire to set anti skate.

Is there a better way?
Thank you for your advice. I'm dense headed sometimes, so forgive me when I ask what is the purpose of steps 2 and 3. Is this so you don't have to level the tone arm for the the FG and then level it again for the record? And what do you mean by "center th erecor weight"?

But just so I undestand you (btw I don't have the VPI contraption for antiskate, just the wire) tell me if my proceedure will follow yours (assuming leaving out steps 2 and 3 until im more clear on those):

1. Release all twist on wire (I prefer this myself)
2. hook up Lemm fitting
3. set FG on platter and make sure stylus in in center
4. I will adjsut VTA so are is level with platter
5. set tracking force
6. remove guage, put on flat record
7. adjust VTA so level with record (tracking force should be the same.)
8. double check all settings including tracking force adjust if necessary.