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Mono Reissues and the Conical Stylus

Hi Folks,

Recently I started buying mono reissues from Speakers Corner, Impex, and have recently ordered a few from Analogphonic. They're all of the 'long haired' variety. In the process, I've come to discovery threads where posters claim that the newer mono reissue grooves are cut in a V (stereo) shape rather than the vintage U (mono) shape.
My AT 33 mono cartridge comes with a conical stylus and from what I can tell, so do the better mono cartridges, i.e. the Miyajima Zero Mono. This of course would then create an issue where it pertains to using a conical stylus in a V shaped groove.

Around November, I plan to purchase a Jelco tonearm for my modified Thorens TD 160 and after that, will be looking to upgrade to a higher end mono cartridge. However, I don't see that they're would be a viable solution to the stylus dilemma given that I will only have one tonearm. I do by the way own a collection of early mono records but would like to find a cartridge that better crosses over between my vintage pressings and my reissues. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
goofyfoot
sleepwalker65's avatar
sleepwalker65
832 posts
 
My take on this is that re-issues and late sixties original mono records are cut with narrow groove, and as such a modern stylus profile is optimal for reproduction even if only in mono. To that end, I’ve gone with the Audio-Technica VM540ML and it’s mono sibling, doing a mix
and match, taking the microline stylus from the VM540ML stereo body and putting on the mono cartridge body to play mono records. This limits me to just narrow groove records though. On a related note, I have yet to see a perfectly definitive way to identify exactly when mono record production in wide groove format stopped and narrow groove production started. Any ideas on that would be most welcomed. 
lewm
12,460 posts
 
Goofyfoot, There is a lot of information on this subject available on the internet, but no matter how much knowledge you acquire (and I do recommend that you acquire more than you have already), there will always be some gray areas and areas where knowledgeable persons disagree with each other.  If you go to the Miyajima website, English version of course, and read what they have to say about how their cartridges should be used, that would be a good place to start.  If memory serves, they recommend a 1.0mil conical stylus for older original mono recordings. 0.7mil conical for later recordings, mono LPs into the mid-to-late 1950s.  I don't recall what they recommend for modern mono re-issues, but I am confident 0.7mil would work.  I am also sure that Sleepwalker's choice works too.  With only one tonearm on one turntable, you're going to have to decide what compromises you want to make.  Also, search on this site and on Vinyl Asylum and Vinyl Engine for more info.
goofyfoot OP
1,316 posts
 
Lewm, I'm not ignorant, rather I'm keeping my post simple. I've found this Ortofon website to break things down more but still question whether or not a microcline stylus would be ideal for pressings from both the 1950's and the 2000's.
https://www.ortofon.com/hifi/cartridges-ranges/true-mono

There has to be a valid reason why Miyajima chooses a conical stylus and why Lyra incorporates a microcline stylus.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,417 posts
 
@goofyfoot, have you searched the Analog Planet website for info on this subject? Michael Fremer is really up on these issues, so I would start there.
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