Sorry - a couple more newbie analog questions


I did a search on this but couldn't find answers pertaining directly to my situation so here it goes...

Stupid question #1) When changing records should I turn the player off, or can I change on the fly? My paranoid half is telling me that I might be damaging the other side of the record and/or the motor. I am not using a clamp.

Stupid question #2) When a cartridge is still breaking in what ways does it sound bad? I am noticing sometimes, not always, high frequencies distort - high, loud, short piano or violin notes. Is this normal break in or do I not have the cartrdige set up properly. (Goldring Elektra/Rega RB250) The VTF is set at the top end of the suggested range, 2 grams. The cartridge is factory pre-set, when I checked the alignment with the paper thingy it looks okay. Could this distortion be a software issue, most of my lps are pretty old and I am still waiting for my disc doctor kit. The cartridge has about 20 hours on it.

Thanks in advance!
tooter
I wouldn't try switching LP's without turning the motor off with the Herbie's mat in place.

One thing you can do to really help out the motor and, especially, the belt life is give the platter a light spin with your finger before turning the motor on. A majority of the stress a motor undergoes is when it's trying to get that heavy platter up to speed from a dead stop.

The Goldring table is basically a Rega P2 table isn't it? If memory serves it's got the RB-250 arm on it. I would think that Goldring would make sure the VTA is correct with the Elektra. Interestingly enough - that's the same cartridge that was on my first "better" turntable, a Music Hall MMF-2.

Maybe some others have got the same Dylan LP's you've got and could check to see if it's in the pressing. One of the LP's that I've recently listened to that had this problem was a newer 180g pressing of an early Black Sabbath album (keep your comments to yourself please....)during a sustained very loud bass note.
Turn it off 'till you get used to handling LP's. Come to think of it, 'taint no reason to ever not turn it off. Sometime, someday, you'll either: drop the thing and have it hurled off onto the floor, or worse, on it's way down to the floor, the LP will make a detour and trash your cartridge stylus.

The other problem, IMHO & IME, is just basic record cleaning. Vinyl is often a bit overated in some areas, but the one thing in my X decades of dealing with it, is that it is a lot tougher than a lot of people give it credit for. And, to optimize it, requires a significant time investment in the cleaning procedure.

Wet wash, vac dry. And I've recently adjusted my procedures per Mikey Fremer's Tracking Angle article on cleaning.
Slate1 - good idea about the Dylan lp. I'm thinking that if the cleaning doesn't help I'll either post a question here on A'gon or even maybe just go out and buy another one for comparison.

Shasta - thanks. I'll have to check out the Fremer article you mention. Is that in a recent issue?