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MM cartridges that deal with static well?
- Thread starter IPunchCholla
- Start date
I love my SL-10 (and SL-15), and would look for another if it ever died.
One suggestion I've seen for static is to put a moistened sponge wherever you could tuck it around the TT, but haven't tried it myself.
Static can be a pain. I've also read that it isn't evenly dispersed across the surface of the record, but it exists in patches you can hear as the stylus crosses through.
Good reliable linear tracker, which is "relatively" available is the Revox Linatrack B791, B795, B295
although the cartridge mounting is "universal" - later models came standard with a T4P adapter - I retrofitted my B795 with a T4P adapter
Revox Linatrack
yes I am biased.... I bought mine used around 87
I also have other TT's - the Revox remains a firm favourite
Like most Revox hardware, it is serviceable.... the weakest point is probably the Nextel paint coating.
P.S. - with most of if not all 70's to 80's Linear trackers, we are talking about low to very low mass arms, designed for high to very high compliance cartridges - part of the problem today, might be getting hold of cartridges that are high compliance!
On the topic of "anti-static" cartridges - the Shure cartridges with the brush were intentionally designed to draw off static charge, via the brush through the cartridge body...
But, the 3rd party replacement needles (such as Jico) - even when they have the brush, are not designed for anti-static - they don't have a complete conductive circuit from brush to cartridge body - it only works that way with the OEM styli.
But, the 3rd party replacement needles (such as Jico) - even when they have the brush, are not designed for anti-static - they don't have a complete conductive circuit from brush to cartridge body - it only works that way with the OEM styli.
I use a carbon fiber brush misted with 2-3 pumps of distilled water from a decent atomizer. I hold this to the record for 1.5 revolutions. Kills static and lifts dirty. I do before and after playing a side, so I use a couple of brushes and rotate them.
RayKay
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I have worked on a number of these for myself and friends. For the average user, the OEM Rabco SL-8E is a kludge by today’s standards.I had the original Rabco arm. It had two problems; whenever the motor started to nudge the arm along the track, it could be clearly heard in the audio, and the other problem is that if the battery which powers the arm went weak or flat, the arm ceased to track - a very bad outcome.
The arm ceasing to track can be caused by several issues. The common culprits are failure of the foam rubber pad to grip the drive chain and poor electrical contact of the cat-whisker switches that control the carriage motor and lift motor. Failure of the foam gripper pad is no big deal because the arm will advance past the run contact and cue up during play. More troublesome are the cat-whisker contacts. The run contact seems to go bad first as it must operate with the slightest contact pressure, so the arm cues up during play and, again, no big deal. Rabco had many warranty claims caused by the cat-whisker contacts and there apparently was some correlation with local air pollution levels where the user lived. The battery going dead during play would indeed be a bad scenario but, gee whiz, if you can afford an expensive cartridge you can afford to put a fresh C-cell in the arm once in a while before it goes dead.
A major flaw in the original design of the arm is that the run motor operates on/off – it either runs full blast or it’s stopped. I think this was an economic decision based on the technology that was available at the time and I suspect was the origin of the “servo is always in error” argument that permeated the internet. The OEM motor and gearbox ratio can traverse the playing surface of a 33 RPM record in about 2-3 minutes, while the typical playing time is 15-20 minutes. This translates to the run motor RPM being over six times what it needs to be for a typical 33 RPM record. I have posted a thread in a DIY forum showing a retrofit modification of a stock SL-8/8E with a non-contact photoelectric circuit that drives the run motor with 100% reliability in a continuous variable speed mode. The carriage drive motor runs vastly quieter at the slower speed and will run continuously and steady if the record is centered.
The OEM SL-8E is a diamond in the rough for a DIY’r. If you appropriately modify the arm and drive system it can be capable of stellar performance. If you don’t have the ability or inclination to do that, the arm can be a pain in the wazoo and something like a serviced Revox Linatrack would be a prime choice.
I see that I have dragged this thread way off topic. Please let me make amends by saying that I have not observed my linear tracker to have any audible effect on the ability of my MM’s to handle ticks and pops, although it now runs quietly enough to hide amongst the background noise levels of my system. I use a Zerostat and a Decca Record Brush for static control.
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/rabco-sl8e-photoelectric-servo-control-retrofit.346827/
MakeMineVinyl
Major Contributor
If I remember correctly, the dead battery issue was a defective battery which went flat far earlier than it should have and as a result bent the stylus of a Shure V-15. At any rate, I got rid of the Rabco since I was young and too inexperienced with electronics at the time to do anything about it. The Rabco was definitely not ready for prime time when it came out. There are far better ways to do the same thing today, and I'm sure I could easily come up with some microcontroller implementation which would work far better than the brute force approach of the original.
My PLX-1000 has a rubber mat that seems to be static generator. That said, I have never heard evidence of static when playing. I detect static as I lift the record off the mat.
Have you tried an anti-static mat? I use one from Sleeve City on my VPI Traveler, but it also has a machined aluminum platter that likely helps dissipate static.
I would never personally use a spray to combat static. I recently invested in a Humminguru ultrasonic cleaner to rid myself of any residue on my discs; sprays sound like going backwards on that front to me.
Have you tried an anti-static mat? I use one from Sleeve City on my VPI Traveler, but it also has a machined aluminum platter that likely helps dissipate static.
I would never personally use a spray to combat static. I recently invested in a Humminguru ultrasonic cleaner to rid myself of any residue on my discs; sprays sound like going backwards on that front to me.
Amazon.com: Sleeve City Carbon Fiber Turntable Mat : Electronics
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a.co
I used one on a Technics SL-1500 I ran for years and it cut down on the staticky sounding stuff a lot. It was difficult to find and cost a bit of change but it was worth it.
MakeMineVinyl
Major Contributor
The Milty anti-static gun works well for static buildup.
Mine crackles when I brush the album with a cleaning brush, with the stylus in the air.
I hold the right hand on the lifting lever… but thinking about that now, I am not sure if that helps as the head shell is ceramic and may not even be conductive.
If the humidity is 3% it is probably easiest to use a humidifier or hang a wet towel in the room to aid in getting some water vapour into the air.
ESD-safe ceramics are made with with a conductive metal oxide. Whether yours is one or isn't is the question.
ESD-Safe Ceramics for Critical Static Problems
Protection against electrostatic discharge (ESD) now is a mainstream business, complete with products and services. As with most activities associated with high technology, the...
www.electronicdesign.com
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Ok what is the question then?ESD-safe ceramics are made with with a conductive metal oxide. Whether yours is one or isn't is the question.
ESD-Safe Ceramics for Critical Static Problems
Protection against electrostatic discharge (ESD) now is a mainstream business, complete with products and services. As with most activities associated with high technology, the...
I assume my white ceramic does not have carbon black in it. And I also assume the crackles when taking the brush to the record is static charge.
Yeah I was going to say, I wasn't aware of anyplace that had humidity levels that low.
Hel ?
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Well we're back up to our more typical 15% or so. I also futzed with the swamp cooler, and it is putting out much more cool (and moisture). And the same vinyls I was having issues with (Low's Hey What, etc.) aren't having any issues at all anymore. No pops, clicks, or crackles. Even just leaving the record on the player for a few days and doing nothing before playing it. So humidity does seem to be an issue, and the solution seems to be to make it more humid...
OP
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- #39
Close. Albuquerque. Though I like it here, whatever that says about me....
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