Drop the needle: platter moving or not?

hbucker

Well-Known Member
Do you have a preference? Is one better than the other?

Drop the needle on the lead-in while the platter is stationary, then turn the platter on?

Or, drop the needle on the record while it's already spinning?
 
Some user are worried about scratching the lead in grooves when the stylus meets up with the spinning LP. :yikes:
 
Cueing while spinning is the usual practice. If you have issues with it bouncing and skipping across the record, cueing at a dead stop is just fine. Seat the stylus in the groove afterwards with a slight platter movement before starting the motor.
 
I can see the physics, something about the amount of force required to move a stationary object as opposed to keeping an object in motion in motion while sliding across a surface. When dropping a needle onto a moving record, the needle is introduced to the force more gradually, but even if introduced abruptly, it's still less force than what is placed on it when starting a record underneath it from a dead stop. Think of how much gas you have to use to accelerate to a certain speed and how much gas you have to use to stay at that speed.

I don't know . . . seems like that would be the argument.

If you placed your car on a moving road surface, would that be better for your tires?

I'm not arguing, I honestly don't know.
 
I always drop my stylus on a moving platter. On my Rega table the platter stays on and spinning for the entire listing session, even when changing and flipping records. I doubt that putting the needle on a stationary platter then starting up would hurt anything much but i know it couldn't help.
 
...When dropping a needle onto a moving record, the needle is introduced to the force more gradually, but even if introduced abruptly, it's still less force than what is placed on it when starting a record underneath it from a dead stop...

The force is introduced instantly and the diamond and cantilever are subject to more instantaneous force and less sustained force as the platter accelerating would apply. If it were marginal to the survival of a cantilever assembly and not having it torn out of the suspension bush, a slow startup would be better. But it isn't is it?

At the end of the day, it's a diamond (they are pretty hard you know). The groove is just a smooth plastic trench with wiggles in it.


The diamond always wins. The diamond won't care if its going fast, slow or stationary (and for DJs, going backwards) :)
 
Drop it while spinning help reduce the chance of a pit where the stylus hits if stationary.
 
It's a bit like the old theory about large airplane tyres and whether they should be pre-spun before landing to reduce tyre wear.
 
When I was a DJ, it was always a stopped record and then back cued 1/8 turn from the track beginning so I would know exactly when the music began. I have never done this at home and I don't ever plan to. It just seems wrong.
 
There's always the chance the platter could accidentally be nudged backwards, not the best thing on some very delicate cantilevers.
 
It really doesn't matter it's not going to harm anything. I'v always started the platter my whole life and that's what I'm used to. In fact I'd say it's more harmful and more risk trying to tell someone to change their habits to cuing a record differently than their used to.
 
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Oh, how I wore myself out arguing with Orville about that -- and Wilbur agreed with me, but that idiot Orville would never listen to us.
Skids, no wheels, it seems Orville and Mr Ed were right, both you and Wilbur don't have a clue. And why would you be arguing this with Mr Redenbacher?
 
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Some user are worried about scratching the lead in grooves when the stylus meets up with the spinning LP. :yikes:
Played hundreds of records over and over again with spinning platter. Seen no damage to the lead in groves and probably never will.
 
The difference is that the vinyl, as a material, is very soft when the record isn't spinning.
 
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