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Any backwards-playing turntables?

Arkay

Arkay

Lunatic Member
This may be seen as a silly question, but silly minds like mine sometimes drift in bizarre directions, for untold reasons...

You know how some records are reputed to have "messages" that can only be heard when played backward, and a few actually DO have such messages in them? I know that normally this is played with (pun intended) by taping the sound off onto analog tape, and running the tape backwards, NOT by actually playing the vinyl record itself backwards.

BUT has anyone ever made a turntable that ran backwards (counter-clockwise), with tonearm also set up to play records backwards?

Okay, so this wouldn't be a good idea because the cutting heads were angled for one direction, etc... and it would be harder on the records to play them this way; it might tend to cause groove damage like "scratch-DJ scratching" can, but I'm just curious to know WHETHER anyone has ACTUALLY done this, and if so, what they did and what the results were (other than backwards-sounding and badly-wearing records).

Yes, I know one could take that little mini-van player, turn it around and run it backwards... but I mean a REAL player, normal in every other respect except that it plays records backwards, and thus, of course, from the innermost end of the groove to the outermost.
 
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I crossed the belt of my turntable between motor pulley and platter, and did not change the arm. It allowed me to hear what Prince was singing at the end of the Purple Rain album. Gear and record survived.

Disclaimer: don't try this at home.
 
I usually do it the fun way:

Tape it on a 4track/4channel R2R deck, flip the tape over, and play it back.
 
Easiest way to do this is to play the vinyl into your computer using a program like Audacity to record it to your HD then isolate the section of the recording that has the message and using Audacity reverse it.

I have the message contained within THE WALL recorded this way.
 
The stylus from the Audio-Technica AT-PL120's heavy-tracking ATP-2 "DJ" cartridge can play records backwards. Maybe other similarly built abuse-use cartridges/styli would work ... if you happen to have one lying around...

("#^&*#%"):music::no:
 
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For some unknown reason my garage dual 1257 sometimes starts running backwards. but the tonearm is static, so I have to be careful about plowing the stylus backwards..
 
Andyman said:
For some unknown reason my garage dual 1257 sometimes starts running backwards. but the tonearm is static, so I have to be careful about plowing the stylus backwards..
Click to expand...

on the bottom of the turntable is a black box with the switch and phasing cap for the motor inside. Remove and test the capacitor for leakage.

If that is ok, another strange thing that will make the duals spin backwards is the loading on the motor. Improper belt tension (too tight or loose) can cause this.
 
Huh ...

ec1st said:
The stylus from the Audio-Technica AT-PL120's heavy-tracking ATP-2 "DJ" cartridge can play records backwards. Maybe other similarly built abuse-use cartridges/styli would work ... if you happen to have one lying around...

("#^&*#%"):music::no:
Click to expand...

I beg your pardon? The stock stylus that comes with the PL120 will track well down to 1.9 grams or slightly below. The TT will spin in reverse and that stylus will work as it's designed for DJ use. But it still an elliptical and if tracking light will not be a record abuser :)
 
BrocLuno said:
I beg your pardon? ... :)
Click to expand...

Ok, by "abuse-use" I meant "heavy-duty", which DJ cartridges by design and necessity are. The term was used with tongue-in-cheek, sometimes a difficult quality to convey without the benefit of audible vocal inflection or a pre-existing understanding of a word user's idiosyncrasies. [:scratch2: I wonder how many times he tried to spell THAT word before the spell checker quit picking on him?] So, if in the future you find yourself in the unenviable position of reading something else I may post, p-l-e-a-s-e remember rule #1: never take me too seriously...:D
 
My AR XA will run in either direction if I give it a push. I removed the bump start motor because it was noisy and IMO unecessary since I always give a belt drive table with a heavy platter a spin while flipping the power switch anyway.
 
If I could get my SP-10 to spin backwards my sme 3009 does not have a stop and would work in the other direction without any trouble. Don't think I will try to make it spin backwards though!!
 
audiojones said:
My AR XA will run in either direction if I give it a push. I removed the bump start motor because it was noisy and IMO unecessary since I always give a belt drive table with a heavy platter a spin while flipping the power switch anyway.
Click to expand...

And, if you replace the pinned set screw that tightens the tonearm wand to the pivot with a regular set screw, you can turn the wand 180°. Reinstall the headshell "upside down" and move the arm to the far side of the spindle (the wires SHOULD be long enough) and set the stylus in the runout groove. Makes it real easy to listen to, "The White Album" backwards. Just remember to catch the arm before it sails over the edge at the end (beginning) of the record!

No, I'm not really advocating this, but Arkay did ask. As far as the wiring being correct, hey, you're listening to records playing backwards! Do you really care about left and right?

"turn me on deadman... turn me on deadman... turn me on deadman..."
 
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