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The curious case of right channel low end rolloff - Dual 704 w/ Shure V15-III

Hugh Mongous

Hugh Mongous

New Member
So I was busy recording some records when I noticed the waveform in my DAW was noticably bigger in the left channel. It seemed odd, because the stereofield sounded right; vocals/snare seemed centered and overall stereo image didn't seem off.

I put an instance of iZotope's Imager on the track to look at the lissajous graph at different frequency bands. And lo and behold, the low end (-120 Hz) was 1.5 dB lower on the right channel but higher bands where progressively more balanced. The right channel simply doesn't output the right signal loudness at lower frequencies.


Signal path:
-> Dual 704 with (old) Shure V15 III cartridge, new Jico hyper-elliptical needle
-> MM Phono in of amplifier Yamaha AX-890
-> line out into soundcard Edirol UA-1ex
-> Recorded on Mac Pro with Ableton Live at 48k-24bit

N.B. the line level signal from the amplifier into the soundcard was carried on a rather long (10 meter) cinch cable

What could be the cause of this? I've read about azimuth settings, but this seems to influence overall balance, not just signal strength at lower frequencies. And I know that cartridge wear could influence frequency response, but to my logic this would diminish higher frequencies, not lower frequencies. Or am I wrong in that assumption?
 
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I'd say that you are correct in your assumptions.
Suggest you try reversing the turntable inputs to your Yammy AX-890 to see if the problem stays in the right channel. If so, a failing capacitor in the phono preamp might be the culprit.
Also, do you see this in all records? Using a mono disc for this test will eliminate any channel imbalances in the recording.
 
Charlie S said:
I'd say that you are correct in your assumptions.
Suggest you try reversing the turntable inputs to your Yammy AX-890 to see if the problem stays in the right channel. If so, a failing capacitor in the phono preamp might be the culprit.
Also, do you see this in all records? Using a mono disc for this test will eliminate any channel imbalances in the recording.
Click to expand...

I've seen it in previous recordings, but hadn't pinpoint the problem then. I'll try reversing the channels into the phono preamp and report back!
 
Are your interconnects original? Those old Dual interconnects are sort of notorious for going bad.

You'll be able to tell when you swap the Right and Left going into your Yamaha.
 
hi*ball said:
Are your interconnects original? Those old Dual interconnects are sort of notorious for going bad.

You'll be able to tell when you swap the Right and Left going into your Yamaha.
Click to expand...

I've installed new interconnects a while back because it only had a DIN connector, which most amps don't support these days.
 
Hugh Mongous said:
I've seen it in previous recordings, but hadn't pinpoint the problem then. I'll try reversing the channels into the phono preamp and report back!
Click to expand...

So, I've switched the inputs at phono preamp and indeed, the problem reverses. So it has something to do with my cartridge/ tt setup..
 
Well, I've found the culprit(s)...

Looks like I'm in the market for a new cartridge. Any suggestions? ;)



Shure_V15_III_bent.jpg
 
Balifly said:
Are you saying that the cartridge is defective, or just the needle? :idea:
Click to expand...

Well, the needle is broken and tip seems off/dirty (I did clean it). So, I'm pondering about getting another cartridge or just replace the needle. I'm leaning towards an Ortafon 2M Red or AT440mlb..
 
Worst case you can get yourself an EVG (or is it EGV?) From Ebay for $17. This will help you be sure that the cart is good. That V15 type III is a great cart for that table!
 
That's the one I have now. And although I like the sound of it, I'm not convinced it's worth the price over the simpler and more modestly priced elliptical stylus which can be had for around 40 euros. Plus, I figure, if I'm going to spend around 100 - 150 euros I might as well upgrade the cartridge. Or would it be a downgrade from the V15-III?
 
Hugh Mongous said:
That's the one I have now. And although I like the sound of it, I'm not convinced it's worth the price over the simpler and more modestly priced elliptical stylus which can be had for around 40 euros. Plus, I figure, if I'm going to spend around 100 - 150 euros I might as well upgrade the cartridge. Or would it be a downgrade from the V15-III?
Click to expand...

Not familiar with what is available to fit the Dual 704 in the 100 - 150 euros range.

Thakker.eu has a good range of products you may want to consider.
https://www.thakker.eu/

Best of luck with the upgrade. :music:
 
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