Tracking Weight

[KEB]

Is it just me or does everybody else adjust tracking weight from record to record. Just picked up 2 used records and one seems to need the tracking force adjusted just a hair heavier to avoid skips and to just sound better/deeper.

 

[spark1]

Is it just me or does everybody else adjust tracking weight from record to record. Just picked up 2 used records and one seems to need the tracking force adjusted just a hair heavier to avoid skips and to just sound better/deeper.

It's just you. Why not leave it a "hair heavier".

 

[KEB]

Doing so. Cleaning as I go. Damn micro-fiber clothe leaves stylus dust bunnies.But Yeah, hanging in there.

 

[bimasta]

Damn micro-fiber clothe leaves stylus dust bunnies.But Yeah, hanging in there.

Using a micro-fibre cloth on the stylus will definitely leave it hanging — if you're lucky.

 

[Montycat]

Microfiber sheds micro plastics. My carbon fiber brush does not. And I never adjust tracking force from record to record.

 

[Thorsten R.]

I always use a test LP to adjust the proper values for vtf and antiskating. Then I leave it there until I swap the cart. I use a carbon fiber brush and always (since 50 years or so) a LencoClean.

 

[KEB]

Yeah, i'm not using that damn clothe anymore to clean the records. i ordered a proper kit, along with a stylus brush. Two days wait. Still playing tonight tho.

 

[benricci]

Set it and forget it. Most of the people who design cartridges actually want it to track at its heaviest recommended force. The marketing team wants to tout the lightest tracking force, because that number appeals more to audiophiles.

When in doubt, feel free to track a tad heavier. You’re really, truly, honestly not going to damage your records.

 

[KEB]

Set it and forget it. Most of the people who design cartridges actually want it to track at its heaviest recommended force. The marketing team wants to tout the lightest tracking force, because that number appeals more to audiophiles.

When in doubt, feel free to track a tad heavier. You’re really, truly, honestly not going to damage your records.

That makes sense.

 

[twiiii]

We learned a long time ago at the radio station before I even came to work in the early 60's that keeping records clean was more important than the tracking pressure. A lot of the old 16 inch tables with damped arms were tracking at 7 grams and as long as a record was only played twice a day or so no one ever worried as long as the records were kept clean. You grind dirt into a record and you can't ever again get it clean and noise free. When you are using compressors and limiters to get maximum penetration from your transmitter the dynamic range shrinks and the noise floor comes up and the only way to keep the noise from being a problem is keep the records clean. also when you compress you increase the high freq content so De-essers were developed, too. They attempted to keep the same signal spectrum as the compression was increased.

 

[jmchrislip]

I recently purchased a wet cleaning A goat's hair record cleaning brush and used it with The Groovinator Very good results I dried it in a dish rack and gave it a dust off with AI Super Cleaner Formula with a DiscWasher 3 brush and the results are great! I revived a 195? Stan Getz on DECCA and it sounds amazing.