Post your turntable setup...can't get enough of those spinners!

Discussion in 'Vinyl Nutjob World: Turntable and Related Gear' started by shaizada, Sep 28, 2015.

  1. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

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    So what is considered canonical usage of the Milty and what makes it less easy? :p
     
  2. Torq

    Torq MOT: Headphone.com

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    Easier, certainly ... or at least usage is consistent.

    Better ... maybe, but if there was a difference to the result I didn't hear/feel one.

    Hold it about a foot from the record, point it at the center, slowly squeeze the handle [if you get obvious metallic clicking sounds you're squeezing it too fast], then when you have it fully pulled, keep pointing it at the record and slowly release (same thing applies if you get clicks as you release it).

    The trick with the Zerostat is that the speed/pressure you have to use when pulling/releasing seems to vary every time!
     
  3. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

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    Somewhere, from a long time ago, I read that you should start with a release stroke pointed to the record, then pull it. I personally can't see the difference. To get the hang of it, get your arm hairs all charged up (rub an album's plastic cover on it or something) then zap away. You should see the hairs drop down as they are discharged. Note, that when I was doing it, no skin was harmed. Your mileage may vary.
    In climes with way more static, you may also want an ionizer in the room, though that tends to build up crud along the walls over time, so don't run it unless needed?
     
  4. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

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    @Wfojas are you saying I have hairy arms?
     
  5. Dino

    Dino Friend

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    FWIW, from the instructions that came with my original (white) Zerostat:

    1. Imagine the record as having a triangular shape (the spindle hole being the center). Hold the Zerostat approximately 12 inches from the record surface and slowly squeeze the trigger at each of the three "corner points" of the record. We suggest taking about two (2) seconds to release it. (If the record is on the turntable, perform this while the turntable is not revolving.)

    2. Pointing the Zerostat at the center of the record, gently squeeze the trigger a fourth time, point the Zerostat away from the record (toward the floor) and release the trigger.

    That old Zerostat still works. The resistance to squeezing/releasing the trigger has lessened to the point that it is harder to judge how hard to squeeze/release without causing the clicks, though.
     
  6. Dino

    Dino Friend

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    I have read that it is only the carbon black that would be susceptible to magnetism. I started to post that it would be black records. Then, I remembered reading in Trouser Press (or Bomp) magazine that the late 70s French pink vinyl 'Pink Floyd - Animals' was the first to use a process that allowed colored vinyl to use carbon black. I don't know if that process went anywhere beyond that one release, though.
     
  7. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

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    Now that you bring that up....
     
  8. Dino

    Dino Friend

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    My Zerostat instructions say "Don't use on people or animals". No clue why not.
     
  9. k4rstar

    k4rstar Britney fan club president

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    [​IMG]

    So I've been collecting records for a few months. It started as an innocent interest, a genuine fascination with physical media and the satisfaction that comes along with owning ones favorite albums versus an intangible digital copy. Eventually I owned so many it physically and emotionally hurt to not be able to play them, so I started researching beginner vinyl rigs. I spent the better part of a month hemming and hawing over every option; as it was extremely important for me to 'do it right' and put together (on a budget that would leave money for more records!) something I would enjoy listening to as much if not more than my digital setup. After much deliberation I became the proud owner of a U-Turn Orbit with a 2M Blue cartridge and a Lounge LCR MKIII phono stage. Below are just some of the many things I've learned since:

    1. Digital is just an approximation of the real thing
    I've heard this phrase thrown around before, sometimes by digital-must-die doomsayers like Michael Fremer and a few times even on this forum, but I never really truly understand what it meant until I listened to this system for the first time. It's hilarious how many digital setups I've heard at varying price points which have totally failed to do the simplest things such as correctly render guitar distortion, and here I was listening to a modest turntable that was playing back the most realistic and organic guitars I'd ever heard.

    2. Not all LPs are created equally
    Despite my best intentions to do research both online and in-store, some records just plain suck, and no one will tell you otherwise beforehand. I now shamefully own a few LPs that are just straight up worse sounding than the CD because of a poor pressing or poor master, but each one is a lesson learned.

    3. Phono pre-amps are important
    The Lounge MKIII that is now in my system is excellent, and deserves it's own write-up somewhere else. While it was being held hostage by Canadian customs I was resigned to using a Musical Fidelity V90-LPS; which was rough, lacked depth and more or less sounded like digital. Upgrading to the Lounge was a revelation, and taught me even in a budget system choice of phono stage counts.

    4. A ~$1000 analog chain can compete with a good ~$1000 DAC
    The total cost of my TT rig (before cost of records, of course) was around what it costs to buy a Gungnir Multibit and a big question I had was how the two would compete. It's safe to say if I own a good copy of an album on vinyl, I will listen to it on my table every time. It doesn't keep up in every technical factor, but I'll be damned if the engagement factor isn't up several magnitudes over what I'm used to with digital. My Gungnir Multibit isn't going anywhere, it's imperative I keep a good digital front-end to enjoy albums I don't own yet or ones that never made it to vinyl. I have a new-found appreciation for how many facets of analog reproduction the Gungnir Multibit manages to convincingly mimic, and it makes sense why so many vinyl nutjobs on here keep it around as their DAC of choice.

    5. The maintenance factor and surface noise is overblown
    The work associated with maintaining a collection and playing back vinyl isn't that bad. I'm a lazy f**k and I can keep up with using a brush, cleaning the stylus after every side and putting records away properly after playing them. I've only been listening through headphones thus far and surface noise has been unobtrusive in all but one of my records, and that one was simply a horrid pressing. Caveat: I've only been buying new or at least VG+ records, so no deep record cleaning required on my part.

    Maybe this post will help someone who is on the fence about getting into vinyl get their feet wet. I'm very glad I did, if the physical aspect of collecting records appeals to you and the music you like is reasonably obtainable, go for it! I'm not responsible for vinyl addiction, loss of home or relationship due to spending $1200 on a record clamp or loss of sanity when your $2400 record cleaning machine gets the label on your UK original Pink Floyd wet.
     
    Last edited: Apr 10, 2017
  10. shipsupt

    shipsupt Admin

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    Nice write-up K4! Very thoughtful.

    The only thing I would add is to not underestimate the value of giving new vinyl a cleaning.

    Thanks for taking the time to share this.
     
  11. bazelio

    bazelio Friend

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    Nice @k4rstar !! Looks like you're getting a lot of enjoyment from that rig.

    One thing I'd like to note, however. "No deep cleaning required" - I believe you're wrong there. Clean all records, even brand new right out of the shrink wrap. They're *not* clean most of the time, and that includes MFSL which often look like they've made an attempt to clean them, but often left streaks and residue containing who knows what. Further, IMO, cleaning (proper cleaning) isn't really about removing ticks and pops either. There are other ways to do that. Cleaning is about enabling that stylus to extract everything it can out of the grooves up to its potential. So if you really want to hear your records sing, you will give them a deep cleaning. And I also believe that a single deep cleaning is usually sufficient, unless you somehow re-introduce contaminants. Dust particles can always be brushed off....

    My $0.02.
     
  12. k4rstar

    k4rstar Britney fan club president

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    Right, I totally get that even new records will sound better once cleaned and it's not just about removing noise, but I worded it poorly. I don't think it's necessary to start, as looking at the cost and hassle of even cheaper cleaning solutions can be intimidating when added onto the cost of a table setup, but I definitely recognize the importance once you're underway.
     
  13. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

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    Hmm. I tried to Milty a few coworkers, and they and the static still didn't go away. I have to find another way to get rid of them.
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2017
  14. EeePee

    EeePee Acquaintance

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    I have friends that don't believe the Zerostat does anything until I zap their arm.
     
  15. Azteca

    Azteca Friend

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    I want to believe there is some reasonable cheap alternative to the Zerostat but googling around shows people using lighter parts and they aren't up to spec. Just paying the audiophile toll I guess. :( I have some luck with dabbing the edge and the runout groove with a damp microfiber cloth but it is by no means flawless.
     
  16. JayC

    JayC Resident Crash Test Dummy

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    I remember reading someplace that the zerostat was a LOT cheaper a while ago, and then the price shot up when demand increased because vinyl users bought tons of them. Not sure how true this is, but feels pretty shitty cause I cant buy one at the current price :/
     
  17. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

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    I don't really remember them being cheap, and this is going back decades. When Discwasher imported them in the 80s, they were already in the mid $30s, then when vinyl died down, they were sold in the original branding at the mid $60-$70s, and this was in the 1990s. If anything (in real purchasing power) they're lower today.
    I know, doesn't help when you are trying to buy one today, but on the upside, they literally last forever. I have one going on 38 years, and i still zapped away static with it last night.
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2017
  18. brencho

    brencho Friend

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    Finally after many months in the making have all my gear on one rack! Looking forward to tuning the system with folks like @shaizada, @bazelio, @Marvey, @RKML0007 and anyone else who wants to swing by and listen!
    IMG_4784.JPG
    IMG_4806.JPG
     
  19. EeePee

    EeePee Acquaintance

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    I like the big stick in the corner.
     
  20. Wfojas

    Wfojas Friend

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    I would up my renter's insurance. Those look so purty.
     

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