Distortion In The Loud Parts

[Guest]

I've got a few EX looking records that distort in the loud sections of the song (about the only way to describe it is kinda techy: harsh digital clipping). My output levels aren't clipping, so it certainly is either on the record, or my needle isn't that great. I'm running Technics 1200s with (new) Shure M44-7s.

Is the distortion:

1. something that was a part of the original studio recording process

2. damage to the vinyl from running poor/broken needles over it

3. my needle not able to keep up with the info

I read the odd audiophile magazine, mainly to shake my head at the $100,000 turntables and $20,000 needles, and occasionally they claim better needles play through without distortion...I'm wondering if they are talking about the same thing (most the stuff they say lives out in space somewhere).

Edited August 17, 2010 by ak45

[Sebastian]

2. damage to the vinyl from running poor/broken needles over it

Above is the most likely scenario. Styrene records easily gets damaged when played with a worn stylus (resulting in background hiss or distortion to the high frequencies) or with too much weight or with the anti-skating wrongly adjusted.

[Diggin' Dave]

I read the odd audiophile magazine, mainly to shake my head at the $100,000 turntables and $20,000 needles, and occasionally they claim better needles play through without distortion...I'm wondering if they are talking about the same thing (most the stuff they say lives out in space somewhere).

I've got the same problem with some records in the collection (and a lot of other collectors too probably). I also have Shures but I'd be surprised if the records played without the noise if played with $20000 needles.

[Mrtag]

I've got a few EX looking records that distort in the loud sections of the song (about the only way to describe it is kinda techy: harsh digital clipping). My output levels aren't clipping, so it certainly is either on the record, or my needle isn't that great. I'm running Technics 1200s with (new) Shure M44-7s.

Is the distortion:

1. something that was a part of the original studio recording process

2. damage to the vinyl from running poor/broken needles over it

3. my needle not able to keep up with the info

I read the odd audiophile magazine, mainly to shake my head at the $100,000 turntables and $20,000 needles, and occasionally they claim better needles play through without distortion...I'm wondering if they are talking about the same thing (most the stuff they say lives out in space somewhere).

Try the old Stanton cartidges and stanton 500 stylus with about 3 to 31/2 grm on the arm and set the anti skate to zero but the most likely problem is the actual Vinyl!!

Edited August 17, 2010 by mrtag

[Prophonics 2029]

If these are 60ts records then 99% of them are mono and your playing them in stereo so you can hear loads of things that are not actually there. But in mono its a different thing, not as dynamic, not as real or live sounding and more relaxed.

Name a few your having problems with.

Edited August 18, 2010 by Prophonics 2029

[Guest]

Here's a couple I'm having issues with plus a sound file with clips:

https://www.divshare.com/download/12351156-0ef

Fabulous Moonlighters - For Granted [blue eagle]

Sir Mack Rice - It's All Right [mercury]

And I threw in one the plays fine, as a base level: Irma Thomas - Don't Mess With My Man [ron]

For the problem records, the distortion seems to show up both on the left channel only. I suppose that would make sense if the issue was related to a mono record playing on a stereo needle issue?

Edited August 23, 2010 by ak45

[Guest]

"Only Dreaming" emailed me, with a surprising experiment:

"Hi AK45. I think that Prophonics hit the nail on the head as regards your distortion problems. Provided the records are not knackered to begin with then the problems of distortion are usually the result of playing mono records with a stereo stylus. To prove my point I have re-recorded your original (distorted) clip in mono and 99% of the distortion is gone. I have included the re-recording as an attachment to this e-mail.

PS, I Would have posted this as a reply to your original thread but am not allowed to post .mp3 files on soul source."

Distortion corrected

[Guest aintgotit]

"Only Dreaming" emailed me, with a surprising experiment:

Distortion corrected

Anbelievable tekkers. tony lad.sptters badge goes to the man with the bear face. heh heh. Ive got a question, if you attach a mixer to your amplifier, is there a possibility of blowing the amp because of the wattage of the mixer.My amp is a sansui .au101 and the amp is a behringer promixer. the amp has two glass fuses 2amp and 1.5 amp. which i replaced when i bought it second hand about seven yrs ago. worked fine before addingthe mixer as i wanted to digitise my vinyl .( f**** pipe dream that was!).anyway after a lot of depp humming when connected, f*** all works now.Please dont tell me ive fucked it, just how to match amp and mixer and any golden rules about how to not blow the speakers.

[Quinvy]

Anbelievable tekkers. tony lad.sptters badge goes to the man with the bear face. heh heh. Ive got a question, if you attach a mixer to your amplifier, is there a possibility of blowing the amp because of the wattage of the mixer.My amp is a sansui .au101 and the amp is a behringer promixer. the amp has two glass fuses 2amp and 1.5 amp. which i replaced when i bought it second hand about seven yrs ago. worked fine before addingthe mixer as i wanted to digitise my vinyl .( f**** pipe dream that was!).anyway after a lot of depp humming when connected, f*** all works now.Please dont tell me ive fucked it, just how to match amp and mixer and any golden rules about how to not blow the speakers.

Sounds like a pre amp problem mate. Try it without the mixer and see what happens.

Phil.

[Guest]

Anbelievable tekkers. tony lad.sptters badge goes to the man with the bear face. heh heh. Ive got a question, if you attach a mixer to your amplifier, is there a possibility of blowing the amp because of the wattage of the mixer.My amp is a sansui .au101 and the amp is a behringer promixer. the amp has two glass fuses 2amp and 1.5 amp. which i replaced when i bought it second hand about seven yrs ago. worked fine before addingthe mixer as i wanted to digitise my vinyl .( f**** pipe dream that was!).anyway after a lot of depp humming when connected, f*** all works now.Please dont tell me ive fucked it, just how to match amp and mixer and any golden rules about how to not blow the speakers.

Its called sub mixing and it works if you make the pre mixer signal weak and you then plug that into a bigger (post) mixer that is then attached to your massive amplifier .

Then chuck 3000 watts of sound into 4 peavey speakers or a couple of das audio cabs and you will have a quality really loud thing going on.

This set up works in a space where there is room for 400 to 500 people listening

after that you have to double everything !!!

Hard to find records in Birmingham are brilliant and have really loud systems to listen to.

Its just a shame that most Soul nights use crap equipment that is usually reserved for school sports days !

I have 4K worth of quality top end audio that is just sitting here doing nothing if anyone is brave enough to start another soul night !

peace !

Edited August 29, 2010 by mossy