How Oftern Do You Change Them

[mischief]

I went out and treated myself to 2 new cartridges today for my decks... £76pair and I really begrudged it, I was thinking what record I could have bought. Now I know nothing about cartridges or needles. So went with what I thought Carl Cox CS1's (just incase I want to start scratching)

Wonderd is it only me or do other people not change them as oftern as they should..

Also a friend of mine carries he's own, do you?

If you do go some where to dj and there needles arn't up to much do you swap them and then swap them back after you have done your set or let someone else use them?

Cheers

Edited September 29, 2005 by mischief

[Rugby Soul Club]

I went out and treated myself to 2 new cartridges today for my decks... £76pair and I really begrudged it, I was thinking what record I could have bought. Now I know nothing about cartridges or needles. So went with what I thought Carl Cox CS1's (just incase I want to start scratching)

Wonderd is it only me or do other people not change them as oftern as they should..

Also a friend of mine carries he's own, do you?

If you do go some where to dj and there needles arn't up to much do you swap them and then swap them back after you have done your set or let someone else use them?

Cheers

It does feel like we change them too often but when DJ's are using our decks with such expensive vinyl, the £25 each does seem to be worth it.....

We also have spares for during the night if they need changing.

I do buy them off the internet though......I once forgot to buy new ones and popped into "sounds expensive", our local shop.......he wanted £35 each......I told him, you should be called "we definately are too bloody expensive" Got away with two for £50 for my cheek....

[Guest]

I'm buying some new ones tomorrow after six months of use on the old ones. It's worth replacing reasonably regularly to keep the sound quality up and to protect the vinyl.

I've got my eyes on these babies at the moment but they are very pricey.

[Guest wrighty]

I'm buying some new ones tomorrow after six months of use on the old ones. It's worth replacing reasonably regularly to keep the sound quality up and to protect the vinyl.

I've got my eyes on these babies at the moment but they are very pricey.

i can 100% recommend the white labels, definitely superior to anything else i've ever used...always puzzles me when people are happy to dj their precious collections on shitty needles that have been used every night for years in some cases...you have to treat the white lables with care tho, they are a bit more delicate than most cartridges

Edited September 29, 2005 by wrighty

[Guest]

i can 100% recommend the white labels, definitely superior to anything else i've ever used...always puzzles me when people are happy to dj their precious collections on shitty needles that have been used every night for years in some cases...you have to treat the white lables with care tho, they are a bit more delicate than most cartridges

Totally agree, Shure's are the business, i also have use the trusty Stanton 500AL and have had no problems with with either even when scratch mixing etc. Tend to replace about every six months or so (cash flow allowing)

[Guest Stuart T]

i can 100% recommend the white labels, definitely superior to anything else i've ever used...always puzzles me when people are happy to dj their precious collections on shitty needles that have been used every night for years in some cases...you have to treat the white lables with care tho, they are a bit more delicate than most cartridges

Ditto, almost the best thing in the world for DJing if you're not doing all that scratching stuff, I just wonder why they named them after tramps' breakfast juice? Decca London have released a pro cartridge too now, which is probably the ultimate of its type at present. I just wonder what a mono cartridge would sound like on a full system?

As for home cartridges (Denon 103 and Sure V15 which are 10 times better than the White Label at least) the stylus is rated for 2,000 hours use and I keep them clean. Working that out, given average use, they should last about 2/3 years, or 4/6 if you are double decking. I reckon. What gets me as much as the worn needles is how badly set up most people have their cartridges. For minimum outlay and half an hours effort you can get a major improvement in performance by fiddling around a bit. Although it is necessary to swear quite a lote whilst doing so - best ask wife/girlfriend/children/parents and pets to leave the house first).

[Mormar44]

Ditto, almost the best thing in the world for DJing if you're not doing all that scratching stuff, I just wonder why they named them after tramps' breakfast juice? Decca London have released a pro cartridge too now, which is probably the ultimate of its type at present. I just wonder what a mono cartridge would sound like on a full system?

As for home cartridges (Denon 103 and Sure V15 which are 10 times better than the White Label at least) the stylus is rated for 2,000 hours use and I keep them clean. Working that out, given average use, they should last about 2/3 years, or 4/6 if you are double decking. I reckon. What gets me as much as the worn needles is how badly set up most people have their cartridges. For minimum outlay and half an hours effort you can get a major improvement in performance by fiddling around a bit. Although it is necessary to swear quite a lote whilst doing so - best ask wife/girlfriend/children/parents and pets to leave the house first).

So have you got any good tips on setting up cartridges Stuart. I have a decent system and I change my stylus fairly regularly ( at least once a year...lol) but when I get a record that looks mint, jumping it drives me mad and I have wondered if its the cartridge or something else in the set up!!

Any tips would be appreciated, thanks. Mark

[Rbman]

So have you got any good tips on setting up cartridges Stuart. I have a decent system and I change my stylus fairly regularly ( at least once a year...lol) but when I get a record that looks mint, jumping it drives me mad and I have wondered if its the cartridge or something else in the set up!!

Any tips would be appreciated, thanks. Mark

Your cartridge should have been correctly fitted when you purchased the turntable and therefore replacing the stylus should not affect its set up. If you buy a new cartridge get the shop to fit it to save all the bother (if they don't offer this service, buy your equipment elsewhere)...but it will come with fitting instructions and a template...you will need very very good eyesight and pixie fingers and a magnet to pick up the tiny screws and nuts every time you drop them on your music room floor.

Edited September 29, 2005 by Rbman

[Guest Matt Male]

This thread has got me worried. I'm not a DJ (i'm a normal person) but i've been using the same needle at home for the last four years . It's not quite worn down yet...

Trouble is until i saw that link above i had no idea where to buy them from thesedays. The last ones i bought were in a specialist HiFi shop in Glasgow.

Time to change i think.

[Guest]

So have you got any good tips on setting up cartridges Stuart. I have a decent system and I change my stylus fairly regularly ( at least once a year...lol) but when I get a record that looks mint, jumping it drives me mad and I have wondered if its the cartridge or something else in the set up!!

Any tips would be appreciated, thanks. Mark

Sound like your tracking is wrong?

[Northern295]

I went out and treated myself to 2 new cartridges today for my decks... £76pair and I really begrudged it, I was thinking what record I could have bought. Now I know nothing about cartridges or needles. So went with what I thought Carl Cox CS1's (just incase I want to start scratching)

Wonderd is it only me or do other people not change them as oftern as they should..

Also a friend of mine carries he's own, do you?

If you do go some where to dj and there needles arn't up to much do you swap them and then swap them back after you have done your set or let someone else use them?

Cheers

For our night in Gennas Dundee, we rent the club and the decks are included, great Technics decks and professional sound system but I bought our own Stanton D5100 stylii, about £50/pair, we keep them as the venue is used for lot's of functions. Most of our guest DJ's are really appreciative when they know they're records are safe on decent equipment. We only run 6 times a year so hoping to get a couple of years out of a pair.

alan

[hipshaker 05]

we change our needles too often probably but better safe than sorry. If i DJ anywhere else or on anyone elses decks I always put our cartridges on ........... i even use my own headphones too as i've come across some pretty bad ones elsewhere.

[Guest Brian J]

This thread has got me worried. I'm not a DJ (i'm a normal person) but i've been using the same needle at home for the last four years . It's not quite worn down yet...

Time to change i think.

=============

Matt,

I use a Dylon .005 with an arrissed eyelet for fine silk threads.

Kerris Brothers are good for industrial sizes if you're into denim, rubber, leather, PVC etc.

[Geordiejohnson]

A topic close to mine and billytheboots heart, for the Friendship soulnights..... Equipment is King

We change our full headshells yearly so each deck only gets 12 nights plays when we change them.

We always have spare needles and replace them after 6 nights plays.

And billys a stickler for getting the arms correctly balanced, we even went to the trouble to get a variety of counter weights made from a precision engineers which have a difference in weight of less than a quater of a gramm.

Our policy is that other people and ourselves have spent a lot of money on records the very least we can do is that we can ensure...... A) the equipment wont harm their collections, .b/ The sound playback does them the justice they deserve, C) we have a clean good grade antistactic cloth on hand for them to wipe their tunes before and after play.

On another note how many venues change the slipmats...i recently djayed at a venue that when I took my tunes off the decks there was more grit and shit stuck on the underside with static etc, I always clean my records with a good grade antistatic cloth before and after a play and i was appalled at what was coming off the decks.

Geeooooordie

Edited October 2, 2005 by geordiejohnson

[hipshaker 05]

A topic close to mine and billytheboots heart, for the Friendship soulnights..... Equipment is King

Our policy is that other people and ourselves have spent a lot of money on records the very least we can do is that we can ensure...... A) the equipment wont harm their collections, .b/ The sound playback does them the justice they deserve, C) we have a clean good grade antistactic cloth on hand for them to wipe their tunes before and after play.

I'll drink to that ............. and talking of sound, we've been using a cheapish Gemini mixer for about 6 years with no problems but it was getting a bit old so I bought a more expensive Allen & Heath one ..... sound improvements are great. Better sound and can go louder with no distortion at all. Well worth the money .... and costs less than the price of one 45 for some people I'd guess.

[FrankM]

Use the Rubber mats rather than slip mats.

[hipshaker 05]

i've never been a fan of the rubber mats myself .... slipmats make it easier to bring the track in on a beat ... or to miss out a long intro if needed.

[FrankM]

i've never been a fan of the rubber mats myself .... slipmats make it easier to bring the track in on a beat ... or to miss out a long intro if needed.

My son uses slip mats for those purposes but then he is a Hip Hop DJ.

[Guest Stuart T]

Your cartridge should have been correctly fitted when you purchased the turntable and therefore replacing the stylus should not affect its set up. If you buy a new cartridge get the shop to fit it to save all the bother (if they don't offer this service, buy your equipment elsewhere)...but it will come with fitting instructions and a template...you will need very very good eyesight and pixie fingers and a magnet to pick up the tiny screws and nuts every time you drop them on your music room floor.

This is about true! Its a fiddly task, I recommend fixing the nuts on top of the arm, not below which saves a lot of hassle. Lay a sheet of white paper under the arm when you're mounting the cartridge and fold up the edges to stop the little beggars getting away.

I use a stylus protractor which has lines printed on a mirror so you can try to get everything square. You can buy them off e.bay for a tenner, although there are some that cost up to £100, you may also get one in the box with some makes of cartridge, or you can download a template off the internet. I'm not sure that you can ever set up a cartridge accurately without one, although I did know someone who seemed to be able to set up by ear but it took hours, I lack the patience.

I also have some jewellers scales to balance the arm but these aren't actually as good as the stylus balances made by people like Sure or Ortofon. As Kenny says, wrong tracking is probably the reason for jumping. Too light or too heavy can both cause that. The numbers on some counterweights are no use, because different cartridges have different mass, so 1.5 doesn't mean 1.5 grams at the needle.

I'm not convinced that I ever get them quite 100% but near enough to make a major improvement, even a few degrees will make a major difference.

Even those turntables that do come with cartridges fitted are most probably out of alignment and set up by eye only, and half the people I have come across in so called hi-fi shops simply haven't a clue and are just salesmen.

[hipshaker 05]

My son uses slip mats for those purposes but then he is a Hip Hop DJ.

oooo ........... nasty business that hip hop DJ-ing!