garymd Posted December 15, 2003 Author Share Posted December 15, 2003 Does it just sit on the table or must you attach it? Looks from the picture that it's weighted so no attachment is necessary. Good Christmas present from my kids to me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted December 15, 2003 Author Share Posted December 15, 2003 Bryan, I meant the platter itself. It's still on the workbench but the record sat on what looks to be partical board, not cork which wasn't really a problem but........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBryan Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 It just sits on the TT and the arm trips the mechanism which lifts the arm. Pretty neat if you're not in the room much. Have fun - Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBryan Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 Gary, When I saw your VPI, it sure looked like cork to me. It was 3pm and we were both sober...weren't we? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted December 15, 2003 Author Share Posted December 15, 2003 Bryan, It's pretty hard stuff. Harder than cork. You actually gave me the idea to use a mat from an old TT which I did. The only issue is the arm has a slightly more difficult time raising after I turn the vacum off. Still works well enough though. Anyone else with a VPI 16.5 tell me what their platter is made of? I'll look more carefully at mine when I get home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 ---------------- On 12/14/2003 3:16:03 PM garymd wrote: Does anyone clean new lps or just use a static brush? Can playing a really scratched up lp cause damage to your stylus? If you snooze and forget your lp has ended can you damage the stylus after prolonged phlump phlump phlump? I know I had more questions but that's all I can think of right now. Thanks. ---------------- Hi Gary: 1. Parastat, Discwasher, Nitty Gritty 2. Potentially, yes 3. Yes, wear on one side of the stylus, plus potential damage to speakers, depending on frequency, volume and amount of rumble. dodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted December 15, 2003 Author Share Posted December 15, 2003 ---------------- On 12/15/2003 3:21:43 PM dodger wrote: ---------------- On 12/14/2003 3:16:03 PM garymd wrote: Does anyone clean new lps or just use a static brush? Can playing a really scratched up lp cause damage to your stylus? If you snooze and forget your lp has ended can you damage the stylus after prolonged phlump phlump phlump? I know I had more questions but that's all I can think of right now. Thanks. ---------------- Hi Gary: 1. Parastat, Discwasher, Nitty Gritty 2. Potentially, yes 3. Yes, wear on one side of the stylus, plus potential damage to speakers, depending on frequency, volume and amount of rumble. dodger ---------------- Thanks for the reply Dodger. BTW - Where've ya been? Things aren't the same here without you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBryan Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 Gary, Mine is certainly made of cork - it just makes sense that yours would be as well. I guess it could've hardened because of the chemicals or maybe age but cork doesn't scratch and absorbs liquid. I'm sure VPI didn't spend too much time determining the best mat for their vacuum cleaners. I suggested the extra mat to prevent contamination but you didn't have to mention it here... (makes me look kinda anal). Oh yeah, I am. As far as the vacuum tube goes, its spring-loaded so it'll pop off the record once the suction is reduced enough. You just have to time it so you switch off the vacuum about 3/4 of a turn before you want to stop the process. I'll look around for the manual if you have any other questions. Have fun, Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted December 15, 2003 Author Share Posted December 15, 2003 I do have a manual Bryan and you're not too anal. Maybe a little. My platter must have hardened along the way. It takes a long time to absorb excess fluid also. The arm still springs up but takes a little longer with the mat due to the distance between the lp and the arm. All-in-all I'm very pleased with the machine. Works wonders. I also use distilled water for my 2nd pass. I've been trying to score a static gun on ebay for a month now but keep getting outbid. That'll be next. I guess I need to be a tad more aggressive. Any disadvantage in buying one of the older white guns? Do these ever break or get worn out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBryan Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 I still have the same gun I had in college (that makes 20 years - whew!). Its been through quite a bit and but still registers on the little tester Zerostat used to pack with their guns. I had to tape it up many moons ago when the plastic case started separating and I've used it on 1000s of records since. They used to cost $20 and I bought a spare just a couple of years ago for $35 when they started making them again. What are they going for now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted December 15, 2003 Author Share Posted December 15, 2003 ---------------- On 12/15/2003 4:05:04 PM JBryan wrote: I still have the same gun I had in college (that makes 20 years - whew!). Its been through quite a bit and but still registers on the little tester Zerostat used to pack with their guns. I had to tape it up many moons ago when the plastic case started separating and I've used it on 1000s of records since. They used to cost $20 and I bought a spare just a couple of years ago for $35 when they started making them again. What are they going for now? ---------------- $75 new. Highway robbery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 I have never been exactly sure of the proper use of the Static Gun. I have had one for years but am inconsistent in the way I use it. Is there a "best practice" that I should be aware of? I just hold the record, point the gun and squeeze the trigger. Thanks Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 Man oh man, I am waiting for my first TT in over 20 years to get here, and now in reading this post it seems to clean the damn lp it will cost more that the TT with a new cartdridge Is all this a nesecity? Getting confused Smilin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomac Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 I'm with you smilin. I've picked up some nice quality jazz LPs but haven't played them out of fear of what might happen. I'm not the kind of guy that would want to worry about making TT adjustments with any regularity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted December 15, 2003 Author Share Posted December 15, 2003 I play em all. Just make sure they're clean and your TT is set up correctly. Not much can go wrong in that circumstance. They're for enjoying anyway. Smilin, You're right but once you've got it all set up it's a breeze. You really do need a cleaning machine if you're serious about vinyl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBryan Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 You can hold the record in your hand or place it on the platter. I hold the static gun about 10 - 12" away from the surface of the record and slowly squeeze the trigger - don't let it "click". Then I release the trigger just as slowly. I repeat the steps 2 1/2 times, ending with a squeeze and then point the gun away from the record to release. You can play with this method depending on the amount of static you have to deal with. I use the gun with the record on the platter because I think that it has the benefit of reducing static from the TT area - and I'm lazy so I have the record spinning. Some people use the gun before playing the record, some use it after and for some, before and after does the trick - its really up to you to determine which method works best. I mostly do it before to release the dust for the carbon brush. If I hear a tic or pop when I touch the arm or if it sounds like I'm separating socks when I lift the record from the platter (yes, I do the laundry in my house), I'll shoot it again. There's definitely a ritual involved with spinning vinyl and for some, its just too much of a hassle compared to the convenience of CDs, hard drives or tapes (anyone remember those?). I was out of records for a few years when I first moved to B'more and at first, I didn't like having to go through all this for 20 minutes of music. I really got spoiled with CDs and tapes - so plug and play. But once I got acclimated to it, the rewards were worth the extra work. The differences between digital and analogue was obvious to me and became even more noticable as I moved up the audio ladder. An interesting phenomenon that I've experienced is that when I first got back into vinyl, I noticed every tick and pop - much more so than I remembered and it was quite irritating but the more time I spend listening to records, the less I notice the surface noise. I still try for the cleanest sounding records but the occasional minor tick doesn't even faze me anymore. Its similar to my friend's situation. He lives in a loft apt and his equipment is in the living room, surrounded by the kitchen and the furnace. I can hear the ice maker pump water and drop ice and I almost jump when the furnace kicks in but he is totally oblivious to all the peripheral noise. I guess you can get used to anything eventually. Have fun -Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 ---------------- On 12/15/2003 4:48:25 PM garymd wrote: I play em all. Just make sure they're clean and your TT is set up correctly. Not much can go wrong in that circumstance. They're for enjoying anyway. Smilin, You're right but once you've got it all set up it's a breeze. You really do need a cleaning machine if you're serious about vinyl. ---------------- Gary, What the hell is the VPI machine all about, audiogon has one for 325 which is more than the thorens 125, but adding the shure cartridge for 200 they equal out. What, how do you use it? I'm so confused And I still don't have a single lp. BTW how do you like your shure V15, thats what I ordered Smilin and confused about TT's and cleaning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 ---------------- On 12/15/2003 4:40:35 PM boomac wrote: I'm with you smilin. I've picked up some nice quality jazz LPs but haven't played them out of fear of what might happen. I'm not the kind of guy that would want to worry about making TT adjustments with any regularity. ---------------- Boomac, Your way up on me so far, I'm still waiting for my TT to get here, I have no lp's yet and I have ordered a shure V15 also not here yet, WHATS NEXT? Smilin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodger Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 Hello: Remember the good old days when CDs were touted as THE answer to vinyl - didn't have to worry about finger prints, scratches, heat and had the extremely WIDE dynamic range? Well they're not here. The Zerostat is made to protect the vinyl from dust from static. Helps a bit with cleaning, stylus, noise. Won't take out what's there but use will help prevent static build up (no not talking laundry). Friend cleaned his dust cover, arm not locked in place, arm comes to top of dust cover, borrowed my Zerostat, funeral services for the stylus were held the next day. dodger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted December 15, 2003 Share Posted December 15, 2003 Bryon, Thanks for the tips on the Static gun. It sounds like I ve been doing it the right way all along!! Smilin, Regarding the discussion on the record cleaner. .... Its definitely easier with a quality record vacuum but in the old days before I knew about record cleaners, I washed my records in the kitchen sink using distilled water and letting them dry in a plastic dish rack with great success! So you dont "have " to spend on the cleaner, but its way easier! Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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