Well tt gurus, I just picked up a new TT (Technics SL-1200 MKII). I have mounted the 2M red cartridge, adjusted the needle overhang, installed the balance weight and zero'd it out. I am now at the stage where I need to find out what the correct stylus pressure is for the 2M Red cartridge. I haven't been able to find anything on the net to tell me what the correct pressure is.

If anyone can help me out it would be much appreciated.

according to ortofon product line catalog we have at work., the optimal setting is 1.7 grams, however they track fine between 1.3 - 1.5 if your records aren't too worn.

Thanks for the info! I will give that a shot.

Great information. Set the force pressure to 1.5 and so far so good. Sounds nice. Now maybe I can get the cart worked in. I will be able to listen to music while I tinker with my Zero-100.

I find that my Ortos sound a bit fuller (especially in the bass regions) with tracking weight up around 1.7~1.8 grams. You might want to pick a favorite cut and play with it a bit?

yes, I will give that a shot.

I run my Red at about 1.75.....

Great choice of cartridge....it is a real sleeper!

I can't wait for it to work in and in all honesty, it was the sage advice of AK members that made me get one, or I would never have known!

The 2M Red is a fine thing.

But the SL-1200MK2 is such a fine machine compared to the Garrard Zero-100. I think of Julia Roberts. Then I think of Britney Spears.

Fred

But the SL-1200MK2 is such a fine machine compared to the Garrard Zero-100. I think of Julia Roberts. Then I think of Britney Spears.

Fred

Ummm, seems like a very off-topic comment! Where did that come from, may I ask?

Beobloke (turntable obsessive, and, yes, Zero 100 fan!)

I think Fred remembers my many posts about my Zero-100 and getting it to run again. Don't get me wrong, I actually really enjoy my zero-100 when it runs properly. I just wanted a dependable tt while I work some more on the Zero-100. I have read many many tt posts and it would appear that many Ak'ers utilize 2 tt's in their systems. I mysel would like to have this convenience...so for the time being, the 1200 is my working tt, and the zero-100 is the tinkerer until I can figure out a little more about it.
I should also thank Fred for suggesting the 2M red for the Garrard as it will probably provide double duty in my system.

Yeah, when the Zero-100 is working, it's a pretty nice turntable. But it requires sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much work to get all that gummy lubricant out. Back in 1980, you could fix one in about 1-1/2 hours. Now I find numerous parts totally frozen up -- the speed-selector assembly, for example -- and it takes me 3-4 hours on a good day.

And these days about half the time the idler must be replaced or rebuilt.

* * * * *

I was a Garrard warranty station around 1981. I had the joyful opportunity to replace the wires going now the tonearm. They would sometimes break right there at the swivel point for the tangent-tracking carrier receptacle.

Fred

And..if I can add Fred, the cartridge holder wires are also finnicky as hell, the first time the cart was installed, the wires broke off the cartridge holder...I was lucky when removing the 2M red to put on the sl-1200, but am a tad bit concerned about a new cart.
It sorta reminds me of the MG's my great grandfather had in Europe. Spent all Saturdays getting it up and running just to drive it on Sunday. I also think I have a problem with my idler wheel, and of course I will post on that once I get through some of my other projects :)

Here is some information on the Ortofon Red, PDF files from Ortofon about the new red cartridge, hope this helps.
http://www.needledoctor.com/Ortofon-2M-Red-Phono-Cartridge;jsessionid=0a0104471f434083bbeb79d846a5a 40f9898b58192e1.e3eSbNqNc38Le34Pa38Ta38OaNf0

Thanks Ilikevinyl!

Your Welcome. I always use that site for reference and I also use this cartridge resonance calulator, 8hz-12hz is usually ideal, check it out.
http://www.cartridgedb.com/tools.asp

I currently have the force and tracking set to 1.5. I will probably slowly increase it as Ortofon suggests 1.8gm. We'll see what happens. Kind of sucks though as I just tried to hand wash a couple of records and it didn't seem to improve the sound. I may have to hold off listening for awhile until I can get some clean vinyl.

I just tried to hand wash a couple of records and it didn't seem to improve the sound.



This is how I clean my records, WORKS ALL THE TIME. I use hydrogen peroxide solution 3% (you can get it almost anywhere). I use a microfiber cleaning cloth, 2 of them, one for cleaning and the other for drying. Put your record on a hard surface and clean the record going clockwise and counterclockwise around it and then quickly and completely dry it. Before I play it I use a anti-static cleaning brush. What a difference in sound it makes!!! it reduces surface noise and the record sounds great, and the best part it leaves no residue on the stylus!! TRY IT YOU WON'T BE SORRY!:banana:

I will try and pick up the microfibre cleaning cloth tomorrow. Is there a particular type that you use? Hydrogen Peroxide?

I used 1.8 when I had mine installed on my Dual. Will soon put it on my Music Hall...guessing it'll still be 1.8.

I think I got my microfiber cloths at a dollar store, mine came in different colors yellow, light blue, light green. They usually sell them in a pack of 3. Or go to any dept store and look in the automotive section sometimes they are there where the car wax is and the cleaning cloths. You can get the Hydrogen Peroxide at any drug store it's in a brown bottle usually and MAKE SURE IT SAYS 3% SOLUTION ON IT! Like I said I'm amazed at the results works great. I use a record clamp weight on the label and hold that while I clean the record, if you don't have one you have to use your finger and put pressure on the spindle hole so the record doesn't move around. Good luck and drop a note in my mail box here about your results.:yes:

Best Regards.

Ilikevinyl, excellent thanks again. I do have one more question. I just noticed that the SL-1200 has an arm height adjustment. On the specs from the site you provided, I can't seem to find the cartridge height, any ideas?

Ilikevinyl, excellent thanks again. I do have one more question. I just noticed that the SL-1200 has an arm height adjustment. On the specs from the site you provided, I can't seem to find the cartridge height, any ideas?

For VTA adjustments it is a matter of taste, the higher the back of the arm in relationship to the front, the brighter the sound. The lower the back of the arm the less bright sounding but if you go too low it will sound muddy sounding. You just have to experiment with it. Believe it or not that is what I'm doing now!! I have a Thorens TD-160 MkI with a SME 3009 arm and a AudioTechnica AT-440MLa cartridge. Everybody says the back of the arm should be a little lower than the front. That's what I just did, and you know they are right! sounds perfect. I hope that answers your question.

Best Regards.

Hey m4rz,
Check your messages, read yours and left one for you...

Guys!!!!! This is awesome. I love vinyl! Thanks to everyone for their help!

So I just got a Technics SL-1600 on craigslist and I purchased new gear to hook it up to my system (Cambridge Audio 640P for a preamp, Ortofon 2m Red cart., ortofon SH-4 headshell).

I used a technics overhang guage marked "52 mm" to set up the Ortofon 2m Red cartridge on the headshell by aligning the stylus tip with the end of the gauge and centering it on the arrow. I proceeded to play a brand new album- Thom Yorke's "The Eraser" and was really miffed to find that they packed it without a dust-cover (just loose inside a cardboard sleeve that shed on it). I brushed the record with a carbon fiber brush, but I'm afraid playing less than a track still left some residue on the stylus. Upon examining the record again today, it looks like it has spots of dried-on liquid or something in addition to the fuzz deposited by the cardboard packing!

The second record I put on (Bright Eyes - Cassadaga) played much better (and was packed better) but had notable sibilance (especially on "Soul Singer in a Session Band") and the higher frequencies definitely degrade as you move closer to the inner grooves.

I am running it at the recommended 1.8 g VTF (as measured by the gauge on on the stock arm) and anti-skating is at 1.8 g. Does this sound like an alignment issue to anyone, or is it more likely a debris issue? Is there something I can do on this table to adjust vertical tracking height of the arm?

Since I am definitely a newbie and understood this cartridge to be superior in its price range, I'd definitely like to know what some of the more seasoned listeners would examine first to get it running smoothly? Thanks all.

So I just got a Technics SL-1600 on craigslist and I purchased new gear to hook it up to my system (Cambridge Audio 640P for a preamp, Ortofon 2m Red cart., ortofon SH-4 headshell).

I used a technics overhang guage marked "52 mm" to set up the Ortofon 2m Red cartridge on the headshell by aligning the stylus tip with the end of the gauge and centering it on the arrow. I proceeded to play a brand new album- Thom Yorke's "The Eraser" and was really miffed to find that they packed it without a dust-cover (just loose inside a cardboard sleeve that shed on it). I brushed the record with a carbon fiber brush, but I'm afraid playing less than a track still left some residue on the stylus. Upon examining the record again today, it looks like it has spots of dried-on liquid or something in addition to the fuzz deposited by the cardboard packing!

The second record I put on (Bright Eyes - Cassadaga) played much better (and was packed better) but had notable sibilance (especially on "Soul Singer in a Session Band") and the higher frequencies definitely degrade as you move closer to the inner grooves.

I am running it at the recommended 1.8 g VTF (as measured by the gauge on on the stock arm) and anti-skating is at 1.8 g. Does this sound like an alignment issue to anyone, or is it more likely a debris issue? Is there something I can do on this table to adjust vertical tracking height of the arm?

Since I am definitely a newbie and understood this cartridge to be superior in its price range, I'd definitely like to know what some of the more seasoned listeners would examine first to get it running smoothly? Thanks all.

Since that's a new record, the issue is almost certainly something with your setup. My first thought is that you need to lower your VTA a bit, that very well could eliminate those harsh S's. Aside from that it could be that your alignment is not perfect (partly why it gets worse towards the center of the record, it's not tracking properly), or a damaged record, or damaged stylus - but I think the issue here is largely with your VTA. Play around with it for a while.

Same to you m4rz, play around with the VTA, you could end up with a dramatically better sound.

Since that's a new record, the issue is almost certainly something with your setup. My first thought is that you need to lower your VTA a bit, that very well could eliminate those harsh S's. Aside from that it could be that your alignment is not perfect (partly why it gets worse towards the center of the record, it's not tracking properly), or a damaged record, or damaged stylus - but I think the issue here is largely with your VTA. Play around with it for a while.

Same to you m4rz, play around with the VTA, you could end up with a dramatically better sound.

Thanks for the advice Mr. Lin- I looked into adjusting the VTA and apparently that can't be done on the SL-1600 (they added that feature in the 1600 MKII). I am going to give alignment another shot with the technics gauge I have. I just purchased Johnny Cash American IV: The Man Comes Around and I'm going to give that a try and see if it was bad luck with that last album. Can you suggest an alternate alignment method?

Thanks again.

Even with new records, the stylus can pick up shavings or mould release which can cause distortion. Make sure your stylus is clean. What have you been using to clean it?

Even with new records, the stylus can pick up shavings or mould release which can cause distortion. Make sure your stylus is clean. What have you been using to clean it?

So I haven't been able to clean it since the first time I used it (which was yesterday) as the stylus was supposed to come with a brush but inexplicably did not. I need to order one ASAP because I just tried the Johnny Cash album I mentioned above and the innermost track is intolerably bad. Do you (or does anybody) have a stylus cleaning product you can recommend? (The manufacturer's pamphlet looks like it is recommending a side to side 'arc' sweep with a brush only.) Any great (budget-minded) brushes out there?

So I haven't been able to clean it since the first time I used it (which was yesterday) as the stylus was supposed to come with a brush but inexplicably did not. I need to order one ASAP because I just tried the Johnny Cash album I mentioned above and the innermost track is intolerably bad. Do you (or does anybody) have a stylus cleaning product you can recommend? (The manufacturer's pamphlet looks like it is recommending a side to side 'arc' sweep with a brush only.) Any great (budget-minded) brushes out there?
Yes. Go to the drugstore (or Walmart, Target, etc) and get the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Get the plain white one, not any colored or textured one. Place it (or a piece of it) on the turntable under the cartridge. You carefully lower stylus into it and raise it a couple of times. That's it. It will remove any debris. Make sure not to drag the stylus through it.

Yes. Go to the drugstore (or Walmart, Target, etc) and get the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Get the plain white one, not any colored or textured one. Place it (or a piece of it) on the turntable under the cartridge. You carefully lower stylus into it and raise it a couple of times. That's it. It will remove any debris. Make sure not to drag the stylus through it.

Great tip, works great for me too. I also have an RRL stylus cleaning kit that I use infrequently.

Another tip, don't try to clean flat paint on a wall with the magic eraser! You end up with a shiny finish LOL.

Evan

Yes. Go to the drugstore (or Walmart, Target, etc) and get the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Get the plain white one, not any colored or textured one. Place it (or a piece of it) on the turntable under the cartridge. You carefully lower stylus into it and raise it a couple of times. That's it. It will remove any debris. Make sure not to drag the stylus through it.

Works pretty darn well! I happened to have a new Magic Eraser lying around and I just tried it on the stylus and I definitely hear an improvement.

Thanks for the tip hakaplan.

Magic Eraser is the best.

So in the end I returned the 2M red and ordered an Audio-Technica AT440MLa. I just mounted it (twice) and after the second mounting it definitely sounds better in the higher freq's. I have to say the Ortofon was amazing in the lower and mid-ranges. If only we could combine the two! Anyway- on the whole I consider it an improvement because I can now use the turntable (couldn't before because I can't stand a messy high frequency- it really gets into my head and it's all I hear). I guess at the $99 price point I would choose the AT440MLa over the Ortofon 2M Red for the more linear performance across the frequency range (even though you'll miss out on some of the richness the Ortofon introduces).

Thanks, always interested in people's thoughts on cartridges.