Check the routing of the tonearm wires coming from the horizontal arm wand into the pivot area where they have to make a 90° turn and go down through the vertical shaft of the tonearm. Often, those wires can get hung up in the pivot area and cause a drag on the pivot at a certain point in the arc. Once the cartridge has advanced beyond that critical point, very often the drag caused by the wires is ameliorated and you can play the rest of the LP with no problem. So the phenomenon can be very puzzling to figure out.
Looking for some help with my TT journey.. Records are looping..
Hi all,
A while back i had posted about my experience with starting a record collection and enjoying my mofi turntable. As of late my records have started to skip, well not actual skipping but looping on a groove.
I initially though it could be a dirty record, just tried with a new one and same issue. I though the tracking force could be off and just adjusted it as it did seem a bit heavy (+0.005) but i would not imagine this much.
What other things should I look at, could it be my cartridge, my vta, my anti-skate? I know a newb question but most posts i search said it is a dirty record, and i am sure it is not that.
Thanks K
A while back i had posted about my experience with starting a record collection and enjoying my mofi turntable. As of late my records have started to skip, well not actual skipping but looping on a groove.
I initially though it could be a dirty record, just tried with a new one and same issue. I though the tracking force could be off and just adjusted it as it did seem a bit heavy (+0.005) but i would not imagine this much.
What other things should I look at, could it be my cartridge, my vta, my anti-skate? I know a newb question but most posts i search said it is a dirty record, and i am sure it is not that.
Thanks K
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One thing that's caused this for me is the height adjustment of the cue-bar. If it were set too close in height to where the arm tube is while it tracks, on some records of a certain thickness it could see a repetitive skip if / when the arm makes contact with the cue bar. Solution, of course was to re-adjust the cue bar height. -Steve |
I have a MoFi turntable and a Soundsmith B&O SMMC1 and adapter. Probably not what would be called for for the MoFi table, but it’s a great cartridge and both my B&O tables died. The only “difficulty” I had with set up was the anti-skate. I could have added weight to the cartridge to get within the MoFi specs, but Mr. Ledermann said the lighter the better if it could be done. If your cartridge looks like 95% of the rest of the world’s cartridges, don’t bother reading any further. if, however, you are using a B&O compatible “Voice”, even with the Soundsmith 1/2 inch adapter, you’re only about 2 grams, so even on the first notch of the MoFi table you will have way to much anti-skate. I pulled the black cover off the weight and taped it to the base of the arm where the thread goes. The thread goes through the cover and the much smaller weight that was inside the cover hangs where it should, just without the weight of the black cover because it is taped to the base of the arm. Luckily, the anti-skate came out perfectly. |
I have a MoFi turntable and a Soundsmith B&O SMMC1 and adapter. Probably not what would be called for for the MoFi table, but it’s a great cartridge and both my B&O tables died. The only “difficulty” I had with set up was the anti-skate. I could have added weight to the cartridge to get within the MoFi specs, but Mr. Ledermann said the lighter the better if it could be done. If your cartridge looks like 95% of the rest of the world’s cartridges, don’t bother reading any further. if, however, you are using a B&O compatible “Voice”, even with the Soundsmith 1/2 inch adapter, you’re only about 2 grams, so even on the first notch of the MoFi table you will have way to much anti-skate. I pulled the black cover off the weight and taped it to the base of the arm where the thread goes. The thread goes through the cover and the much smaller weight that was inside the cover hangs where it should, just without the weight of the black cover because it is taped to the base of the arm. Luckily, the anti-skate came out perfectly. |
Your VTF is fine. Micro adjustments like from 1.64 to 1.58 are insignificant. BUT to the extent they do matter you are going the wrong way. Mis-tracking problems are always solved by more VTF not less. I do not however think that is your problem. If it is skipping to the outside for no reason (no scratch, no dirt, etc) then this is probably due to too much anti-skate. Reduce anti-skate. Do not pay any attention to what the setting is "supposed to be" just pay attention to what actually works. |
FWIW, I see from a previous thread, you have a "NOS Voice". Did you buy this from a reputable dealer? Do you have a Jewelers Loupe? That may help. Otherwise ask soundsmith customer service. Jewelers Loupe - Bing |
That wieght seems light to me. What cartridge are you using? BTW live albums often don’t sound as good as studio albums. Typicall 2.0 gm is normal tracking. tell me your cartridge and I’ll check for you if you’d like OK I see you have The Voice 1.3-1.6 which is rather light. But can't disagree with the mfg. I'd call them |
Do you have a scale? You cannot guess. Too light trracking will cause skips, not too heavy. Use mfg's specs. IF your stylus is good, then it is dirty records. Especially if they are used records. I have had a very small particle stuck in the groove which would cause this. Regular cleaning wont work. This calls for identifying the particle and removing it with a toothpick. However I have never had theis happen with new records. Only used and even NM With records, you can never be too clean. That is the biggest part. Otherwise, I agree with @russ69 about the stylus |