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  3. 1282700801

Question on Cardas Frequency Sweep & burn in LP

Does anyone use this LP for breakin in cartridges ?
How long do you guys run in it the lock up mode ?
What is the difference between these tracks ?

Track 2. 20 locked grooves, lateral modulation (mono)

1/2” wide, unmodulated plateau

Track 3. 32 locked grooves, vertical modulation (out-of phase)

1/2” wide, unmodulated plateau

Track 4. 20 locked grooves, lateral modulation (mono)

Which track of the 3 is best for breakin in a cart ? or the tonearm wires ?

Thanks for the help,
nolitan

Showing 3 responses by dougdeacon

dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Neil,

Good to see you posting again. Nice summary of the issues surrounding cartridge break-in and demagnetizing.

We also hear sonic benefits from regular runs over frequency sweep tracks, as do many. Crystalline alignment (as with cryoing) is very audible, though I defer to you and Paul with regard to your fascinating explanation that it can be effected by a frequency sweep. I sort of get it but you and he could actually discuss it. He did his PhD in dynamic re-crystallization of certain metals (or something, I can't even read the thesis title).

Hmmmm, it seems to this idiot that demagnetizing an object by moving it slowly through a revolving magnetic field of slowly diminishing strength is doing something related, though opposite: randomizing the polar orientation of certain molecules. Right? (Be kind please, be kind.)

As for that smiley face with the long nose, were you evoking Pinocchio? We all know why his nose grew...

dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Lew, I've found it easier and less stressful to flip between test records.
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Hi Mark,

Should I thank you or shoot you? I'm on the fence... ;-)

From the quotes above it appears that technically I did not offer advice. I asked two questions and challenged you to decide for yourself. Whether you displayed your normal good sense or ran that Ruby 3 over those tracks for 1,000 hours, I couldn't be blamed!

I remember when you reported that it had settled in nicely. That initial description didn't sound like any Benz I'd ever heard.

***

So Nolitan,

Why would you want to play noise when you could be playing music?

- if your answer is, "I guess I wouldn't", then the differences between the tracks becomes moot. "Enjoy music, tolerate equipment" (Nick Doshi}.

- if your answer is, "To hell with that; my cartridge sounds like crap, I bought this record and I'm going to use it", then despite Mark's misguided confidence I also have no idea which track's best for shortening the life span - oops! - I mean breaking in the suspension of a cartridge.

***

FWIW, I did once use both the horizontally and vertically modulated tracks to break in a friend's cartridge. It was very shrieky and we didn't much like its sound even after break in. I figured the faster I broke it down - I mean IN - the sooner he'd replace it. ;-)
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