This happens with all the records I've played so far. My turntable's set to the right speed (I know because when I flick the speed switchn to the other setting, it sounds chip-munky and twice as fast). At the moment, the vocals are slightly high pitched (noticeably but not unbearably). Is this just something that'll go away as my cartridge breaks in or is there something wrong with my setup? Thanks.
Just because the turntable sounds obviously way too fast when you set it on 45 (the presumptive "other speed"), does not at all mean that it cannot be running slightly fast at the 33 setting. You should check speed with a strobe device; there are many very inexpensive options for doing that. It would also help if you would reveal the brand and model of turntable. Chances are your tt is running a bit fast. VTA affects tonal balance but not pitch. And it certainly has nothing to do with the cartridge. If you report back, I can help further.
Dear Toxic, At this point, I would go ahead and check the speed with a strobe device. There are websites where you can download one for free, but you will need to print out on a 1:1 scale. Let us know whether you can confirm that your DP300F is running slightly fast at the 33 rpm setting.
Sorry for updating this a month later, haha. I've been pretty busy and forgot I ever made this thread. Today I decided to play a record on my turntable after resetting the tracking force and anti-skate, and the problem's still there. Then I remembered that when I first got the turntable, the belt slipped loose, so I ended up stretching it a lot (because I didn't know what to do with it/where to slip it on) before finally figuring out what it was supposed to do. I don't have a strobe light at home, and am too lazy to make one out of a flashlight, so I'm going to go ahead and buy a replacement belt from LP Gear, and see if that solves the problem.
Also, I should probably mention that I test-played a song that I was very familiar with. I pressed play on the turntable (as some of you may know, there's a slight delay of a few seconds) and as soon as the song started, I pressed play on my laptop. The maximum difference was less than a second. I had one earphone in my ear and the other listening to the turntable version. All parts of the song (guitar intro, vocals, a spoken word sample at the beginning, etc.) had a noticeably but not unbearably (by this I mean, it wasn't chipmunk-level but I could clearly tell the difference) higher pitch than the MP3 version. The song itself also played slightly faster than the MP3 version.
Also, I didn't exactly note the times, but the turntable version of the song was running quite a bit faster than the normal version. Halfway through the song (at around the 1:30 mark), the computer version was running 10-20 seconds behind (again, just an approximation as I didn't note the exact spot on playback).
Toxicwaterfront, a strobe disc has different markings for 50hz and 60hz. that work off of the household current. Use any good light plugged into your outlets to adjust your speed. 60hz in the USA. A flashlight will not work. Get a strobe disc, easily found online.
I don't know about your TT. Does the platter have strobe markings? If not you will need a test disc with the 33 and 45RPM markings. Add to that one flourescent light (portable or battery operated one) and you be able to get the job done.
What kind of turntable do you own? Belt-drive, direct-drive, or idler-drive? I am going to guess it's a belt-drive. First, I would do nothing until you receive and install your new belt. Second, would depend upon your tt has a stand-alone motor where you can move the motor towards or away from the platter. Sometimes that is sufficient to adjust speed, although it is not intellectually satisfying. If your motor is fixed in position with respect to your platter, and if once you get the new belt your tt is still "fast", then consider a motor controller.
FIXED :D I don't know how this happened, but the belt had slipped off the outer rim of the perimeter and was just loose inside the turntable (yet luckily still looped around the pulley). Im still thinking about replacing it as it's clearly but it's good for now. Thanks everyone!
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