Simplistic NJFET RIAA

[keantoken]

What have I done!?

[keantoken]

I messed with the tracking force. The pipe cleaner must add about .5g because I had to turn the counterweight back.

[keantoken]

Listening to Helen Reddy, Live in London.

[Salas]

and you got the Pyle too?

[keantoken]

I am getting what seems to be mistracking with the louder parts of Helen Reddy, especially brass and especially with the Alpert Herb. I don't know whether this is normal for this cart. It was this way before I adjusted the tracking force as well. Not sure if this is normal for the AT311EP. One definite correlation is that with every record causing mistracking, I can hear the record screeching when I turn the speakers off. Other records are dead quiet.

Cleaning one of my records with wood glue seemed to help, so I've got one drying on a broken turntable.

Still don't have the Pyle. Just my luck, have to wait till Monday. Familial charity donated to the family vynil archive preservation fund, so we now have many anti-static sleeves on the way, and an anti-static carbon fiber mat.

I found a 2" diameter steel bearing, which I sit on the record on top of the 45" adapter. It seems to make a difference, but not much. I oiled the platter bearing with PTFE oil.

[Salas]

If those two records aren't worn out or something, mistracking is usually due to various geometrical, setting, mechanical issues of the tonearm-cart duet, than attributed to a brand new well reviewed cart on normal non test record velocities.

[keantoken]

Perhaps I can use my old cart with my 10uV oscilloscope to probe for vibration of the cart and tonearm?

[AndrewT]

If the vinyl has mis-tracked in the past, then it is likely that the vinyl has been damaged and will give a similar "mis-tracking" sound even when replayed with a cart that is not mis-tracking. The new replay is reading the damaged surface from the first mis-tracking incident.

[keantoken]

My Switched-On Bach record used to screech and mistrack, but I glued it and the mistracking seems to be less if not completely gone. Youtube rips tend to sound less "loud", but I hope this is just a record problem.

[keantoken]

Just to spite me, the package arrived today.

The construction is sturdy and metal, that's about all that's good. It uses the JRC 4558 IC inside. Green mylars and the cheapest electrolytics available in the signal path. It's still better than what I was using though. Part of the distortion was apparently the preamp. Pops and ticks are louder, the old preamp's distortion was probably clipping them. But loud noises are less distorted. Treble is a little clearer. Mid-bass reverberations are clearer, making for better realism in the soundstage.

I glued the Helen Reddy record and that helped. The groove dirt seems to make mistracking worse.