No new needles = record burn

[unknownp0et]

Question

How often should I replace my needles before serious record burn begins to set in?

-I bought my tables about a year ago and I haven't bought new cartriges yet.

-I practice about 30+ hrs a week (some scratching)

-I'm using Shure m44's (I think)

I'm also a poor student who can't afford expensive cartriges. What type needle should I invest in when I do replace my current ones?

Man, I wish I knew how many miles I've put on those needles. I'm sure there's some sort of algebraic equation... maybe someone should invent a turntable odometer


"Yeah man I've been spinning for like 5,000 miles..."

or

"Oh him, he's just a 'town and back' DJ..."

[Tasty]

good question, i'd like to know tooo.......

i have m44-7's.... and am poor too.... wonder if there is a FAQ for shure needle replacement suggestions etc....

[corbettfields]

oh-oh.. i seem to remember the recommended time being in the several hundreds of hours.. it will depend on the tracking weight as well.. in clubs i tend to track heavy - 4-5g, but at home 3-3.5g

[Soular]

Is there a way to tell by sound? Like if you start to hear a certain thing, it's a tell-tale sign that your needles need replaced?

[burnt]

I had some seriously dull needles, and was running into clipping/balance problems. I thought it was a grounding issue, but bought some new needles, and suddenly - clean sounds from both monitors, consistently.

now I'm kicking myself, because I was focusing on a set while I wore out my needles, so - now I've got a dozen or so rekkids that are seriously worn and faded-sounding.

you can get a decent set of Shures for $50 or less per needle.

[agent?]

my needels went bad and theay had moore of a crackling sound and the high's went dull

[djslyck]

I generally change my stylus' about every six months. That way it is always a clean sound. I have also discovered, you know when your needles are older when you are pitching up your gain more and more to get the same sound, or your needles just plain move all over the place.

[corbettfields]

Use Clean needles - It's a health thang

[unknownp0et]

Just changed my stylus's. I got a good deal on the Shure's at Platinum. And yer right, I was able to get much better sound without cranking up the gain. I think I'll do this about every four months or so. The good thing is that now I have a set of junk needles I can use on all of the funky old platters I dig out from the depths of the thrift store crates. Yay!

[phreakyphellow]

good deal?

platinum's stylus' are $45 each for m44's.

seems steep to me...when you can buy a whole new cart for $75..

[unknownp0et]

I got 'em for $30 a piece. Much cheaper than getting the entire cart, not to mention less time consuming setting them up.

[dj metro]

It is good to replace the whole cartridges around every 2 years, and replace the stylus every 2 months. The cartridges can wear out, and this is because the of the vibrations from the grooves on the records, and how the cartridge uses the signal-to-noise ratio. It is kinda complicated and I don't know how to explain it correctly, but I have also read on a few websites that your full carts will be gems for up to 2 years, while it is good to replace the stylus every 6 months.

I am still looking around for some more detailed info on replacing needles and carts, what the life of the needle normally is (hours of usage) and some other stuff. When I find what I am looking for, I will share it on the boards.

[Professor Roo]

Every 3 months seems to work for me...

[kondumb]

I just started spinning like a week ago, and i have used tables. I don't know how old the cartridges are, but i went down and tried to put a record on last night and when I put the needle on the edge, it slid right into the middle as the record turned (in about 2 seconds). what kind of problem am i having and is it fixable?

[kondumb]

also...i tried fucking with the balance and anti-skate and nothing happened

[Soular]

Are there little plastic caps on the needles? Or are there even needles at all?

[Jmos]

Originally posted by kondumb
also...i tried fucking with the balance and anti-skate and nothing happened

check the tone arm height, maybe.

[Tekmatic]

Originally posted by kondumb
I just started spinning like a week ago, and i have used tables. I don't know how old the cartridges are, but i went down and tried to put a record on last night and when I put the needle on the edge, it slid right into the middle as the record turned (in about 2 seconds). what kind of problem am i having and is it fixable?

does it happen on both decks? does it happen on all your records?
start using your process of elimination to narrow down which piece of the puzzle is causing the problem. swap carts, swap stylii, play around with tonarm settings, etc.

[unknownp0et]

Originally posted by kondumb
I just started spinning like a week ago, and i have used tables. I don't know how old the cartridges are, but i went down and tried to put a record on last night and when I put the needle on the edge, it slid right into the middle as the record turned (in about 2 seconds). what kind of problem am i having and is it fixable?

Okay... hmm... we're you trying to play the wrong side of a white label? They are often blank and the needle reacts exactly as you described when you try to play the blank side. If there was no, or minimal, sound when this happened, or if it was dark, or if you were baked out of your gourd... this could be your answer

[Sophistik]

lol I had a friend that left the plastic/flip up/pop off protecters on her shure's down and tried to play records and they did that. lol.

[dj metro]

I have done that before too... I always flip em back down when I am done spinning just to be safe. One time I forgot to flip em back up. I felt like a jackass, lol.

[ALATIN]

You need to replae them, but for the time being you can throw your stylus needles into a little cup of rubbing alcohol for about a day. Remember to blow on them of let them dry before putting them back onto your decks. This should help a little until you can afford them.
Ray

[ALATIN]

Originally posted by Sophistik
lol I had a friend that left the plastic/flip up/pop off protecters on her shure's down and tried to play records and they did that. lol.

Either this or your needle tip is broken. Which can be really hard to see. If it is cracked or dhipped, it will just slide.
Ray

[dj metro]

Originally posted by ALATIN
You need to replae them, but for the time being you can throw your stylus needles into a little cup of rubbing alcohol for about a day. Remember to blow on them of let them dry before putting them back onto your decks. This should help a little until you can afford them.
Ray

What does that do for old styli that probably need to be replaced? I think mine are starting to dull and widen and I don't really want to play any records until I can afford the $80 to replace the styli. I don't want to burn my records anymore than I have with them. I might just wait and drop $120 on a 4 pack, but I still need to come up with the cash to do that.

[unknownp0et]

What needles are you using that it costs $80 to relace the styli? Follow up question is... where are you buying them?

[Sophistik]

Just get them wet with some peroxide or stylus cleaner, use a little stylus brush and brush them firmly with only back to front strokes (the way a record would) and check with a magnifying glass. The majority of tips look like "v"

[dj metro]

Originally posted by unknownp0et
What needles are you using that it costs $80 to relace the styli? Follow up question is... where are you buying them?

Shure M44-7's. They are typically $39 a piece to replace the styli, and you don't get much of a discount unless you buy them in 4 or 8 packs. If you can show me a place that has them for cheaper then that would be great, but in all of my research that is the most common price. The carts themselves average $75 a piece, and should last for up to 2 years before it is recommended to replace them. I am not sure about that though, but the majority of the ortofon replacement styli average at least $55 a piece for their lower end carts.

[unknownp0et]

If your in PDX, I'd recommend Platinum . I got my styli there for $30 a pop. They cut me a deal... of course this might also be because iwas dropping about $120 on records... give 'em a shot anyway

[ALATIN]

Metro,

Just replace them, there is no little technique to that. If you are going to Bustin Out on Friday then come talk to me. Maybe it is the way it is set up. Sorry!