Tenuously related Vinyl question

[Bexster]

I'll ask this in here because I know the people that will know are in here!

So I have a cheaper ION record player, and I want to use it (not on my nice records, I have some second hand stuff). I know it's not the best for records, and I've seen advise that I can add weight to the arm if the album is playing light or heavy. The question I have is how do I know if the arm is too heavy or light? Does it change the sound? Light I guess it would not catch the groove properly, but I don't know the other way round.

I want to get a decent player down the line, but will have to save for it.

it's tenuous because I want to play FF albums

[Lost Dog]

Depends which model you have, but I don't think IONs allow for the weight of the tonearm to be adjusted.

It is unlikely to be too heavy (can cut scratches in the grooves if it is). If it is too light then you will know because the record will skip. If that is the case, then an old trick I used to use was to add a penny onto the top of the stylus cartridge to add a bit of weight.

[Bexster]

Originally Posted by Lost Dog

Depends which model you have, but I don't think IONs allow for the weight of the tonearm to be adjusted.

It is unlikely to be too heavy (can cut scratches in the grooves if it is). If it is too light then you will know because the record will skip. If that is the case, then an old trick I used to use was to add a penny onto the top of the stylus cartridge to add a bit of weight.

That's the advise that I was seeing, using a penny, washer or similar to change the weight of the arm. It's definitely not adjustable on the model I have, nor can I change the arm for a better one.

I'm worried about vinyl damage, which is why I'm not prepared to play my nice records on it. I wasn't sure whether I wouldn't know if it was too heavy or not.

[Lost Dog]

I can't say with absolute certainty but it really shouldn't be too heavy (that would be a really shitty design flaw). Most likely is that it is too light and skips.

Try it out on an old, non-Foo vinyl and see what happens.

[Bexster]

Will do. Thanks

[Rich_TCB]

Here are a couple of videos on YouTube to help you regarding turntables.

https://youtu.be/BH6BUE4ipWo

https://youtu.be/BUIVkpw9eNk

[FooZealand]

Originally Posted by Bexster

I'll ask this in here because I know the people that will know are in here!

So I have a cheaper ION record player, and I want to use it (not on my nice records, I have some second hand stuff). I know it's not the best for records, and I've seen advise that I can add weight to the arm if the album is playing light or heavy. The question I have is how do I know if the arm is too heavy or light? Does it change the sound? Light I guess it would not catch the groove properly, but I don't know the other way round.

I want to get a decent player down the line, but will have to save for it.

it's tenuous because I want to play FF albums

Ok so this is kinda a chicken and an egg thing - only in the sense of which is worse...

You should never artificially weigh down a stylus because even by a small amount it WILL be gradually damaging the pressing grove on every record played.

But why you would want to is the real question. There is absolutely nothing to be gained from weighing it down for the sake of it - it will not magically make a record sound better.

IF the player has no built in arm counterweight adjustment (yours doesn't) then a record should play fine. Any skipping is then telling you A) the stylus is fucked or B) the record groves are either fucked or very dirty.

Weighing down the stylus then is immediately going to A) also start to stuff the record groves and yep you guessed it in B) also start to stuff the Stylus.

So if the stylus isn't skipping leave it alone.

If it is skipping (or even isn't skipping) you should clean second hand records. a simple cheap and safe way for 2nd hand records is with a dash of dish detergent to water (about 1/20). Use a micro fiber towel on a flat surface (I do it on newspaper on the kitchen floor where records have nowhere to fall).

Rub around in a circle following the grooves outside to inside with the micro towel and detergent solution. You can press quite hard and will do no damage. I then use a clean paper towel with a SEPARATE bowl of plain water to wash the record from the inside to the outside (removing any detergent solution). Then a third clean paper towel to fully dry the record.

You just need to be careful not to wet the centre label (unless you simply dont care).

If the record still skips, then it or the stylus is stuffed. If another record plays fine then it was the record. If they all skip then it is the stylus.

A really good idea with an old player even if you're only playing 2nd hand records is to replace the stylus. If you add a good clean record there is every chance you will get very close to a brand new record sound quality. It can make a huge difference and the cost is not that much. It's probably an ict04rs and they are about $15. But you should be able to track it down from the player model number

https://www.ionaudio.com/products/details/ict04rs
https://www.amazon.com/ICT04RS-Repla.../dp/B000T5PPQA