Updating a Pioneer PL-71 turntable

[Macca]

I have a bit of a side question for you all that is a bit off topic: how are you cleaning your albums? When I left the hobby back in grad school I was using a Discwasher with a homemade solution consisting of deionized water, analytical grade isopropyl alcohol and Triton-X114 wetting agent. I still have my father's Parastat (Manual Model MK11A). What are you guys using in 2014?

Hi Quinn

You should consider getting something like this Moth wet/vacuum RCM I am guessing about $700 your side of the pond. Quick and easy and will bring your records up like new with no nasty residues left:

[NRG]

Yup, a good wet n vac RCM is the way to go if you are serious about your vinyl. I use a nitty gritty machine and just before playing a Hunt EDA MK6 dry cleaning brush...

[The Mighty Quinn]

Greetings Everyone

Thought I would give a quick update on my ongoing PL-71 adventure.

Yesterday I posted that upon getting the turntable home from having my new Ortofon 2M Black "professionally installed", I found that the vertical tracking force was way off. This prompted me to dig out the original PL-71 manual and check the other alignments to the best of my ability. I used the overhang checker (part of the 45 adapter on the PL-71) and found that it was off scale. I readjusted it to the proper 14.5 mm according to the manual. I then printed a "stupid" protractor from Vinyl Engine and did my best to tweak the alignment at the null points, and finally set the tracking force to between 1.5 g and 1.6 g using two separate Shure stylus force gauges. I am pretty confident that I have the tracking force, overhang and null point alignment set properly now.

However, I have absolutely no confidence that I have the vertical tracking angle and anti-skating set properly. Actually, VTA confuses me the most. With respect to the VTA, I adjust this by raising and lowering the tonearm, correct? I have been reading that the only way to adjust this properly is to use a digital microscope and measure the VTA directly, otherwise it is just trial-and-error. Am I missing something? The PL-71 manual simply says to adjust the tonearm height until it is parallel with the platter, but it seems like this would produce a different VTA for each cartridge. How do you guys adjust and measure the VTA?

With respect to anti-skating, should I simply trust the dial on the tonearm and set the anti-skate to the same numerical value as the VTF? I think it is probably too much to hope that the anti-skate dial is accurate after 40 years. How are you guys setting the anti-skate? I just ordered the Hi-Fi News test record that is suppose to have a good test method for setting the optimum anti-skate, but I would love to hear about other methods, and their pros/cons.

I have a copy of the Shure Audio Obstacle Course Era III and checked the tracking on all four trackability tests (bells, sibilance, bass drum and violin). I heard no tracking problems through level 5 on the bells, bass drum and violin tests. I think that I might have heard a slight distortion at level 5 on the sibilance test. I'm hoping that I can get the sibilance to improve once I figure out how to get the VTA setup properly and the anti-skate set properly.

It's probably not fair to offer opinions on the sound of the system because I am not convinced that the anti-skate and VTA are set up properly, but I am going to give you a few first impressions anyway. Take it with a grain of salt.

I now have about 5 hours on the 2M Black post re-alignment, and so far it is kind of boring. The high end started pretty harsh, but seems to be smoothing out a bit. The "S" sounds are emphasized but not distorted, and this may be because I don't have my VTA and/or anti-skating properly aligned. Otherwise the sound is sort of flat.

I would appreciate any thoughts you have regarding the VTA and anti-skating settings.

By the way, I am definitely going to need to recap the PL-71. I can get the speed to be rock solid stable for 10-20 minutes, but once in awhile it will audibly change. It is almost as if I can hear those old electrolytic capacitors crying out "we just can't do it anymore!".

Cheers, and thanks to all of you for the great advice you have given so far. It is so good to be back into my vinyl!

Quinn

[Magna Audio]

Usually VTA is good when the arm is parallel with the record whilst playing. This is a bit hit and miss as if you are not 100% inline when you look it will look off a bit.
Trial and error around that by eye alignment is then done.
Is the rear of the tonearm is up too much the treble can sound spitty / siblanty. Lowing it will cure and if go too far make things too far the other way.


If you fit a taller cart then you have to change the VTA. Pretty much all carts like to see the record at the same angle.

Record thicknesses vary quite a lot, so unless you are the kind of person that changes VTA for every disc (there are a few out there), then set it to be good on what you listen to most and enjoy it

For antiskate you usually set it at the same as the VTF. So if 2g then 2 on the scale. You can try a bit either way and see how that changes things.
Also with med to high compliance carts you can see looking from the front of the cart if the cantilever is vertical whilst playing.

I've see carts where the cantilever is permanently off to one side when not playing - presumably due to countless hours and hours on the wrong or no antiskate.

The PSU recap is easy. The motor board is pretty tight but I did it no problem.

[NRG]

Hmmm, I use the Baerwald alignment and it seems to give good results for me, thats an inner null of 66mm and outer 120.9mm.

With regard to VTA its trial and error Im afraid, start with the top of the headshell / cartridge parallel with the record and tweak the arm pillar up or down until it sounds best....a dull sound could be a little too low. It does alter with different cartridges and also record thickness! But, I wouldn't get to hung up on it, I find Ortofon cartridges have the SRA more or less correct so a parallel cartridge is probably correct.

Anti skate is also a bit of trail and error, I used a test record and found the anti skate dial more or less the same as the tracking weight! I may have just been lucky.

Also make sure the cartridge azimuth is correct by using a small mirror placed on the platter mat, the reflection should vertical.

[The Mighty Quinn]

Thanks Neal and Steve!

I lowered the tone arm by approximately 2-3 mm and it made a HUGE difference. All I can say is WOW! I really wish that the tonearm height was a bit easier to change, or even measure reliably, but I finally feel like I am starting to get control of the alignment on this turntable.

Neal: I did indeed use the Baerwald alignment protractor that I downloaded from Vinyl Engine.

I am listening to Crosby, Stills and Nash right now and the vocals sound amazing. The harshness on the high end is gone and the emphasis on the "S" sounds is gone. I also noticed that surface noise is greatly reduced. I might have gone a bit too far because the bass is not as crisp as I think it should be. I would not go as far calling it "muddy", but I think it is on that side of the alignment. I am going to leave the VTA alone for a few hours and listen to some more albums before I attempt to make a correction. I also want to let the 2M Black break in a bit more before do too much more tweaking.

Neal: how long did it take before your 2M Black was through the break in process?

As far as the anti-skate is concerned, I have it set as close to 1.5 as I can with the dial. I am going to leave this alone until I get the Hi-Fi News test record later this week.

Thanks so much for your help guys!

Cheers,
Quinn

[The Mighty Quinn]

You should consider getting something like this Moth wet/vacuum RCM I am guessing about $700 your side of the pond. Quick and easy and will bring your records up like new with no nasty residues left

Yup, a good wet n vac RCM is the way to go if you are serious about your vinyl. I use a nitty gritty machine and just before playing a Hunt EDA MK6 dry cleaning brush...

Hey Gents,

Do you clean your records with a machine every time you play them, or do you only clean them with the machine once and use brush before playing to remove surface dust?

Cheers,
Quinn

[6L6]

Having grown up with a -71 I can suggest a few simple modifications;

1) Remove the transformer from the chassis and put it in it's own box. Getting rid of the vibrating humming chunk of iron from the chassis makes an incredible difference in the overall sound. More than you would ever expect. (Yes, really...)

2) Lose the old rubber ringed mat. I really like the Acromat from Funk Firm, but just about anything will be better the the 40-year old original.

3) Wall rack.

Keep on with the tweaking of the alignment, it seems like you are on the right track!

[RobbieGong]

Hi Quinn, Hope you get set up sorted. You have a superb cart there in the 2M Black which needs to be set up right so that it does it's magic. Personally I've always found the sweet spot through doing vta last.
All the best

[NRG]

Hi Quinn, good to read you are getting somewhere with the deck. I don't use a 2M Black, I have a rebodied DL103R.

Re the RCM I only use it to clean a record if it needs it ....normally just the once and from then on use the Hunt brush just before playing...