Strange Inspire LP12 woe - help/advice sought please

[andybee33]

Hi folks,

Hope you are all well - I've had nothing to say for a while so just been lurking!

I'm posting as my Inspire Hifi-modded LP12 (Origin Live Silver arm and AT33EV cart) has developed a strange fault that I can't understand. If I'm playing an LP (let's pretend it has 4 tracks on each side, as they often do!) then, when I get to about the beginning of track 3 (assuming they are equal lengths) the sound starts to get a bit crackly - very feint at first but gradually worsening. By near the end of track 3 the record has started to skip and the sound is very crackly indeed.

I would have thought that this was to do with anti-skating force but the OL Silver uses a simple 'ball bearing on a fishing line' solution for this, so surely the anti-skating pressure doesn't change as the arm moves across the record? I'm reluctant to start tinkering with things until I have at least some understanding of why it might be happening. The turntable is level according to my turntable spirit level and the problem occurs on all records that I've tried - which vary in flatness from 'very flat' to 'pretty warped'.

Any ideas? I'm a bit confused.

thanks

Andy

[struth]

If nothing has been moved then might be a bearing

[Light Dependant Resistor]

Hi Andy
How many grams of weight do you have on the cartridge?
The cartridge alignment, checking with a protractor some which are
available as a downloaded protractor page is worth doing,
arm bearings as Struth said and anti skate would be things to check,
as its firmly telling you there is misalignment at that part of the LP

With the LP 12 there is not a lot to go wrong, but check the
pulley and belt, by first gently removing the outer platter, if
you spot lots of worn belt rubber on the motor pulley, clean it up
and assess if a new belt might be needed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REWxF8m2qRk

[PaulStewart]

Hi Andy,

I have an OL Silver myself, currentley it's on one of my Techy 120s so I know it's a bit of a bitch adjusting the tracking weight. My first thought is check that and of course the alingnment and overhang. It could be a bearing, but the silver in no fragile wimp, it's very well made in fact. The fact that if I read you correctly, the problem only happens 3/4s of the way across the disc, suggests a geometry, VTF or a combination of the two.

[Marco]

Hi Paul,

Totally off-topic, I know, but since you're on line, I thought I'd use the opportunity to ask when is your blues radio show going back on air, and you doing regular requests and updates, such as it was before?

Your shows are missed, mate!

Marco.

[PaulStewart]

Hi Marco,

The shows are temoprairily offline, the archive shoepwas are on mixcloud if anyone wants to listen again, but with the increase in workload and the move of office and house, I have not had time to set up the radio studio. The space where it will go is still full of boxes. But the new season of the Cellar Club will be back ASAP

[Marco]

No worries, mate. I know what it's like when you've just moved house! Appreciate the update and look forward to when you can get the show up and running again

Apologies for the thread-drift, folks!

Marco.

[Ammonite Audio]

Hi Andy,

I have an OL Silver myself, currentley it's on one of my Techy 120s so I know it's a bit of a bitch adjusting the tracking weight. My first thought is check that and of course the alingnment and overhang. It could be a bearing, but the silver in no fragile wimp, it's very well made in fact. The fact that if I read you correctly, the problem only happens 3/4s of the way across the disc, suggests a geometry, VTF or a combination of the two.

Surely if the problem happens in the same place, on every record, it would tend to indicate a sticking lateral bearing, or maybe a snagging wire inside the tonearm, that hinders its free movement across the record. Either way, I would not continue using the arm, otherwise the stylus is likely to be damaged. I'd send the arm back to OL for a proper check.

[Clive197]

Hi Andy

When I bought the OL Silver from Richard at Inspire he mounted and set up the arm on the Technics that I also purchased from him. On my return home I found that the arm had been incorrectly set up and I spent a lot of time setting up the arm properly. Richard is a really nice guy but I'm not sure his technical abilities match his enthusiasm. He told me that an issue with static that I had with my previous LP12 that he had just upgraded for me was not something he had heard about before!!!
I suggest that you get the arm re-installed. It is IMO unlikely to be the bearings as this would effect the whole LP not just end of side and as already been stated the arm is built like a "Brick Out-House" It might be well worth contacting Origin Live for their opinion.

Clive

[andybee33]

Thanks chaps.

Clive, yes I got the arm fitted and set up by Richard as well - so that's interesting to hear.

Based on the helpful feedback from everyone, I plan to do the following in this order:

1 -Check the tracking weight - I've just ordered some scales as I didn't have any
2 - Check the alignment with a protractor - I'm sure I got one with my Hifi News 'Test' LP.

If the above don't fix things, I'm going to send the Arm to OL and get it checked out. The last thing I want to do is wreck my stylus!

will post up my findings as and when I, erm, find them!

A