So what is everyone using for a vinyl rig?

[StereoNut]

my new fantasy turntable; awaiting a new belt.  it took a long time to get my motorcycle-shop guy to fab me the adapter to mount the tone arm, in exchange for a buell factory parts manual i had given him!  
doug s.

I like the new "audiophile approved" tail feather record duster!  Where did you get it?  

[eleazar]

Monty Python Dead Parrot Sketch 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO1T7b07I7E

[mfsoa]

Pro-Ject Perspective Carbon
Pro-Ject Speed Box MKII
Pro-Ject Tube Box SE
AT 440 MLa

Desperately need VPI record vac...

[Scott F.]

Hiya Guys,

Been a while since I've posted (I lurk quite a bit)

Here's my rig

First up is the main table, an Opera LP5 with the Dynavector 507 MkII arm. The pic is low rez but it gives you an idea of my front end.


This older pic shows a little better the LP5 integrated stand. All in it's 175 pounds of table less the arm. Oh, and that's my (Bryan's old) AR ES1 that is now doing duty in our exercise room.


Thought I'd toss this one in just cause it's cool looking   It's a close up of my Yamamoto on the DV arm


...and finally, here is my dedicated 78 system. It's an old Dual 1219 with a Shure M78 cart. It feeds my 1954ish Stomberg Carlson 6L6 mono amp. It feeds my mid-50s Altec 824 Iconic. Pretty awesome sound WAY better than most would imagine.

[Scott F.]

Desperately need VPI record vac...

Hey Mike,

Here's an easy one for you that won't break the bank. It's my version of a DIY RCM. It's nothing more than the KAB EV1 record cleaner ($169), an old donor platter and bearing (form a Hitachi TT in my case, $10), a portable vacuum cleaner ($5 garage sale), an old TV stand ($5 garage sale), a few wire cup style pencil and paper clip holders from Walmart ($15) and finally a set of brushes and solution from the Disc Doctor ($75).





As you can see, I installed a door to cover up the vacuum. I made it out of old scrap.

I think it took me all of about an hour to assemble it all once I figured out how to arrange it. It's on wheels so it's mobile. Pretty simple but effective plus it does a bang up job of deep cleaning your favorite albums.

I say deep clean because that's what I use it for. More often than not, I find myself using the Spin Clean. It works great for a quick clean. It gets most all of the nasties and isn't too much fuss to use. When I want a serious clean, I park myself in front of my DIY RCM. It's the only thing that gets the last ounces of the crap out of the grooves, IMO of course.

[richidoo]

That's wicked cool Scott!   

I love seeing the DV arm, the SB3 next to the shellacs, diyRCM, very inspiring all around. Thanks for sharing!

[TomS]

I recently bought a Trans-Fi Salvation DC rim drive, slate plinth, with Trans-Fi Terminator T3Pro air bearing arm from the UK, and Zu Denon 103. The arm wiring is silver, direct from the cart clips to a pair of Eichmann RCA's into the phono stage. About 70 lbs worth all told. The arm has on the fly VTA setting and arm wands can be swapped instantly with no changes other than re-plugging the RCA's and dressing the wiring.

I'm still dialing it all in and learning its quirks, but so far it's very, very nice sounding.

[etcarroll]

I applaud Scott F's ingenuity.

However, there's something to be said for a true RCM. Plus, it allows for other ingenuity. For example, I learned from eleazar that as good as vacumn is, adding steam is the needed step for really soiled vinyl. An RCM allows me to use my diy steamer.

[tmazz]

....mebbe a/c doesn't allow pic hits from a/n?    

I think they're just afraid of us. 

[richidoo]

Doug, AC doesn't allow pic hits from other domains.

actually, this is not true.  mebbe a/c doesn't allow pic hits from a/n?     i was able to link pics from a/c to another forum where i participate...

doug s.

Awwwww..... that's too bad. Very sad indeed.

[jsaliga]

I'll add a few pics of my Garrard 401 rig now that it is all set up and dialed in.












The 9" arm features a Ortofon SPU Gold Reference low output moving coil stereo cartridge.  It tracks at 3 grams and uses a Ortofon Replicant 100 nude line contact stylus affixed to an aluminum cantilever.

The 12" arm features a Ortofon SPU mono DG25 moving coil cartridge.  It tracks at 3.5 grams and uses a spherical stylus with a 25µm tip radius for playing mono LPs that were pressed between 1948 and 1960.

I also have a Lyra Kleos cartridge that I just bought and haven't taken it out of the box yet.  After listening to the Ortofon SPU Gold Reference for a few days I am thinking about returning the Lyra.  I have another two weeks to make up my mind and I intend to take that time to think about it.

This is the analogue front end that I have wanted for years.  I always admired and lusted after the classic Garrard 301/401 and Thorens TD124 designs...but I never seemed to be able to get around pursuing one until now.  I'm very glad I did it.

--Jerome

[BobM]

Jerome, it is indeed interesting that you mounted the mono stylus on the longer (and many would assume better) tonearm. That certainly shows your committment to enjoying mono pressings.

The deck looks awesome. Any thoughts of adding a tonearm clamp to hold back that 12" arm in case it is accidently bumped? You don't want it skittering sideways over a record.

[tmazz]

Jerome, it is indeed interesting that you mounted the mono stylus on the longer (and many would assume better) tonearm. That certainly shows your committment to enjoying mono pressings.

The deck looks awesome. Any thoughts of adding a tonearm clamp to hold back that 12" arm in case it is accidently bumped? You don't want it skittering sideways over a record.

Bob if you look at the base of the arm right by the cueing lever there is a black C clip (it's hard to see in the pic, but its there.) That looks like the same clip that is on my Oracle arm.  You have to give the arm a pretty good push to get in in there and once it is it holds on pretty tight. If the clip on Jerome's arm works the same he should have no trouble with it getting bumped out.

[tmazz]

Jerome it's funny you should post up the pics of your new rig today. Inspired by your mono adventures I decided to give it a whirl myself and ordered a Ortofon D25M mono cartridge to mount in the Thorens TD-147 that my son was using in his system before we got the VPI  Jr for him. Mounted it up last night and was just playing a mono RCA pressing of Fritz Reiner doing Dvorak's New World Symphony. It really does sound much quieter than when I played it on my stereo rig. Of course the detail is not the same as it is a much lower level cart and TT, but it sounds good in its own right. Maybe someday I'll spring for a higher quality mono cart, but for right now I will just be having fun combing through the Crack House picking out a bunch of those 50s mono LPs that I had been leaving behind in the past. Oh no, this may call for another record rack.  

[BobM]

I've been cleaning and listening to a bunch of older mono Columbia 6 eyes that a friend dropped off from his fathers collection. All classical in nature, so far and many are not totally ruined.

But they really have very little life and no real big dynamic that I hear on more modern recordings. I thought the old 6 eyes were supposed to be cream? Is it the stereo cartridge? Would a mono cartridge make these come to life better?