My records are playing too fast!!

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Just recently i've noticed my turntable is playing my records very slightly too fast. The problem is only very slight (but noticeable if you know how it "should" sound) and seems to be only when set to 33RPM. Any ideas how i could fix it?

― dmun drive-in (dmun), Sunday, 8 January 2006 10:34 (twenty years ago)

buy Chopped/Screwed records

― splates (splates), Sunday, 8 January 2006 10:36 (twenty years ago)

it happens. in the first instance, try replacing the belt. if that doesn't work: a trip to your friendly neighbourhood repair shop is in order.

good turntables are mechanically very simple (there's almost an inverse snobbery there: "look how few buttons and switches i've got!") so a slight fault with the drive mechanism shouldn't be a big deal to fix.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Sunday, 8 January 2006 12:56 (twenty years ago)

Every turntable I've ever owned, even very cheap ones, had a dial that would help you make minute adjustments and could be checked against a strobe light that shone on the side of the drum. The drum is marked with a series of stripes. When properly adjusted, the strobe should make it appear as if the stripes are standing still. This gizmo usually lives at the front left.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Sunday, 8 January 2006 14:24 (twenty years ago)

See the marks on the side? The orange glow in the corner? The black knob near the glow? That's what you want to fiddle with.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Sunday, 8 January 2006 14:30 (twenty years ago)

And if all else fails, go check with the heads at the Vinyl Asylum: http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/bbs.html . Some of their answers may be terrifyingly involved, but they definitely, definitely know their shit.

― Doctor Casino, Sunday, 8 January 2006 15:19 (twenty years ago)

The only buttons on the record player are those that alternate between 33/45 speeds and 7" and 12" plays. Also on the front is a automatic start, automatic stop, and a button that lifts the arm, but nothing i can make adjustments with. Its a similar model to this http://www.jp.aiwa.com/products/homeaudio/record/zoom/img/px-e880.jpg

I guess changing the belt may help. Is this something i'd be able to do myself though, or is it likely to be a repair shop job?

― dmun drive-in (dmun), Sunday, 8 January 2006 15:34 (twenty years ago)

Depending on how much you want to budget for repair, you might oughtta just buy a replacement that has the pitch adjustment control. Here's a Gemini for ~$90.

http://www.instrumentpro.com/P-GEMXL120MK2?source=BizRate&AID=10362375&PID=1001424

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Sunday, 8 January 2006 15:48 (twenty years ago)

Or if you prefer belt-drive (unless you're a mix dj, it's probably better) here's a Stanton for ~$100.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00082FHIK/sr=1-7/qid=1136736119/ref=sr_1_7/102-8464518-4871348?%5Fencoding=UTF8

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Sunday, 8 January 2006 16:06 (twenty years ago)

dude, ditch that linear tracking shit. once they go, they're gone.

― baby, disco is fuck (yournullfame), Sunday, 8 January 2006 19:05 (twenty years ago)

Record players that don't have a pitch adjustment usually have a screw inside that does this. Open up the bottom and take a look. It's usually a plastic screw headed thing, one for 45 and one for 33.

― everything, Sunday, 8 January 2006 22:13 (twenty years ago)

I'd love it if my record player played everything a touch too fast. I used to have a walkman that did this (from being dropped too many times) and it made my Grass Roots and Turtles tapes sound *so* much better.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 9 January 2006 01:56 (twenty years ago)

my old deck had the little adjusting tweakers under the plate. if you take off the slipmat there may be a hole in the plate that if rotated to the right place will show the screws.

― d90 (d90), Monday, 9 January 2006 12:59 (twenty years ago)

fifteen years pass...

Got a brand new Sony turntable and I'm almost certain it's playing just ever so slightly too fast. My old one had a very worn belt, so I'm not sure if I'm just used to that, but it's not like I haven't heard these songs on digital too. Is it perhaps normal for a new player to play a little bit fast to account for belt stretching?

― Party With A Jagger Ban (dog latin), Thursday, 4 March 2021 10:43 (four years ago)

I'd assume that's not normal. Maybe test by using an app (e.g. RPM speed & wow) or strobe disc?

― willem, Thursday, 4 March 2021 10:55 (four years ago)

I don't think that's normal. Try playing a digital version at the same time on your phone and if they get out of sync you'll know.

― braised cod, Thursday, 4 March 2021 11:25 (four years ago)

I'm worried I may have twisted the belt when putting it on, but it's a bit fiddly. Gave it a rough check this morning but couldn't see or feel a kink

― Party With A Jagger Ban (dog latin), Thursday, 4 March 2021 11:30 (four years ago)

It's not normal. But test it first by printing out a PDF strobe disc and placing it on the turntable, using a neon light to illuminate it. The markings will be different for 33-1/3 and 45 rpm, and also for UK (50Hz) and US (60Hz). The strobe markings are also printed out on some actual records as well as mats that fit on the platter.

― Lee626, Thursday, 4 March 2021 13:05 (four years ago)

cheers all. will try this!

― Party With A Jagger Ban (dog latin), Thursday, 4 March 2021 13:39 (four years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.