Evidence of groove damage of TT setup?


So, I have a few used records that I've bought recently where during certain passages (louder than others, certain instruments, etc)there's audible distortion. Is my tracking too light/heavy or is the LP damaged.

Thanx in advance.
pawlowski6132
Doug; I've never encountered that advice before - and I don't get to say that too often - but, look forward to trying it!!
Audiofeil,

I'm guessing I haven't run across too many of YOUR old LPs in the thrift stores... :-)

Dougdeacon,

I tried your slow rotation test on a record that certainly sounds pretty damaged at 33 rpm, and then again on a known clean and undamaged disc, but the "non-musical artifacts" weren't really obvious to me on the damaged record. Can you describe in more detail what you hear using this method?

David
David says:
>>I'm guessing I haven't run across too many of YOUR old LPs in the thrift stores... :-)<<

You have a better chance of winning the lottery.
:-))))))))))))

Have fun!!
David,

The slow rotation test is excellent for detecting pressing voids and sporadic vinyl damage at dynamic peaks due to mistracking cartridges. Those produce sharper-edged shapes in the vinyl than any musical waveform, they're faster than the fastest transient cut by a cutting head. Even at slow rpm's, where musical information all sounds fairly low pitched, flaws and damage like that sound sharp and crisp.

I haven't tried it on a record with general background noise or grunge, so I'm not sure how that would sound. Probably results would vary depending on the shape of the grunge?

Doug
>>shape of the grunge?<<

Nice going Doug. Now you've given every vinylphile one more thing to obsess over.

:-)