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New member Username: LovegasolineNYC Post Number: 10 Registered: Jul-05 | I'm just re-exploring my LPs which I haven't listened to in over a decade. I'm making the move into better audio (budget level for now): I just purchased an integrated amp which has allowed me to hook up my older, albeit low-fi turntble (bought new 15yrs ago but never really played)....Gemini XL-BD10. I understand I'm at the lowest end,but for now it will have to do until I can upgrade. I have a cartridge mounted but I have NO recollection of the make and unfortunately no documentation. Description: A yellow plastic base. The front is silver metallic and printed on this silver background is a large black "D" logo, and under the D it has printed "M-22". I think I purchased the cartridge seperately from the turntable. I've got the turntable manual, but I do not know what, if any, settings for anti-skate and tracking I have to do based on this cartridge. Nor can I find any info on the web ....heck I do not even know who the made the cartridge. I'm blind & groping in the dark :-). Anyone care to have a stab at this? Thanks a bunch. |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 4734 Registered: May-04 | A fairly safe bet would be to place downforce and anti skating at 1 3/4 grams. When the tonearm is lowered on to a "not that much cared for" record, you should see the cantilever of the cartidge deflect slightly up toward the cartridge body. If it collapses into the cartridge body to the point where cartridge will drag on the record surface, lighten up the tracking and skating by 1/4 gram. If you hear obvious mistracking on loud or complex material, increase the force by 1/4 gram. |
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Silver Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 712 Registered: Sep-04 | Sounds like a Shure cartridge to me - typical tracking weight is between 1.25 and 1.5gms. Regards, Frank. |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 4745 Registered: May-04 | Though the "M" is typical of Shure, I don't recall any "M-22". Or a "D' on the front of the cartridge body on any Shure products. Shure maufactured a lot of house brand caridges, however. Does the stylus assembly pull straight out the front of the cartrdige body or pull down from the cartridge? |
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Bronze Member Username: LovegasolineNYC Post Number: 13 Registered: Jul-05 | Jan, Can you elaborate a bit? I'm not sure where one begins and the other ends. One thing as I look at it, I notice the sylus is cocked a little to the left when looked at from the front of the turntable....it is not on axis with the tonearm....I wonder if it got knocked at some point and bent over a little. My turntable has a gray felt platter pad...I DO recall buying that when I got the turntable. Underneath is the rubber matt that comes stock with the turntable. Is the felt a dust magnet or a useful accessory? I do have a dust cover...it generally stays open when I play (not enough time generally to close it before the needle hits the groove) and stays closed the rest of the time. I've read your advice elsewhere about removing the dustcover when playing to eliminate resonance, but I doubt my sound system at present is high enough in quality to hear a difference. |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 4925 Registered: May-04 | When you say the stylus is cocked to the left I assume you are referring to the cantilever of the cartridge and not the cartridge body. (The canitlever is the attachment rod that comes from the underside of the cartridge body and holds the stylus (needle) in the groove.) If the cantilever is cocked, you should replace the stylus assembly which will be the stylus, cantilever and the cantilever assmbly along with the finger grip used to remove and replace the stylus assembly. You'll need to know what brand of cartridge you have or else you will end up having to replace the entire cartridge. A cocked stylus is not riding the groove properly and may permanently damage any record you play with that stylus. If just the cartrdige body is cocked, that probably is a matter of the alignment procedure used to set the cartridge up. Did you do the intial alignment on this cartridge? The felt mat usually replaces the rubber mat. Otherwise the addition of the felt over rubber changes the tracking angle of the cartridge. Try it with just the felt mat over the platter. The felt mat does collect dust, but with its soft surface compared the hard rubber mat, the dust isn't damaging the record groove. Only you can determine whether the table does better with the cover up or down. Ususally totally off is the best solution while playing records and then replace the cover at the end of a session. |
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Fester Unregistered guest | The cartridge is a Sanyo. 2 grams downforce. Though if it's bent then best to see your friendly local dealer for a replacement. |
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Bronze Member Username: LovegasolineNYC Post Number: 15 Registered: Jul-05 | I'll try the felt alone & lose the rubber matt. The cartridge body appears correctly seated into the tonearm....it's the cantilever that's cocked to the side. If memory serves, the store in which I bought the turntable & cartridge did the cartridge installation (Uncle Mike's -- cash & carry discounter in NYC...this was 15yrs ago). I personally did NO adjustments whatsoever to the cartridge. Fester: Any clue on what a replacment stylus assembly for this cartridge goes for...if it's still manufactured? Any visual reference for the cartridge on the web for confirmation? How do I remove the stylus assembly for replacement? Oh, BTW, who IS my local friendly stylus dealer in NYC? |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 4955 Registered: May-04 | Put "phonograph cartridge/stylus NYC" into a search engine and you'll probably get some hits. Otherwise try MusicDirect and Needle Doctor. |
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Bronze Member Username: LovegasolineNYC Post Number: 16 Registered: Jul-05 | Jan, If I find a local source for the stylus, I can bring in the old one to confirm the ID. Regarding removal: in general is the entire cartridge removed or just the stylus...are there universal methods of removal....or is it cartridge/stlus specific? It all appears pretty 'tight' down there under the tonearm with little working room. Care to share any procedural tips? If I manage to successfully remove/ and buy a replacement: I have a general set of mechanics/machinists/measuring tools, will these be all I need to effect whatever stylus setup/alignment is needed on the replacement? |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 4968 Registered: May-04 | Assuming the cartridge was aligned properly when it was orignally installed and the cartridge bidy hasn't moved out of position, you just slide the old stylus out and the new stylus in. No alignment required. The stylus assembly will usually slide straight out from the front of the cartridge or at a slight angle by pulling straight out on the stylus assembly. Some assemblies pulled down and away from the cartridge body. Without knowing moer about yourmparticular cartridge, I can give much more information. Possibly Fester has more information. Does your cartridge look like any of these: http://www.audioreplay.net/ebaysanyostyli.html http://www.audioreplay.net/sanyostyli.html |
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Bronze Member Username: LovegasolineNYC Post Number: 24 Registered: Jul-05 | I removed the stylus. There are no markings on the stylus assembly. A yellow plastic part with the cantilever assembly. The cantilever is oriented slightly off center even when pushed gently to center, it ooozes back over. I looked at the page you referenced Jan but can't possitively I.D. it. Some look close, but I cannot really be confident that it is the same...slight differences in the plastic holder,etc. Unless anyone has other ID suggestions, I'll have to do a crazy store by store search on foot. I know this was a super cheap budget cartridge so I seriously doubt the hi end audio stores here in NYC would stock it...and the world of budget turntables no longer exists in NYC. Any ideas please post 'em. Fester? |
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New member Username: Steve542England Post Number: 4 Registered: Aug-05 | No idea if this is of any help, but have had good service from Garage records: http://www.garage-a-records.com/index.php - guy who owns it might be able to ID a photo. He'll answer an email in my experience. Steve |
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Bronze Member Username: LovegasolineNYC Post Number: 26 Registered: Jul-05 | Steve, thanks for the reference. I'll try to get a digital image of the stylus/cartridge and I'll see if he can ID it. I'll post an image here as well (need to find a computer that is compatible with the camera...my 7 yr old computer doesn't have a USB port...gah). |
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Bronze Member Username: LovegasolineNYC Post Number: 34 Registered: Jul-05 | Here's a pic of the cartridge with the stylus removed. Can anyone ID this model? (This is the first time for image posting so I hope it works.) [IMG]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b278/Lopvegasoline/M-22PhonoCartridge_2.jpg[/IMG] |
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Bronze Member Username: LovegasolineNYC Post Number: 35 Registered: Jul-05 | Nup, didn't work. Can anyone advise how to have the image viewed in the body of the message? Thanks. |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 5322 Registered: May-04 | Go to formatting on the home page, I believe. |
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Bronze Member Username: LovegasolineNYC Post Number: 39 Registered: Jul-05 | Fester: Your knowledge was on the money. It's Sanyo and I'm currently ordering a replacement. Steve: Garage-a-records gave me a positive ID and a model# for replacement, about $20 for stylus. Jan: Never did get the formatting figured out... THANKS for all your help in getting the phono figured out! |
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New member Username: Steve542England Post Number: 6 Registered: Aug-05 | Good to see you've got progress! Do say / let us know how it goes... Steve |