Lamenting about pitch fader problems...grounding issues i think
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  1. #1
    Tech Mentor DirtyNerd's Avatar
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    Default Lamenting about pitch fader problems...grounding issues i think

    So, I have a pair of [mismatched] turntables (Stanton STR-30 and STR-60) that I got to mess around with. They are both direct-drive and have seen some use. The STR-30 is ok...nothing to write home about. The STR-60 needed some work. The power cable receptacle was loose so the table would randomly lose power if you wiggled the cable. No problem...opened it up, re-soldered it and now that works fine and is sturdy.

    Playing around with DVS (traktor Scratch) I notices that the pitch changes were way off. At "zero" it was ok. But nudging the pitch fader down (speed up) just a little (like 1mm) caused it to jump 5-6 bpm! Then I noticed that moving pitch fader up (slowing it down) actually caused it to speed up until it was at about the 2% indicator before slowing down to normal speed AND THEN start to slow down.

    Ok... decided to try to calibrate the pitch slider...grab my mini screw driver and begin adjusting it from below while the platter is turning and watching the dots and noticed something weird...while my hand was touching the screw driver and it was touching the pitch adjustment pot, the pitch fader worked precisely as it should...as soon as my hand stopped touching the screw driver, the speed was all over the place...even just the lightest touch on my hand was enough to restore the pitch fader to working correctly...but as soon as my hand left it it as messed up. Tried touching it with a pencil and a cotton swab and neither worked. only my hand worked. As much as I want to believe that I am imbued with a magical touch, I am guessing a much more banal explanation like a grounding issue or something...I just can't figure out what it is though!

    UGHHHHH!!!!!!
    Traktor: Kontrol X1, Kontrol F1, DN-MC3000, DN-X1700
    Ableton: Launchpad, nanoKontrol2, LPK-25, BCR2000

  2. #2
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    Sounds like a grounding issue with the symptoms you describe. Any chance of a video showing it in action?


    djproben - "But who can resist an album called "the Gay 90s"! I assumed it was going to be a lot of Moby and Keoki...."

  3. #3
    Tech Mentor DirtyNerd's Avatar
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    Will try to see if I can get one together...as it stands, I am already doing some interesting balancing acts to both move the pitch fader and turn the adjustment screw underneath the turntable with a tiny screw driver :-) if I can get a video done that shows it well, I will post it. But I do agree that it seems a grounding issue.

    I will eventually upgrade to better decks, but I got these fairly cheap and thought "what the heck"...I can't afford 1200s right now...not even sure if I want to go down that route...may opt for something else as vinyl and DVS is just my "personal" hobby...I prefer controllers and CDJs...and so don't know if I can justify expensive decks...I will never play out with any turntables I own...they will be purely for home use.
    Traktor: Kontrol X1, Kontrol F1, DN-MC3000, DN-X1700
    Ableton: Launchpad, nanoKontrol2, LPK-25, BCR2000

  4. #4
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    Why not just tie off a piece of wire from a fader attachment screw to somewhere on the tonearm?

  5. #5
    Tech Mentor DirtyNerd's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HigherFi View Post
    Why not just tie off a piece of wire from a fader attachment screw to somewhere on the tonearm?
    I plan on trying something along those lines. I am fairly handy and don't mind soldering and doing some hands-on work...but the lack of spare parts etc for these less than popular decks seems an indicator to me to just upgrade to something new or something that can be repaired easier with plenty of spare parts around (i.e., 1200s).
    Traktor: Kontrol X1, Kontrol F1, DN-MC3000, DN-X1700
    Ableton: Launchpad, nanoKontrol2, LPK-25, BCR2000

  6. #6
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    Well, PM me if you're interested. I have a pair of totally rebuilt 1200 M3Ds,new arms, black crinkle powder coat, that I could sell ya. Wasn't really planning on it, but if it helps you out of a jam...

  7. #7
    Tech Mentor DirtyNerd's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HigherFi View Post
    Well, PM me if you're interested. I have a pair of totally rebuilt 1200 M3Ds,new arms, black crinkle powder coat, that I could sell ya. Wasn't really planning on it, but if it helps you out of a jam...
    Thanks for the offer...but my post-christmas cash situation is not conducive to large purchases. Anyway, the decks are just for personal fun at home, I mainly use controllers and/or CDJs, so I don't really have a critical time issue with getting it working.
    Traktor: Kontrol X1, Kontrol F1, DN-MC3000, DN-X1700
    Ableton: Launchpad, nanoKontrol2, LPK-25, BCR2000

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