Proper weight balancing???

[Beatmaster98]

Hey guys,

Having a bit of a problem with my new TTs. Purchased 2 brand New stanton St-150, and suffice to say, I'm having a bit of a problem. I'm currently using the cartridge included with the TTs (stanton discmaster V3) with timecode vinyl. I have them balanced out at 3g, which is slightly above the minimum recommended weight. They are skipping like mad. I have brought them up to 5g weight, and they still skip a lot. Is it just an issue with the overall quality of this particular cartridge, scratching technique or am I weighing them too much, or too little??

Please let me know what you guys think.

[Patch]

If you're new to scratching, then it is DEFINITELY your technique. You've got to use a light touch.

You LITERALLY let the pads of your fingers/your fingerprints stop the record with practically no downwards force.

Once you've learned how to do this, you'll be surprised at how much downwards force you actually CAN use without getting any skipping.

[Beatmaster98]

Alright, now could there be any other causes, because while I am trying to be lighter with the platter, might not be doing it properly, any other tips?

[Patch]

Loads, mate.

How sturdy is the table that your TT's are on? For ULTIMATE sturdiness, fix it to the wall.
Is the surface level? (Check with a spirit level).
Are the feet screwed on nice and tight?

[Beatmaster98]

Thank you very much for all the help, scratching is much easier now :P. I have a couple more questions about scratch technique (been doing it wrong for a fairly long time). Should your record hand be relatively flat when scratching, and is there an ideal height for the turntables to rest at?

[Stazbumpa]

Look for DJ Angelo on YouTube mate, he has one of the most comprehensive guides to scratching I've seen

[Patch]

Should your record hand be relatively flat when scratching?

Makes no difference whatsoever. You'll have your hand in different positions for different scratches. Check out any Q-Bert video and see how many different positions he gets his record hand in!

Is there an ideal height for the turntables to rest at?

No.

DMC used to set them at 90cm for competitions - I don't know if that is still the case.

But really, it all depends on your height. And, to be honest, as you learn and progress, you'll naturally adjust to whatever height you have 'em set at...

Set 'em some where comfortable. DJTT gave this illustration:

dj-desk-right-desk-height-223x300.jpg

But for me, that set up is WAY too high. I'm 6' 2", and my tabletop height is 86cm (which is the height of 1 4x2 Ikea Expedit Bookshelf, with 2 Ikea Linmon tabletops on top of that).

You should check out the Ikea Hacks for DJ tables... See DJTT's article here:

http://djtechtools.com/2011/10/16/ho...om-ikea-parts/

TBH - I don't like the Ikea set-ups with the sloping shelves at the back. I prefer to have an open tabletop so that I can experiment with equipment positioning, using risers/stands etc...