Which Stylus/Cartridge?

[geddy]

I have just bought my self a single Technics 1210 Mk II turntable.

I am looking to use this deck to record my vinyl onto my HDD and potentially in the future, mix with another deck.

According to the seller,"It has a stanton 500 AL cartrige and stylus. the stylus though working has seen use, so to protect your records would suggest you replace it."

I am a complete newbie to turntables.

So my question to you is: What stylus/cartridge should I purchase for someone that is going to be using it to record vinyl and mixing between records?

I do not scratch!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2307455908...84.m1423.l2649

Please bear in mind that I am a newbie to turntables. I have looked through the other threads on the forum regarding cartridges and when I read oftcom, concords, tracking etc being discussed, it just makes no sense to me.

Someone please help!

[rgtb]

get a different cart for djing than for digitizing vinyl. for DJing, you need a robust stylus that doesn't skip and withstands abuse such as back-cueing. for digitizing, you want a cart that's optimized for getting the best audio quality out of the record. a (hifi) cart used for digitizing vinyl doesn't need to be as robust as a DJ cart.

if you budget doesn't allow for two carts, get a DJ cart with elliptical stylus. if your budget does allow for two carts, get maybe a shure m44-7 or ortofon concorde dj s (or e) for DJing and a ortofon 2M red, audio-technica AT440m, or shure m97xe for digitizing vinyl. my hifi cart suggestions are kinda in the $100 range. but note that even a cheaper hifi cart such as the audio-technica at95e will outperform DJ carts (even expensive ones) audio-quality wise.

[technics_wilson]

http://www.ortofon-dj.com/en/product...4929f2ae4ee988

I have used these ortofon dj s for years. You can buy them as a complete cartridge or just a stylus. Well recommended.

[Patch]

stanton 500 AL's are fine. Just get the replacement needle.

[rgtb]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2307455908...84.m1423.l2649

nice catch, btw, you got yourself a sweet deal there.

[geddy]

Thank you for your help!

I went with the audio-technica at95e cartridge.

[Patch]

That doesn't look or sound anywhere near as good as a 500AL.

But hey - if it works for you, that's great.

[geddy]

That doesn't look or sound anywhere near as good as a 500AL.

But hey - if it works for you, that's great.

Why not? I did some google searches of technica and reviews came up good. Also price wise 500AL came up cheaper.

Not knowing much about turntables, I presumed more expensive = better.

[rgtb]

That doesn't look or sound anywhere near as good as a 500AL.

the stanton 500 al ii was an well-respected, durable DJ cart during its time. it was designed for ruggedness and it was pretty loud. none of that matters for the purpose of digitizing vinyl. the 500 al ii with its spherical stylus cannot compete with the at95e when it comes to audio fidelity. my 2c.

[Nontablist]

shure m447.... the old school tough cartridge and stylus for everything you need...