Oh dear Rega

[MakkaPakka]

Never mind platter wobble. This is a mono record!

Red lines = clipping. |(

 

[drummerman]

Dont quite understand the graph.

For all we know you could be measuring a bad cartridge?

regards

 

[MakkaPakka]

The graph shows a bit small for some reason.

Top one if the left channel waveform, bottom one the right. It's a mono record so the two graphs should be identical but the left channel is much louder and regularly clipping (the red lines).

This is a 'ready out of the box' Rega RP1.

I knew the sound was off centre to the left but I ruled out absoultely everything else and hooked it up to my laptop as a last resort.

I was going to live with the slight platter wobble.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Its been a while since I looked at an RP1 - can you change the anti-skate bias? It could be that it is set slightly incorrectly.

 

[MakkaPakka]

It's set as per the instructions (2) but I put it all the way down to zero and it made no difference - left channel always a lot louder.

 

[Frank Harvey]

As Drummerman says, it could be a slightly dodgy cartridge then. As you now have two issues, take it back and get it replaced.

 

[richardw42]

Seems to be open season on Rega at the mo. 🙁

 

[floyd droid]

Could be a channel imbalance in the cart. Or the azimuth is wrong. Or both !.

 

[chebby]

Have you checked the alignment of the cartridge?

Is the TT level (small boat level or spirit level required + surface that can be levelled).

Is the azimuth ok? (Small mirror needed.) If not, get unit replaced as this can't be adjusted.

Is it the Ortofon OM5E cart or the new Rega Carbon? (The Carbon has a conical stylus and is not upgradable whereas the OM has an elliptical stylus that - I think - can be upgraded with an OM10's stylus.

Did you set up the vettical tracking force yourself (balance the arm then 'dial in' the force) or was it pre-set? An inexpensive stylus balance like the Ortofon balance will help you set this pretty accurrately.

Do you regularly brush the stylus? Is there a dusty 'blob' on it? (Take care and use a stylus brush brushing very gently from the rear of the cartridge towards you only without exerting any pressure on the cantilever. Make sure the arm is not clamped so it is free to move upwards.)

 

[MakkaPakka]

It's only a month old so it has the Carbon. You push the weight as far as it goes, set bias to 2 and it should be good to go.

Everything is level and as it should be as far as I can see.

I've tried making it not level and adjutsing the bias to every point but Audacity still tells me the left channel is louder.

I could test with another cartridge but don't want to mess about as it needs to be send back. Not sure what will happen with a replacement as it was one of the seconds.

About as sure as I can be that I got a dud

As for being open season on Rega, I was one of the ones defending it. I was convinced the sound being off centre was either in my head or due to my speakers not being perfectly aligned (damn kids).

 

[stevebrock]

This isn't good!
Doesn't matter if its a cosmetic seconds or not there is something very wrong going on at Rega regarding QC
Beginning to think these 2nds are too much grief - paid £749 for mine and I'm not happy with the misaligned motor spindle on my RP6

 

[chebby]

Read this first.

Especially the conclusion where - after every permutation - it turned out to be the amplifier's phono pre-amp at fault.

 

[Al ears]

If you are going to play mono LPs then I suggest you invest in a mono cartridge instead of trying to play them with a cheapish stereo cartridge.

This may account for your channel imbalance.

 

[MakkaPakka]

The imbalance is the same on stereo records - I just used a mono one as I figured the problem would be even more apparent.

 

[floyd droid]

Quick check to save going through the rigmarole of starting from scratch. Switch the cart tags. Red/Green to Green/Red. Same with Blue/White . If the imbalance shifts to the other side tis yer cart. Simples.

 

[lindsayt]

Have you tried swapping the left and right channel leads over on the connection to your ADC and repeating the recording and then tried the same thing on the leads to your phono / pre amp? The idea being to isolate where the problem is coming from: record player, phono section or ADC?

 

[MakkaPakka]

Yep, have swapped the cables into the amp and the same left output is stll louder. I don't really see any point in checking which part of the TT is at fault as fault = faulty.

 

[stevebrock]

Where did you get the TT from?

 

[MakkaPakka]

lintone on ebay.

They publish a phone number on their website and I've got the graph as evidence so hopefully will be hassle-free to return.

 

[stevebrock]

I bet the cart is faulty some guy on vinyl engine had to have 4 aphetas on his RP8 before he gave up - this isn't good!

 

[Anonymous]

I bet the cart is faulty some guy on vinyl engine had to have 4 aphetas on his RP8 before he gave up - this isn't good!

It's like the Toyota story great quality then everyone wants one and production up quality down, hope they can get

over it. It only takes a minority to bring it down.

 

[stevebrock]

I just hope Rega *** this in the bud - victim of thee own success