Good Day/Noon/Evening people, This is the 6th part of Turntablist Techniques Article sets. This one is about how to modificate your Technics SL-1200MK2 for better scratching. Enjoy:)
Many turntablists consider the Technics SL-1200MK2 nearly perfect, but a few simple do-it-yourself modifications can make it even better. Out of the box, the SL-1200MK2 is a robust piece of high-end, professional audio equipment. Although it is very well suited to scratching (especially when used with the right cartridge-and-needle combo), by making a few tweaks you can significantly improve its scratch performance.
The steps described here involve modifying your Technics turntable's settings. Bear in mind that these modifications will void any warranty and could permanently damage your turntable if you're not careful. Should you choose to make them, do so with extreme caution. These modifications are very easy to make, but some of them will require a multimeter. If you don't know how to use a multimeter, consult a professional repair shop. The three modifications we will examine are pitch fader range adjustment, pitch fader center adjustment, and braking adjustment.
CIRCUIT BOARD ACCESS
You will need access to the turntable's circuit board to do any of the three modifications. Remove the top of your turntable as follows:
1. Unplug the turntable.
2. Secure the tonearm with the unit's arm clamp.
3. Remove any slip mats or rubber pads from the platter. You should now be looking at the bare metal of the turntable platter, which has two holes approximately 1 inch in diameter directly opposite each other (see Fig. 1).
4. Place your fingers in these holes and firmly pull straight up. The platter should feel as if it is resisting your pull at first and then suddenly release. This is due to the strong magnets (part of the direct-drive motor system) that both spin the platter and hold it in place.
5. You should now see a black plastic cover with five screws and some vents, through which you can glimpse the turntable's circuit board (see Fig. 2).
6. Remove the five screws and lift off the cover. Set all of these pieces aside and do not lose them! The main circuit board and turntable motor should now be exposed and accessible (see Fig. 3).
PITCH FADER RANGE ADJUSTMENT
The default pitch range of a Technics SL-1200MK2 is approximately ±8 percent. However, the actual range varies slightly from turntable to turntable. If you have a pair of SL-1200MK2 turntables, you will probably want their performance to match exactly so that sliding the pitch fader to the same setting on each turntable results in the same pitch adjustment. With the following modification, not only can you dial in your pair of turntables to match more closely, but you can also actually increase the pitch fader's range on each unit.
To adjust this setting, locate the blue pot (an adjustable cylindrical element soldered to the circuit board) in the circuit board's upper right corner, next to the pitch label. You can adjust this control by turning it left or right with a flathead screwdriver. Turning to the right will increase the pitch, and turning to the left will decrease it. The setting is very touchy — even a tiny adjustment can result in a massive change in pitch. With that in mind, take care and do a test after each little adjustment.
One advantage of this modification is that you can calibrate the pitch fader to better match the actual pitch adjustment. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Move your pitch fader to what looks like +3.3 on the markings.
2. Replace the platter temporarily and put on a record.
3. Observe the +3.3 percent dots on the side of the platter (second row from the top, directly above the large row of dots — see Fig. 4) where the red strobe, to the left near the power switch, illuminates them. If the dots move slowly to the right, your turntables are faster than +3.3 percent. If they move slowly to the left, your turntables are slower than +3.3 percent.
4. Remove the platter, adjust the pitch pot by a small amount (no more than a quarter turn), and continue testing until the +3.3 percent dots hold still. This indicates that the platter is rotating at +3.3 percent. Double-check this setting by moving the pitch fader to -3.3 percent and verifying that the corresponding platter dots are also stationary. If they are not, you may need to adjust the pitch fader center as described below.
If you make the same adjustment on your second turntable, both units should now accurately match each other and the pitch fader markings.
PITCH FADER CENTER ADJUSTMENT
The Technics SL-1200MK2 features a quartz-locked pitch setting. This means that when the green light beside your pitch fader is on, the decks are running at exactly the speed indicated (33 rpm or 45 rpm). This setting is not adjustable.
However, some SL-1200MK2 turntables have pitch problems when you move the pitch fader slightly off center (when the light just goes out). On some units the pitch will actually change slightly in the opposite direction from that corresponding to the fader setting. In other words, the turntable may actually slow down just after you pull the fader out of the zero setting while you're speeding up the pitch. As you continue to move the fader, it will pass through a second zero setting (not the quartz-locked one) and then begin changing the pitch in the correct direction. When this happens, you actually have zero in two places.
The following modification allows you to calibrate your turntable so that it has a true center, the one found when the quartz lock is on. Once calibrated, the pitch fader will make the appropriate plus or minus speed adjustments.
Locate the blue pitch pot (see the previous pitch range adjustment example). Beside it you'll see a hole about 3 to 5 mm in diameter. Inside this hole is a small Phillips-head screw and a pot.
Hook up a multimeter to the pot (connect it to the center lead and the one nearest the edge of the board) and use a small screwdriver to adjust the pot so that the meter reads 2.7 kW. (If you don't have a multimeter, you will have to rely on trial and error. Adjust the setting, hook everything back up, and try out the new setting. Then readjust until you have calibrated the pot accurately.)
Note that to allow accurate pitch range calibration, you may need to adjust this pitch fader center setting before adjusting the pitch fader range.
BRAKING ADJUSTMENT
On most SL-1200MK2s, pressing the Stop/Start button makes the record slow down to a somewhat abrupt stop. By adjusting the braking, you can set your turntable to brake harder — fast enough so that it will spin the record backward ever so slightly when you press Start/Stop. With the turntable adjusted to this setting, you can create a nice effect — one similar to a very slow reversed chirp scratch that occurs when you stop a record as it is playing a heavy drum sound or constant tone.
To make this modification, look on the turntable's circuit board for the pot numbered VR201 (shown in Fig. 3). It should be located to the right of the blue pitch pot described earlier, with the brake label on the circuit board next to it.
Turning the pot to the right increases the braking abruptness. Don't turn it too far, however, as it is fairly sensitive. Start with a quarter turn, then replace the platter and plug in your turntable to test the setting. Note that stopping a platter with a record on it takes slightly more force than stopping an empty one, so test this setting with a record and slip mat on the platter.
MILLER TIME
With the modifications outlined in this month's column, you can tweak your Technics SL-1200MK2 to suit your specific scratch style. Have fun experimenting with the various settings, and remember to adjust each one in small increments and test as you go along. Happy tweaking!
Tips and Tricks - Turntablist Techniquest Part 6
Tuesday, 28 July 2009Posted by WIN at 09:46
Labels: Tips and Tricks, Turntablist
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
0 comments:
Post a Comment