How best to eliminate LP warps
I own about 2500 LPs, and I like to think they're flat. Furthermore, I espoused the view that warped LPs ought to be discarded. But lately I have found 2 or 3 of my LPs that do have warps but sound too good and are too precious for the music recorded on them to throw away. So I am in the market for ideas on how to remove warps. I am aware that there was a device on the market that looked like a large waffle maker, to be used for warp removal. I think Furutech made it, but I never see it advertised these days. I am also aware of the DIY method of placing an LP between two glass plates and heating the ensemble. The question there would be how hot and for how long? Any suggestions are welcome, especially opinions on the efficacy of the Furutech. Thanks. Please no comments on vacuum hold down; I think it's a great idea but none of my five turntables has that feature.
@melm , you are a little late with that idea but you are right on except with a good eye you are far more accurate visually than your hearing. If it make you happy. I have made recordings with the arm set up correctly and with the stylus 2 degrees off and no one can reliably identify the right set up switching back and forth. |
I think that you are talking about electronic measurements. I am not. I doubt that you can set up correctly with your procedure. Therefore, I suggest that you may well be comparing 1 degree out clockwise to 1 degree out counterclockwise, which might be difficult on some records. Further, what system are you using? In what state of repair is it? Perhaps the differences are swamped by TT noise. Or your tonearm may wobble. As per Lewm’s point, the records and their dishes and warps are also a factor. In summary, your inability to find an azimuth effect is not evidence of lack of same, except to you on your system. IMO |
@terry9 I am talking about any procedure other than direct visual adjustment of azimuth. The mission here is not to get the best sound, it is to get the stylus perfectly perpendicular to the record so that it does not dig into the vinyl. On a well made cartridge this will also give you the lowest crosstalk. If your cartridge is skewed it will not give you the lowest crosstalk but it will protect your records until you get a better cartridge. Perpendicularity, especially with the mirror method is easy to see and your eyes are 10 magnitudes more accurate than your ears. You do need to achieve the right set up particularly the lighting. A flashlight on either side will do it. A magnifier also helps. I use the one on the SmarTractor which is excellent. |
Though late to conversation i think that azimuth is not the holly grail of alignment. Too much effort with little return but fortunately once there you do not have to look back again. Set and forget. Overhung, VTA/SRA, VTF, are definitely more important adjustments and should be accurate before any attempt for setting up azimuth. Bias included. If a system is correctly designed and adjusted then the only source for error regarding azimuth would be any imprecision of the cartridge assembly. So we are trying to correct a faulty product for either stylus or generator, that would require two different settings. Impossible. I choose to check the stylus. How many incorrectly, by a huge margin, assembled cartridges have you met, that would require so drastic adjustments? Twisting a headshell may help but they can become loose and have slack, so would put azimuth off plus they have to many connections, so finer details would be lost. My understanding is that an arm should not have so much freedom as it would introduce more errors than needed. A visual set up with the aid of good lighting, magnifying glass or microscope ( much better than shooting macro photos), mirror and a test lp or one with good content of high frequencies would be enough to get you perfectly close (if needed). Started with wraps and we talk about azimuth, audio is great.
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Orb user here. Got it from ebay. I've flattened thirty or forty records so far and they've all come out much better and although some still aren't perfect they play just fine. Saved me from the PITA of exchanging. Mine is rated 100-125 volts. As to audibility depending on the shape of the warp it's absolutely audible on my system. I have found the rate of change of the warp seems to be the most important factor...not sure if I'm wording that correctly. If you only have a few warped records I can't see the value unless you're OCD or have money burning a hole in your pocket. |
