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Are some tracks impossible to track?

I had been having a problem with a few lps, that I thought were completely solved...distortion on highly modulated tracks in 1 channel due to not enough anti-skate. For the most part its gone.

But I just got a 45 rpm recording (Maria Muldaur...Richland Woman Blues) whose 1st track still distorts, a little on both channels. So I increased the VTF to 3 grams and got rid of the problem. BUT...the recommended VTF is 1.8-2.2 g. Am I screwing up my other 99% of lps by tracking at 3g. I do not notice any negative effects when I play other lps at 3g.

Now even at 3g, when I play Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata (Pollini/DG) there is still very slight distortion, when he "hammers" at the piano.

Rig: Scoutmaster/Sumiko Blackbird

So are some tracks simply untrackable or should a properly matched arm/cart, properly set up track anything? VPI swears the Blackbird is a good match for the JMW 9. I have triple checked everything re: setup, but I am new to analog.
dolifant
jeff_jones
418 posts
 
Newbee may be right, but my rig is not that much different than yours (Aries with JMW 10) and I haven't had a tracking problem with 3 different carts and a wide range of settings and adjustments. Also any of the three carts I've used lose dynamic range and sound boring when run at max. weight, and I've never tried any max. weight above 2.3 gm. Since you've already triple checked all set up parameters, I wonder if you were unlucky and bought a lemon blackbird or scale? Also,if you had a microscope or maybe just a magnifying glass and could get a real close look at the tip of the bird, there may be something going on. I have had tracking problems when a very fine thread got wrapped around the stylus on a different table, sounds obvious but I couldn't see the durn thing till I took off the arm and got it in some real good light.
Good Luck!
Post removed 
dolifant OP
16 posts
 
Fair enough. I have reversed back to 2.2 g VTF.

But the JMW 9 is not that good OK, I know its not a $2-3k ARM. Is that what it takes? I thought the JMW 9 was designed for the VPI tables. And it does track 99% of what I listen to fine, as far as I can see. Maybe when the cart breaks in all the way the suspension will loosen up and it will track just a tad better. Or maybe on to the JMW 9 signature!

What are the best tracking carts out there?
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
The Shure V15Xmr (if you can still find one) tracks anything and is reasonably priced. Sounds good too.
jdaniel18ee
88 posts
 
I've followed your posts and I feel bad for you. I have almost exactly the same setup, including MuFi A308 but use a Dynavector cart, and I listen to exactly the same type of music on the same labels. As I mentioned in my last response, I tapped up the tracking force a little bit and increased the anti-skate one twist, and have not had any problems. I have the Pollini you talked about and it tracks fine, no glassy echo whatsoever.

I must tell you that my cart has about 70 hours on it at least; you might want to just take a breath and relax and enjoy the 99.99% of records that the tonearm tracks correctly while you wait for the cart to break in. Amusingly, the JMW arm tracks the Telarc 1812 cannon-shots perfectly.
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