Skipping records

[duncandonuts]

Hi My name is ben and i have just recently became interested in vinyl, so far ive bought three albums. The first one played like normal and had no problems. However, the second and third(same store) skipped. One of them was brand new, sealed, the other was from 2001 or so. They seem to be skipping in the same spots every time. Do I take them back or is this probably just something that can be resolved with cleaning?

P.S. if anyone has any good articles or how to links about cleaning/storage i would love to read them

Thanks!

[duncandonuts]

forgot to mention, the turntable i use is just a normal best buy turn table that my dad bought about five years ago, dont know if that would have anything to d with it

[davidsss]

Records can skip for a number of reasons. Although some brand new records have less than great quality control they really shouldn't skip.

Basically there are 2 things to check: the turntable setup and the records themselves.

With the turntable setup I would suspect the main culprit would be that the vertical tracking force (VTF) is set too light. There should be some way to adjust this on the turntable. Generally there will be some sort of weight right at the back of the tonearm, behind the pivot. This will normally be a cylinder with marking on it. What you need to do is to move the weight such that the arm is balanced (ie: the arm just sits in mid air, then move the scale (without moving the cylinder - the scale should move separately) to zero and then move both the scale and cylinder together to the desired weight - I would suggest 1.75 grammes as a quick setting. There must be a YouTube video showing this. You could also try and look at cartridge alignment but this is more complicated and I don't think this would lead to skipping unless it was a long way out. There are better ways of setting VTF but if you have no tools this is the method most turntables come with.

The record itself could also be the culprit. The first thing to check is for warping. Just put the record on the platter and turn on the turntable and look to see if the record is flat. A warped record will often skip. If the record is not warped it will either be dirt caught in the grooves or scratches. There should be no scratches on a new record, if there is then it should be returned. Dirt can be cleaned out (there is a lot of discussion on cleaning here but assuming you don't own a record cleaner you can try warm soapy water (warm, not hot, so lukewarm) in a sink and then rinse with clean water and let it dry). There is no way of fixing a scratch.

Your turntable does not sound great so it might also be an idea to try the records on someone else's turntable as the turntable might just be unable to track the records properly. If that is the case the problem could be the stylus (if it is 5 years old and used a lot the stylus would need replacing) but it could also be the turntable.

I suppose the first thing is to determine if it is the records or the turntable and that can most easily be checked if you can try and play the same records on a different turntable.

DS

[Dr Pan K]

check y vertical tracking force as david says. if u provide the TT model we can be more specific n how to adjust it, in case u dont know. also the cartridge model would help to track the optimum VTF

[MartinnAngel]

I agree with both solutions, mate. check the tracking force on the TT and the cart itself.

I got this from an article but forgot the author, this might help:

REPAIR AND MAINTAINANCE - There are a few things the average person can do to maintain a turntable. The one problem I encounter most, aside from bent stylii, is a mis-balanced tonearm. To properly play a record, the stylus must contact the record with a specific amount of weight, called the "tracking force". If you just bought a used table you will want to make sure the tonearm is balanced. If the tracking force is too light, you will not get good groove contact, too heavy and you will gouge your records. Here is a simple, step-by-step procedure for balancing almost any tonearm with an adjustable counterweight.
o STEP ONE - Level the turntable. All the tweaking in the world is pointless if your table isn't level front to back and side to side. A simple small carpenter's level will work just fine if you have one. The best kind of level for this job is called a surface level and it is a small square or round bubble level which can be purchased at any decent hardware store for about 5 bucks.
o STEP TWO - Remove any stylus guards, pennies, fishing weights or other things that do not belong there. You want the tonearm to be exactly as it will be when playing a record. That is, headshell and cartridge in place.
o STEP THREE - "Zero" the counterweight. For now, ignore the numbers on the counterweight and simply twist the weight back and forth until the tonearm floats perfectly horizontally. Once the arm is floating, you may now turn the number dial on front of the weight until it reads zero. Do this gently so as not to disturb the counterweight setting.
o STEP FOUR - Set the tracking force.This part is easy, just spin the counterweight until it reads the correct tracking force

[MartinnAngel]

I agree with both solutions, mate. check the tracking force on the TT and the cart itself.

I got this from an article but forgot the author, this might help:

REPAIR AND MAINTAINANCE - There are a few things the average person can do to maintain a turntable. The one problem I encounter most, aside from bent stylii, is a mis-balanced tonearm. To properly play a record, the stylus must contact the record with a specific amount of weight, called the "tracking force". If you just bought a used table you will want to make sure the tonearm is balanced. If the tracking force is too light, you will not get good groove contact, too heavy and you will gouge your records. Here is a simple, step-by-step procedure for balancing almost any tonearm with an adjustable counterweight.
o STEP ONE - Level the turntable. All the tweaking in the world is pointless if your table isn't level front to back and side to side. A simple small carpenter's level will work just fine if you have one. The best kind of level for this job is called a surface level and it is a small square or round bubble level which can be purchased at any decent hardware store for about 5 bucks.
o STEP TWO - Remove any stylus guards, pennies, fishing weights or other things that do not belong there. You want the tonearm to be exactly as it will be when playing a record. That is, headshell and cartridge in place.
o STEP THREE - "Zero" the counterweight. For now, ignore the numbers on the counterweight and simply twist the weight back and forth until the tonearm floats perfectly horizontally. Once the arm is floating, you may now turn the number dial on front of the weight until it reads zero. Do this gently so as not to disturb the counterweight setting.
o STEP FOUR - Set the tracking force.This part is easy, just spin the counterweight until it reads the correct tracking force

[MartinnAngel]

o for your stylus. If you don't know the correct force, just set the dial to 1.5 grams, as that is pretty average. Don't be afraid to experiment a little, remember the best setting is the one that sounds best, so just listen!

The other thing you may wish to check is the mysterious "Anti Skate". What is "skating" and why would we want to "anti" it? It's simple really. Since the only thing pulling the needle and tonearm across the record is the groove, the needle will tend to ride one groove wall harder than the other. As it turns out, this is the groove wall closest to the label. The anti-skate is a simple device, usually a small spring, that pulls in the opposite direction, bringing the needle back into the center of the groove. There is usually a small dial near the base of the tonearm and it is properly set when it reads the same as the tonearm counterweight. For example, if you just set your tracking force at 1.5 grams, set the anti-skate at 1.5 also. These two things may seem small, but if kept properly adjusted will make a world of difference in the sound of your table.
The only other maintainance I would call routine is to make sure your needle is in good shape and kept clean. If you do not own a stylus cleaner I would highly recommend getting one. Used in conjunction with routine record cleaning it is the simplest way to extend the life of both your stylus and records. If all the cleaning in the world still doesn't make your table sound better, it might be time for a new stylus. If you have something expensive or exotic there are a number of places on the web to get replacemant parts. See the "Links" section below. If you have a "p-mount" or a "standard mount" type of cartridge, we offer inexpensive replacements, just see the section below labeled "Replacement Parts". Aside from just keeping the table generally clean and dry, there is not much more maintainance the average person can do. If you think your table is really screwed up you may wish to seek the advice of a pro.

[duncandonuts]

wow, thanks for all of the informative replies. Will definitely try all of this out