Hi
I have just started copying some of my old 78 RPM discs to CD
for convenience and was wondering how much difference a cartridge change
would make. I am presently using a BSR crystal cartridge with turnover
stylus. I am not entirely happy with the quality of the sound and was
wondering if anyone can recommend a cartridge stylus option to give
better quality whilst still giving sufficient output to drive my sound
card. The crystal cartridge gives an output of 700mV which is rather
high and tends to over drive the soundcard. I am using a Goldring Lenco
GL75 turntable and BSRSX6H cartridge and stylus. Any advice regarding CD
copying with a PC would be appreciated, especially regarding
cartridge/stylus. TIA.

Ian

--
Ian Pollard//Wooler//Northumberland//UK

In article , Ian Pollard
wrote:
Hi I have just started copying some of my old 78 RPM discs to CD for
convenience and was wondering how much difference a cartridge change
would make. I am presently using a BSR crystal cartridge with turnover
stylus. I am not entirely happy with the quality of the sound and was
wondering if anyone can recommend a cartridge stylus option to give
better quality whilst still giving sufficient output to drive my sound
card. The crystal cartridge gives an output of 700mV which is rather
high and tends to over drive the soundcard. I am using a Goldring Lenco
GL75 turntable and BSRSX6H cartridge and stylus. Any advice regarding CD
copying with a PC would be appreciated, especially regarding
cartridge/stylus. TIA.

I don't know anything about the condition of your 78's, etc. However I'd
suspect that a completely different cartridge, etc, might may a significant
difference!

I don't know what specific cartridges these days can be purchased with
stylii/cantalever designed for '78' replay. However people like Shure used
to do this. If so, I'd recommend buying a modern MM or MC cartridge with a
suitable '78' stylus, and an RIAA preamp. (Although you may need to modify
the output depending on the brand/date of the discs - particularly if you
already do this to take into account non-RIAA recordings.)

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

Ian Pollard wrote:
Hi
I have just started copying some of my old 78 RPM discs to CD
for convenience and was wondering how much difference a cartridge change
would make. I am presently using a BSR crystal cartridge with turnover
stylus. I am not entirely happy with the quality of the sound and was
wondering if anyone can recommend a cartridge stylus option to give
better quality whilst still giving sufficient output to drive my sound
card. The crystal cartridge gives an output of 700mV which is rather
high and tends to over drive the soundcard. I am using a Goldring Lenco
GL75 turntable and BSRSX6H cartridge and stylus. Any advice regarding CD
copying with a PC would be appreciated, especially regarding
cartridge/stylus. TIA.

Ian


You could use something like this

http://www.shure.com/phono/m78s.asp

but it depends on if your arm and turntable is up to it. It depends on
just how many and how importanat they are to you.

You could use something like this

http://www.rega.co.uk/html/planar78.htm

I also don't know what sort of phono amp with what sort of equalisation
would give the best results, but with a moving magnet as opposed to
crystal cartridge, you will need some additional amplification before
the sound card.

--
Nick

"Life has surface noise" - John Peel 1939-2004

On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 09:50:24 +0000, Nick Gorham
wrote:

Ian Pollard wrote:
Hi
I have just started copying some of my old 78 RPM discs to CD
for convenience and was wondering how much difference a cartridge change
would make. I am presently using a BSR crystal cartridge with turnover
stylus. I am not entirely happy with the quality of the sound and was
wondering if anyone can recommend a cartridge stylus option to give
better quality whilst still giving sufficient output to drive my sound
card. The crystal cartridge gives an output of 700mV which is rather
high and tends to over drive the soundcard. I am using a Goldring Lenco
GL75 turntable and BSRSX6H cartridge and stylus. Any advice regarding CD
copying with a PC would be appreciated, especially regarding
cartridge/stylus. TIA.

Ian


You could use something like this

http://www.shure.com/phono/m78s.asp

but it depends on if your arm and turntable is up to it. It depends on
just how many and how importanat they are to you.

You could use something like this

http://www.rega.co.uk/html/planar78.htm

I also don't know what sort of phono amp with what sort of equalisation
would give the best results, but with a moving magnet as opposed to
crystal cartridge, you will need some additional amplification before
the sound card.

Thanks for that. I am an electronics engineer and a radio ham so am
happy building my own kit. I am working to a very tight budget at the
moment as I have been off work ill for over a year so have to keep an
eye on the pennies. Thanks again.

Ian

--
Ian Pollard//Wooler//Northumberland//UK

"Ian Pollard" wrote in message

Hi
I have just started copying some of my old 78 RPM discs to CD
for convenience and was wondering how much difference a cartridge
change would make. I am presently using a BSR crystal cartridge with
turnover stylus. I am not entirely happy with the quality of the
sound and was wondering if anyone can recommend a cartridge stylus
option to give better quality whilst still giving sufficient output
to drive my sound card.

As you probably know, crystal cartridges were the bottom of the barrell in
the days of vinyl. Not only that, but they were frequently mounted in
turntables of equal or worse quality.

The crystal cartridge gives an output of
700mV which is rather high and tends to over drive the soundcard. I
am using a Goldring Lenco GL75 turntable and BSRSX6H cartridge and
stylus. Any advice regarding CD copying with a PC would be
appreciated, especially regarding cartridge/stylus. TIA.

Just about any decent cartridge will be magnetic and therefore require a
preamp. Many options exist - these guys have an exhaustive list of options,
some of which should also be availble in the UK:
http://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?index.htm

As far as cartridges go - its a matter of what your pocketbook and turntable
will support.

The Lenco GL75 looks like about one and-a-half cuts higher than the bottom
of the barrel. You don't want to try any cartridge that is too sensitive or
has too low of a tracking force in it. The Shure in particular looks like it
might be robust enough for the arm.

http://www.shure.com/phono/m78s.asp

http://www.needledoctor.com/s.nl/sc....t.A/id.1057/.f



Here's some good articles about transcribing LPs:

http://www.a-reny.com/iexplorer/restauration.html

http://www.delback.co.uk/lp-cdr.htm

In article ,
Ian Pollard wrote:
I have just started copying some of my old 78 RPM discs to CD
for convenience and was wondering how much difference a cartridge change
would make. I am presently using a BSR crystal cartridge with turnover
stylus. I am not entirely happy with the quality of the sound and was
wondering if anyone can recommend a cartridge stylus option to give
better quality whilst still giving sufficient output to drive my sound
card. The crystal cartridge gives an output of 700mV which is rather
high and tends to over drive the soundcard.

If you're using a cartridge direct into a soundcard, I'm not surprised
you're 'not entirely happy'.

--
*If you remember the '60s, you weren't really there

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes
In article ,
Ian Pollard wrote:
I have just started copying some of my old 78 RPM discs to CD
for convenience and was wondering how much difference a cartridge change
would make. I am presently using a BSR crystal cartridge with turnover
stylus. I am not entirely happy with the quality of the sound and was
wondering if anyone can recommend a cartridge stylus option to give
better quality whilst still giving sufficient output to drive my sound
card. The crystal cartridge gives an output of 700mV which is rather
high and tends to over drive the soundcard.

If you're using a cartridge direct into a soundcard, I'm not surprised
you're 'not entirely happy'.


A ceramic cartridge needs a very high impedance load (at least 1Meg) if
it is going into an unequalised input. A simple op-amp unity gain
buffer using a FET input amp (even a TL071 will do) should make things a
lot better.

--
Chris Morriss

In article , Arny Krueger
wrote:


The Lenco GL75 looks like about one and-a-half cuts higher than the
bottom of the barrel. You don't want to try any cartridge that is too
sensitive or has too low of a tracking force in it. The Shure in
particular looks like it might be robust enough for the arm.

FWIW I used an M75ED, and then the V15/III for some years with a GL75.
Although not ideal in some ways - e.g. LF resonance - the combination
worked quite well, and the GL75 is very useful for old '78's that are
actually some other speed like 80rmp, etc. Hence I'd say that the GL75 (in
good condition!) and a decent Shure with a '78' stylus might be a good
combination for this kind of thing.

Slainte,

Jim

--
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Audio Misc http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/AudioMisc/index.html
Armstrong Audio http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/Audio/armstrong.html
Barbirolli Soc. http://www.st-and.demon.co.uk/JBSoc/JBSoc.html

In article ,
Chris Morriss wrote:
If you're using a cartridge direct into a soundcard, I'm not surprised
you're 'not entirely happy'.


A ceramic cartridge needs a very high impedance load (at least 1Meg) if
it is going into an unequalised input. A simple op-amp unity gain
buffer using a FET input amp (even a TL071 will do) should make things a
lot better.

Yes. I think you'd find difficulty in buying a ready made pre-amp for a
ceramic cartridge these days. Not that I'm sure anyone would want to -
although there was a time when it was thought they might be a way forward.
The BBC once used them on one of their turntables - probably designed in
the '50s. The cart was an ACOS - can't remember the model. Then there was
the Decca Deram.

--
*Why isn't there a special name for the back of your knee?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 16:14:53 +0000 (GMT), "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

In article ,
Chris Morriss wrote:
If you're using a cartridge direct into a soundcard, I'm not surprised
you're 'not entirely happy'.


A ceramic cartridge needs a very high impedance load (at least 1Meg) if
it is going into an unequalised input. A simple op-amp unity gain
buffer using a FET input amp (even a TL071 will do) should make things a
lot better.

Yes. I think you'd find difficulty in buying a ready made pre-amp for a
ceramic cartridge these days. Not that I'm sure anyone would want to -
although there was a time when it was thought they might be a way forward.
The BBC once used them on one of their turntables - probably designed in
the '50s. The cart was an ACOS - can't remember the model. Then there was
the Decca Deram.

The only ceramic cartridge I can remember with pretensions to
lightness and high compliance was the Sonotone 9TAHC. It actually had
a real cantilever.

d

Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com