Just blew one channel on my VinylRecorder...

This is where record cutters raise questions about cutting, and trade wisdom and experiment results. We love Scully, Neumann, Presto, & Rek-O-Kut lathes and Wilcox-Gay Recordios (among others). We are excited by the various modern pro and semi-pro systems, too, in production and development. We use strange, extinct disc-based dictation machines. And other stuff, too.

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punkrock
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Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:01 pm
Location: Barcelona

Just blew one channel on my VinylRecorder...

Post: # 48771Unread post punkrock
Sun Dec 24, 2017 6:00 am

Hi everyone here, haven't posted anything in a long time. First of all, Happy Christmas to everyone!

Second... I bought a Vinylrecorder from Souri six years ago, never used it as a pro, just as a hobby. I think I've gone over all the different phases with it: fear, hate... finally LOVE. I've cut several hundred records with it so far.

Ok, yesterday I was cutting a test disc, adjusting the sound for a record I would give as a Christmas present. There was no way it would sound ok, just a big load of sibilance I couldn't avoid so I decided to stop. Checked everything on the cutter and found out the cutting stylus was a bit loose, I had cleant it some days ago after the last cut and probably didn't place it correctly, so I pushed it back in it's place. Prepared to cut the test record again... nothing. The music on one channel has dissappeared! I found one of the cutterhead fuses was broken, replaced it... nothing. So I guess I just blew one channel of my cutter head, played too much with the controls to try to fix the recording.

So here comes the question... is it something that can be repaired by, for example an expert in speakers coil repair? I know someone close to where I live who works on that... or would you recommend I simply send it back to Souri? I know it's an expensive repair, my friend would be certainly cheaper and faster, but I don't know if it's so simmilar to a speaker coil...

Third, and this is probably a very stupid question: as I said, I'm no pro, just cut for a hobby... Could someone please explain me the difference between the dynamic cutterhead and the feedback cutterhead?

Thanks for your time and patience.

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handcut
Posts: 252
Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2014 5:41 pm

Re: Just blew one channel on my VinylRecorder...

Post: # 48772Unread post handcut
Sun Dec 24, 2017 7:20 am

1) It's not similar to speaker, it IS a speaker. If you have the option to send it to Souri, you should probably go with that and save yourself a lot of stress and risking potenially damaging the other channel. Be sure it is the head that's the problem first though!

3) In a nutshell, negative feedback is used to improve linarity and stability vs open loop or non-feedback systems. Typically, there would be a second set of transducers within the cutterhead - in Souri's case, a modified phono cart - and the output is fed to a differential amplifier, along with the source. The amplifer subtracts the difference between the source and the output from the signal that is fed to the head, minimising the artifacts created by system resonance etc.

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markrob
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Location: Philadelphia Area

Re: Just blew one channel on my VinylRecorder...

Post: # 48773Unread post markrob
Sun Dec 24, 2017 9:07 am

Hi,

Make sure you get your friend to check the DC resistance of the suspect driver before you assume the head is fried. You can compare to the working channel. Also try hooking up a set of speakers to the power amp driving the head and make sure it is not defective. Since a fuse blew, the amp might be the cause. Have your friend check that the amp is not putting out a steady DC voltage (with no input signal applied) prior to connecting any speakers or they will fry as well.

Good luck an post back with your findings.

Mark

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Tremdall
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Re: Just blew one channel on my VinylRecorder...

Post: # 48775Unread post Tremdall
Sun Dec 24, 2017 1:27 pm

punkrock wrote:Hi everyone here, haven't posted anything in a long time. First of all, Happy Christmas to everyone!

Second... I bought a Vinylrecorder from Souri six years ago, never used it as a pro, just as a hobby. I think I've gone over all the different phases with it: fear, hate... finally LOVE. I've cut several hundred records with it so far.
Sorry to hear this. I'm shure it can be repaired, but I would definitely send it to Souri if you're not sure what the outcome will be.
He can probably also say what you did wrong, which seems to me rather important.
Was the recorder disconnected from the power when you rearranged the stylus?
Once the gargoyle had withdrawn and unlatched his suckers from the topside of Tremdall's agonizing torso, a profound slumber would overtake him, as though from the labor of many days.

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tragwag
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Re: Just blew one channel on my VinylRecorder...

Post: # 48791Unread post tragwag
Thu Dec 28, 2017 1:37 pm

Double check the fuse and the connection in/around the fuse, I've had those go on me before.
What level were you cutting at on the meter? After talking with other users I learned I cut rather conservatively, level wise.
But it saves me a lot of stress, especially with the quantity I'm cutting.
making lathe cuts on a Presto 6N, HIFI stereo cuts on vinylrecorder
at Audio Geography Studios, Providence, RI USA
http://www.audiogeography.com

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punkrock
Posts: 47
Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:01 pm
Location: Barcelona

Re: Just blew one channel on my VinylRecorder...

Post: # 48813Unread post punkrock
Sun Dec 31, 2017 1:55 pm

"Double check the fuse and the connection in/around the fuse, I've had those go on me before.
What level were you cutting at on the meter? After talking with other users I learned I cut rather conservatively, level wise.
But it saves me a lot of stress, especially with the quantity I'm cutting."


Wow, haven't had much time to connect back... A couple days ago afriend of mine who runs a radio station visited me and took a look at "The Machine". Problem were the fuse housings. Seems the springs had lost some pressure force so contact wasn't good.. He simply stretched them a bit, that's it!

Thank you all for your help/ideas.

Happy New Year!

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tragwag
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Re: Just blew one channel on my VinylRecorder...

Post: # 48847Unread post tragwag
Thu Jan 04, 2018 2:41 pm

whew! super glad to hear that, happy new year punkrock, keep on cutting!
making lathe cuts on a Presto 6N, HIFI stereo cuts on vinylrecorder
at Audio Geography Studios, Providence, RI USA
http://www.audiogeography.com

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Hedelain
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Re: Just blew one channel on my VinylRecorder...

Post: # 50037Unread post Hedelain
Tue Apr 10, 2018 3:15 pm

I have a similar problem on my setup. The speakers in the cutterhead are making a lot of noise when the power amp is turned up - even with the mixer all the way down. The noise sounds something like white noise with a bit of static in it, so not a ground loop. When I send music to the speakers, one of the channel distorts. Especially with music that is low in volume (acoustic guitar and voice), it sound like the signal is not really coming through, and it gains more power and less distortion as volume increases, but still nowhere near the linear increase of the other channel. It is also viewable on the meter. It drop with low volume, but gain more power and is more clear when volume is turned up.

- I have checked almost every component in my system by replacing them, mixer, cables etc.
- I have checked the power amp with 8 ohm speakers, and there was no noise, and the signal was clear.
- I sent the cutterhead to Souri and he said it did not have a defect.
- I checked and changed the fuses. They where fine.

So now I send a sample cut to Souri. One side where I switch the power amp on and off so the noise is clearly hearable. And one side with a music sample. And he got the music on an audio CD for comparison.

And now I got myself a multimeter. But where do I measure on this machine? Where in the DIN connection is the plus and minus?

Thanks.

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