Considering getting a second cart for 45's, advice wanted.

I have an Ortofon 2m red on my systemdek table and I was toying with the idea of getting a second head shell and cartridge that I can align specifically for 45 rpm singles. I figured I could get another headshell which will deal with the issue of re-aligning each time. However something I just recently thought about is the tracking force setting on my tonearm. With the 2m red, they suggest it to be around 1.8g, which is where I set mine. I was considering getting a cart on the cheaper side for this purpose, such as a AT95E or a AT92. However, I don't want to re-set the weight each time, so would I be safe setting it to 1.8 for a cartridge such as these? I know all carts suggest different numbers, but I would prefer to find a "happy medium" for both a inexpensive dedicated 45 cart and my primary one for LP's. I would like to spend NO MORE than 60 USD if possible.

Any Ideas?

 

I have used anAT 95E and 1.8
Would be fine.
I know that many use Shure/pickering/
Stanton models as they supply various
Stylus profiles to suit 45.

 

Still have to reset tracking force due to carts having different mass.

 

I'd go with one of the entry level Shure carts. I think the numbers are something like a 30 or a 44 ?

 

Shure M35x or M 44-7, the best 45 RPM options current.

 

Just use a stereo needle. Real mono records have a 60 degree V shaped groove, so a stereo needle fits higher, no need for a mono needle.
Mono records pressed as stereo record with mono soundtrack have a 90 degree V shaped groove and match of course exactly to a stereo needle.

A stereo needle for original mono records benefit from the smaller needle tip, better tracking, less noise, tracks the part of the groove that is left undamaged by previous playing with a worn or heavy mono needle.

 

oh true, totally forgot about this haha. I purchased one of those cheap stylus force gauges to double check my tracking force, so I guess that will help make the adjusting easier.

 

heard of the m35x, actually almost bought it instead of the ortofon i have now. What makes it the best 45 option? Is it have the least Inner grove distortion? I understand that is an issue with singles.

 

If you are playing styrene 45s then you will need to limit yourself to elliptical or even conical stylus shapes. Fine line/contact/hyper ellipticals tend to chew up the styrene groove. If you have mostly vinyl 45s then you have a wider choice. Since my 45rpm collection is vinyl, I use a Shure V15 with the brush down for rock solid tracking.

 

I have the 44 as my all-rounder and has no IGD at all. ALL of my singles sound ACE with it. Never thought I would never want to upgrade when I first got it. I'm madly in love with it. The 35X is another home run.

 

NO. Mono records (that is, cut with a mono cutterhead) are round on the bottom, like a rain gutter. The correct stylus is 1.0 mil. If a mono record was cut with a stereo cutterhead, then use the 0.7 mil stylus. Mono cutterheads were phased out in the mid 1960's. However, at 45 RPM the radius of groove curvature is greater than 33.3 RPM, so "groove pinch" isn't as much of an issue. I use a Shure for 45's myself.

 

M 44-7

 

The groove walls enclose a 60 degree for old mono records.
Needle rides higher, doesn't touch the groove bottom, at least I never have problems.
For the dimensions of the various grooves and where the needle rides see internet, lot of info.

 

Just buy a Crosley TT

 

Is this the one that you have ?

M44-7 Turntablist Record Needle | Shure Americas

Kinda thinking of picking one up, but not sure if i should save up 30 more bucks and get the 35 instead.

 

Ditto on the M35X!!

I compared the M35x to the M44G and 7's all head to head on 45's from '50's mono era thru 80's stereo.
I think the 35X is smoother on the high end, best on inner grooves, and not so boomy and/or bloated - but still drops DEEP bass; For SQ, it rivals some ellipticals even on Lp's.
The 35x can track at the perfect (for my changers) VTF of 3.0g on my AT6MKII, and 2.35g on my 1219, and 1009.

 

I'm not a big 45 collector but I can recommend the 35X as a great all 'rounder backup cart. It sounds great on beat up old mono LPs and newer 45 rpm singles IME. The other Shure DJ/Broadcast carts are good choices too...main advantage to the 35X is that you can track a little lower VTF and it may work better on lighter arms.

 

Absolutely correct. Get a digital scale if you want to do it more quickly, you're not going to get away with not resetting VTF when swapping carts...

 

For full context, you have to observe the M97xE is their "audiophile" cartridge. Anybody who uses a tracking force above 1.25 can't be an audiophile, and must belong to the only other camp, scratch DJs. They've actually toned it down a bit, they used to list what styles of club music were better for the M44 or M35.

 

When I went to a separate cartridge for playing 45's, I was using a Pickering NP/AC(Stanton 400) with it's conical stylus. This was fine for the mono 45's, as they are compressed, but the stereo 45's were another story. The NP/AC has a top end of 15kHz, and although suitable for mono, the sound with stereo was kind of muffled. Because I already had them, I went back to playing the stereo 45's with the Shure M97xE. Although overkill, the stereo 45's sound great. Other cartridges to consider are the Shure M44 or M77 series, which are commonly used on jukeboxes which play 7" records.
I have had some unfortunate experiences with AT cartridges, so I will not use one unless it is 70's vintage. AT has really gone downhill.

 

Matter of fact I have a NOS M-44C, same as the 44-7 without the bass drop. Flatter response across the entire range and not hot on the treble at all. No experience with the 35X whatsoever but it's highly praised on this forum.

 

When you say the one that meets my needs? How would I know which one works better for what I wanna do here?

 

This was due to the DMC (Disco Mix Club) DJ types embracing the discontinued at the time, M 44-7. Their presentation to Shure executives convinced the company to get the tooling out of mothballs, and to re-introduce the M 44-7 and M 44-G again. Thank the HipHop DJ crews for this. They got a practical classic back into production so we can enjoy our 45 RPM singles and mono LP discs to their finest.