The Technics SL-1200 GAE/G/GR general questions thread

On the TT it is the knurled nut behind the RCA plugs.

On the amp is something similar. That is what results in hum? You connect to the outer barrel on an RCA (which is typically grounded to chassis). As is the knurled nut/lug on the back of the amp below the phono input.

There should be no difference. Maybe the RCA has a resistor or cap to ground which helps isolate it. And the amps TT lug doesn't?

 

I suppose if you only need one, though, and have no other use for the tools, that’s possibly a wash.

I’m just curious how people are setting their turntables up that the ground wire is really seen prominently enough for appearance to matter. Mine is like two or three inches from the wall, and my phono stage sits next to the turntable, also the same two or three inches from the wall. Are people putting these in the center of the room or something?

 

Hahaha, in a plexiglass tube in the center of the room. Optional water feature around it.

 

The knurled nut is under the table next to the Rca connections. The amp has the same thing, connect one to the other but the only way to eliminate the hum is to connect the ground to an input on the amp.

 

I’d wonder if the amp’s ground lug is not actually grounded, for some reason.

 

Tried it with different amp, same thing.

 

Easy enough to test with a multimeter.

 

You have to know what you’re supposed to measure though.
On these decks, the ground terminal is connected to PE.
So one could check for continuity between the ground terminal and the IEC center pin.
Also check the inside of the SME collar, to make sure the tonearm is fully connected.

 

What happens when you don't use a ground cable? Do you get audible hum?

 

I'm with you on this - I think that there's a protective ground loop - the OP's amp is listed as an Exposure 2510, and, without access to a manual, I suspect that this amp also references protective ground.

 

Yes

 

OK.
Does it say anything in your amplifier manual about the amp needing to be grounded? See my post just above yours.

If the cable you made up eliminates hum the signal ground is possibly referenced to the protective ground but held above it.

Another thought - with the TT unplugged from the wall, is there continuity from between the TT ground lug and the signal ground (ie outer contacts on the RCA outputs)?

 

Hi guys, does anyone know what is the optimal armlift height to set? My stylus tip is about 13mm from the mat

 

At the factory, they set it between 8 and 13 mm from the record surface, according to the manual.

 

Ok, I think I'll bring it down to an average of around 11

 

Ha, I use that same grid….a necessity IMHO

 

Has anyone encountered an issue with the VTA settings. My table with the stock mat and headshell with an 18mm cart should be set to position 1 according to the manual. My arm clearly not parallel. It needs to go lower and even at 0 it is still way off. I installed the funk firm mat that is 5mm so adding 2mm to the overall height of the platter and my arm even at 0 is still not parallel.
I have contacted Technics twice by email and still waiting for a response.

 

Get one of the old mats Technics used to supply before they shut line down.
They're 6mm thick.
I have one on my SL-1210 MkII.

Technics Org. 6mm Thick Rubber Mat for 1200 1210 SFTG172-01 / RGS0010 | Reverb UK

 

Use a spacer between the cart and headshell

 

I’ve used spacers but the point is I shouldn’t need them. I already have a 5mm mat that is far superior to the technics mats.

 

I bought the HanaSL cart and I can’t use it because I need 3 mm of spacers but the bolts won’t reach.
It seems to me the table wasn’t calibrated correctly from the factory.
For a table costing $4k it should be perfect

 

I disagree - I have an Achromat, and it is in no way superior.
It makes the records sound different, but that's relatively easy to do with vinyl playback. Different isn't necessarily better.

It was ousted when I thought I'd give the original rubber mat a go, and it has remained.
The 6mm mat does what it's meant to do, dampen bell nodes in the platter, and provide a good interface for the record.

 

And that is the point. You shouldn’t need a workaround to use what came in the box as instructed in the manual. I don’t think I’ve seen anybody else in this thread or elsewhere say they’ve had this problem when using the stock headshell, only with other headshells that hold the cartridge higher relative to the pivot.

How does it sound with the arm slightly tail-up, though?

 

There is no way anyone designing that turntable (or any other) can anticipate every cart and/or cart + headshell combo on the planet. The VTA adjuster is also a legacy design with known quirks and hasn't really changed fundamentally since the late 70s. Show me any other turntable in the same price range and I guarantee you myself or someone else here can find something "wrong" with it. Every design on the planet has quirks and compromises.

 

If it's the Hana SL, that cart might be on the short side. No height spec in the manual for that cart. The suggestions in the 1200 manual should be taken as a rough guide only. Also, technically, what we really ought to care about is the actual VTA, not what the arm looks like from eyeballing it.

If we want to take things further, we can question whether small deviations in VTA really matter all that much to begin with, since records come in different thicknesses and not all are 100% flat.

A well known article on the subject:

Exposing the VTA myth? [English]