AT VM540ML Unusable

Well yes and no. Ellipticals play just fine and don't pick up the embedded crud.

 

They will pick it up over time. If the records are filthy, you'll also hear that, unless your hearing is totally shot.

 

Ellipticals play fine meaning they just play past all the dirt on your records? It's really not that tough to clean a record. You don't need a $1,200 machine to do it. Most of my records are used and I have a 540 and I've never picked up anything on my stylist. I mean literally zero junk. If you can't hear dirt in a record I don't know what to say about that.

But you got to do what you feel, you know

 

Well, I just ordered a VM540ML but I currently use a VM95ML so I know how an ML stylus works compared to an standard elliptical. If the OP cleans his records as suggested and they are in reasonably good condition otherwise, the 540 should be just fine. The ML stylus rides differently and deeper than the standard .3x.7 (if I've got that number correct) elliptical.

 

I hope you post impressions after you’ve played your new cart for a while. That one is on my list to try at some point.

 

I just wondered if you're using this method for cleaning the records or doing it before each spin of an already clean record?

 

How do you clean your records?

 

Selling/acquiring cartridges to accomodate filthy records is certainly one way of pursuing the enjoyment of vinyl playback but there are better ways IMO.

 

Find a way to clean your LPs and fit a conical stylus to the AT cartridge to play your older albums, especially mono ones.

 

I run a dirty record through my Knosti Anti-Stat bath. Then I find that the AT brush with a liberal amount of IPA and distilled water removes most of the remaining crackles. I also run the brush (damp but not wet) over clean records before playback.

So far I've found that there are usually a few crackles remaining. I'd like to see whether a vacuum machine does a better job but I'm burnt out obsessing over pops and clicks. One day I'll probably just get a Sugarcube...

 

I recommend double checking your alignment. I’ve had mine for about an year now and never encountered this issue. However , I do clean my records with a rcm. I run a micro fiber brush before every play and after.

 

I see. I have a home made RCM w/vacuume, my LP's are pretty clean but I see a little dust or whatever when I pull them from the sleeve. I give a short shot of distilled water on my record cleaning brush and a quick wipe before playing. I was wondering if that 50/50 mix would kick up the cleaning just a little more. I'm sure it can't hurt.

 

I bought a Spin Clean will be here Friday.

Odd it never happened before, and I was playing 3 of my go-to LP's to assess a new amp, so I know I often play those 3 LP's they're some of my favorites and they always play extremely well.

 

I've found continued crackle indicates too much fluid used during pre-play preening.

For pre-play preening...

Use an atomizer to put a small amount of uncut 91% alcohol on the 6012 pad and go around the album ONCE as you roll the pad from front edge, to rear.

The atomizer I use is a small bottle that came with eyeglass cleaning spray in it, I think I got it at a dollar store type place. Three pumps is all I use. I hold the sprayer about eight inches from the pad and I'm misting the entire pad, and my hand.

I do this on my lazy Susan so I can apply a little more pressure.

Keep the pad scrupulously clean of debris by brushing between uses.

To test your technique, hold the album in one hand and a flashlight in the other, and rake the album with the flashlight. You want to see minimal (2-3) specks left.

 

I'm sure a 50/50 mix won't do any harm whatsoever.

 

For old and worn out records I use my AT95E cartridge. For new and good shape records I use my AT440MLa (a predecessor of the VM540ML).

The VM540ML is a very good cartridge performing well-above its price-tag. Don’t blame it It simply picks up dirt because it tracks the grooves much deeper thanks to the MicroLine stily, which IMHO it’s better than most other shapes except maybe the Shibata and Special Line Contact which produce similar results at higher prices. The MicroLine styli is shaped similarly to the cutter used to cut the records. The VM540ML performs on par even with various so-called “audiophile” cartridges costing hundreds of USD more.

As someone sugested, first clean your records. It doesn’t matter what cartridge you use a dirty record will always sound bad either because of the clicks and pops due to dirt and damage and/or if they’re clean because you are listening to less of the sounds actually cut in the record due to your styli not tracking the grooves adequately due to shape constraints. A conical styli doesn’t track well, it’s simple geometry; and be aware that while a conical stily might produce a dirtyless-ish sound it is actually producing less sound frequencies.

For cleaning don’t go too overboard. A SpinClean or similar already produces good results. For better results I use an ultrasonic cleaning machine that uses cavitation with a combination of distilled water, alcohol and Ilfotol (to break surface tension). I’d say go for the SpinClean and see if you need to take things up a notch or not.

Mind you, clean records that have seen too many years of bad cartridges and heavy tonearms, and less than ideal storage and use conditions (humidity, smoke, dust, etc) might sound actually bad when using the AT450ML for it being too revealing, hence the initial advice of a conical styli for old and worn out records even if they’re spot clean.

 

Clean your records.

I use a ML stylus, and it seems to actually pick up less stuff than a conical or elliptical, but I assume that may be because my records are relatively clean.

 

A friend of mine usually brings dirty records for us to clean and we do pre and post listening and the amount of dirt is more noticeable with the ML needle because it obviously diga deeply into the grooves. Since his records are not in the best condition they sound best if somewhat muted with the conical needle than with the ML. My experience.

 

It's really not all that difficult re: styli. If you have crap records, you need a crap stylus, one that doesn't dig deep and reveal your records' faults. Crappy records = conical stylus on inexpensive body IMO. NTTAWWT.

 

I grade my records between 1-10 and I then select among 10 different cartridges to play them with.

 

I don't do that. If a record is so bad that I can't play it without downgrading my cart, well...

 

You don't have to do the full 10, although I find it helps, you could probably just have 8 in your rotation.

 

I know, that’s what a lot of people here say about ML digging out more dirt. I’m guessing I just don’t have a lot of records that are dirty enough for that to be noticeable, because what I see more of are little bits of fuzzy dust that get on there somehow, not really dirt. I noticed way more of this back when I used a conical, which I attributed to the conical being more of a blunt instrument, whereas the ML maybe kind of cuts through/around more stuff? I do still get some, sometimes, but it’s nothing like I used to get with the conical.

As for sound, sure, a conical will not pick up as much of that kind of noise as ML. Gotta have clean records!

 

No I couldn't. If I don't have a good copy of something on vinyl, I look to CD, If I don't own it, I look to streaming. Some of the things some here do hold zero interest to me. I don't like futzing around with gear, I simply want to listen to well-recorded music on a pleasing system. I mentioned earlier in this thread that I ordered a 540ML to mount on my GR so I could see if I could discern a notable difference over my VM95ML.

 

This is so much more work than I want to do between records when I am listening to music.