Using a double Y Cord for mono recordings

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by sberger, Jan 5, 2005.

  1. alanb

    alanb Senior Member

    Location:
    Bonnie Scotland
    just bought 2 Y cables at radio shack--Total -$18 canadian dollars----- gave it a try with my MONO Beatles Sgt.Pepper's------MAN was i surprised ---the difference was amazing and with previously noiseyish albums i had in MONO --they are a lot quiter----wel worth a try--thanks.---A day in the life sounds -stunning-----
     
  2. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Wow, it's gone up!

    Glad it's working for you. It can make a really big difference in your mono LP and 45 playback.
     
  3. dgsinner

    dgsinner New Member

    Location:
    Far East
    I tried this and got a distracting hum in my amp...anyway to solve this?

    Dale
     
  4. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Use the turntable to phono stage double Y and plug both ends into the amp. Shouldn't hum at all that way..
     
  5. dgsinner

    dgsinner New Member

    Location:
    Far East
    With both ends of the Y connected to the turntable and the amp (both channels connected), no hum, works fine and really improved the quality of my mono needle drops.

    To the hum: What I tried to do was leave one channel unconnected on the turntable end (to eliminate the noiseier side of a groove on a mono record) and split that into two mono channels on the amp side--that's when I got the hum. I was wondering if getting some of those plugs for unused jacks might silence the hum, or?

    Or, considering my amp is ancient, maybe this is some kind of fault in the amp?

    Thanks,
    Dale
     
  6. LaserKen

    LaserKen Senior Member

    Location:
    Avon, Indiana
    If you want to economize, you can buy the "Y" cables on the relative cheap at, of all places, Menards.. if you have one nearby.
     
  7. arnie35

    arnie35 New Member

    Location:
    New Jersey
    One can get some very interesting information about the signals from a stereo cartridge on a true mono LP by transferring to computer. Then use a wave editor to examine the L and R channels. Then experiment with L+R/2 to both channels. L to both channels and R to both channels. Use both visual and aural evidence for making decisions about the best configuration on an LP-by-LP basis.
     
  8. Adam9

    Adam9 Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй.

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I just picked 2 Y connectors and I can't believe the difference either! Why didn't I try this before? I played tons of mono vinyl tonight which all sounded better than I can remember. And I paid under 2 bucks (well, one was free from a repair guy I do a lot of business with). I love this forum! :)
     
  9. alanb

    alanb Senior Member

    Location:
    Bonnie Scotland
    yep-hard to believe --but it makes a BIG difference.--you will be dragging out all your MONO to hear it afresh now!
     
  10. Adam9

    Adam9 Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй.

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Yes, indeed. Tonight I played Pepper, Lady Madonna, a couple of great Eddie Floyd singles (on Stax) - Raise Your Hand and Knock On Wood and their great b-sides, along with Mr. Soul and a Traffic single, Medicated Goo, which I always thought was stereo for some reason. It all did sound very fresh. Getz/Gilberto will be nex, followed by The Who Sell Out. maybe Velvet Underground live at Max's Kansas City...to paraphrase Ricky Ricardo, I've got a lot of listnin' to do! :goodie:
     
  11. arnie35

    arnie35 New Member

    Location:
    New Jersey
  12. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Is this the adapter you are talking about:
    [​IMG]
     
  13. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    You actually need a double on both ends, to take two channels, combine them to one and spread them out again to two.
     
  14. alanb

    alanb Senior Member

    Location:
    Bonnie Scotland
    4" Gold-Plated Shielded Y-Cable w/ 2 Phono Plugs to 1 Phono Jack--1 of these.
    4" Gold Plated Shielded Y Adapter 1 Phono Plug to Dual Phono (RCA) Jacks-and 1 of these------http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F007%5F002%5F003%5F009&product%5Fid=42%2D2536
    try the link----it's better to have cables as you have more flexibility to make it to your phono plugs and the amp connection or pre amp etc....
     
  15. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    Now I know which cables to get if I were to get in this situation. BTW, the RCA cables built into my Gemini turntable are mono so I needed to buy a piggyback cable to convert the signal to a stereo signal in my DJ mixer which has 2 phono inputs so I can piggyback the signal to stereo as stereo takes 2 channels. All I need to do is to turn off one of the channels by switch to convert it to a mono signal. This doesn't mean that the music would be true stereo though when using a stereo LP.
     
  16. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

  17. Harold_Z

    Harold_Z Forum Resident

    Location:
    Passaic, NJ, USA
    A couple of questions - I'm very interested in playing my mono recordings in mon.

    Are mono lp cartridges commercially available ?

    Does anyone know where to obtain One?

    Is there any advantage to using a mono cartridge over rewiring with an a/box?
     
  18. sharedon

    sharedon Forum Zonophone

    Location:
    Boomer OK
    Music Direct sells the Helikon Mono for, according to their catalog, $2195! Then there's the Titan Mono, $5500. Yikes, eh?? Also they say that a Dorian Mono is coming this year (the stereo runs $750). On the cheaper end is the Grado MC+ Mono for 80 bucks and the ME+ for 130.

    www.amusicdirect.com

    I've never owned one, I should add. At MD they're great folks, though...

    Note SH's remark on the subject, from one of the related threads below:

    "First of all, unless you have a giant collection of pre-1968 cut LP's, don't bother. Almost anything cut after 1968 INCLUDING mono stuff was done using a stereo tip. Playing these with a mono cart is pointless."

    Related threads:

    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=34339&highlight=mono+cart

    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=34292&highlight=mono+cart

    http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=19627&highlight=mono+cart
     
  19. Harold_Z

    Harold_Z Forum Resident

    Location:
    Passaic, NJ, USA
    Thanks Sharedon. I'm beginning to think I'll probably go with the a/b switch. Less expensive. I do have a lot of pre '68 vinyl but I gueess it's easier to throw a switch than to plug cartridges in and out.
     
  20. Harold_Z

    Harold_Z Forum Resident

    Location:
    Passaic, NJ, USA
    OK - I went to a local Radio Shack for an a/b box - bought some y cords and a mono cord. Total spent $25.00. One more question.

    Can I hook this up right before the tape in jacks on my cd-r recorder and thereby get the benefit of utilizing this in conjuction with my tape monitor switch?
     
  21. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream Thread Starter

    i've been thinking of this quote since steve mentioned it a few weeks ago. how does one know if the lp has a "true mono signal". i guess i know that original mono lp's do, but what about recent blue note mono reissues from classic records, or say a link wray or dylan reissue from sundazed, or that wonderful buddy holly "legend" double lp that steve did many moons ago. should i be using the y cable for these, or is that going to make matters worse. i know, i can experiment, but not as easy as if i did have a switch. just looking for some further education here.

    thanks!
     
    marcfeld69 likes this.
  22. jstger6969

    jstger6969 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston
    Just stumbled upon this thread thanks for the info Steve. I have quite a few mono LPs and decided to give the double y a try. It really has reduced the surface noise. I'm quite impressed at the difference. I've done straight rips to cdr in the past using my normal set up in stereo, now I'm gonna try re-ripping a couple of U.S Mono Beatles albums compare the 2.

    Thanks again!
     
  23. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Comes in very handy, doesn't it? Have fun.
     
  24. jstger6969

    jstger6969 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston
    Thank you sir!
     
  25. Wally Swift

    Wally Swift Yo-Yoing where I will...

    Location:
    Brooklyn New York
    My Marantz PM5004 amp doesn't have a mono switch. When I'm using it with my SL-1200MK2 I have a seperate headshell for mono. I use a stereo cart with the pins summed for mono and a conical stylus. My other cart is the same model but with an elliptical stylus instead. This way jumping back and forth from mono to stereo is as simple as switching headshells. By using identical carts I avoid resetting the tonearm. Works like a charm.

    Note: using a conical stylus on mono microgrooves makes a big difference.
     

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