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"scary" problems with ssl after updating to tiger
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"scary" problems with ssl after updating to tiger

Product
Scratch Live
Version
-
Hardware
Ortofon | Serato S-120
Computer
-
OS
Platform
-
chillcut 11:53 AM - 4 May, 2005
ok guys, this is really scary, check it out

my set:
ibook 12" 1,2GHz + 1,25GB Ram
2 x technics 1210 MKII
vestax pmc 05 pro II
shure m44-7
mac os x 10.4 (tiger)

i never ever had ANY problems with panther (mac os x 10.3.7+8+9), so i never used to change the default setting within ssl (usb buffer n stuff), just estimated the volume....so far so good, yesterday i updated my system to tiger, and here comes the scary problem

i´ve been cuttin and recordnized that my left turntable sounded not as good as it should, the bass wasnt clear and and the left channel from the left TT wasnt as loud as the right one. i thought my headphones (connected to my amp, cuz my neighbours were sleeping) were broken or so, here is my list of what i tried to solve the problem

1. checked the settings within ssl, usbbuffer, the circles, estimating, and so on - nothin happens, my changes didnt increase the sound quality of the left TT, either i didnt increase the volume from the left channel of the left TT

2. changed the needles, the left one to the right TT and the right needle to the left TT - nuthin, the left one was still bad

3. plugged my headphones directly into my vestax mixer - the sound was great, both TTs, both channel of each, the volume, the soundquality, the bass. it sounds like it should

4. checked the sound thru my speakers - bad too


ok, here are my thoughts (for those of you who will think my amp is broken) btw is amp the right word? the thing were my vestax and my speakers a connected to....

- ssl workes fine, the sound from ssl comes thru the controlsignal,then into the software of ssl, out of it in the ssl hardware box, into my mixer and the in my headphones (which were, in this case, connected to my vestax). thats the reason why it couldnt be the headphones, the mixer, and not ssl

- the amp couldnt be broken, cos my vestax gets 2 signals from the ssl box (as it would when i connect the TTs directly to my vestax) and the output is just ONE signal to the amp, right? yes, this is right so far, it is one signal with 2 channels, left and right. but why sounds the right turntables good? thru headphones connected to the amp and also thru the speakers...now you can think my output of the vestax is broken, but it couldnt be cos it is just ONE signal, why should the left TT sounds not as good as the right one? the signal to my amp is the same


ok, a little summary:

my sound of the left TT is shitty as hell, but following things are NOT broken

- needles (cos i hear the sound clearly and loud when the headphones are connected directly to my vestax)

- ssl software and hardware (same reason like for the needles)

- vestax mixer (same reason here, too.....)

- my amp (coz its just one signal from py vestax, but the left TT sounds crappy)


maybe my thoughts ´bout the signal from the vestax isnt right, but it has to...there are 2 chinch cables, one for the left channel and one for the right, both for both TTs....damnit, i cant figure it out! PLEASE HELP!

ah, and btw, mac os x 10.4 couldnt be the problem either....

i just dont know what to do now :(
SpinThis! 1:49 PM - 4 May, 2005
swap channels on your vestax (left turntable to the right turntable) and see if the problem continues.

at this point i'd say the left channel on your turntable is puking out.
SpinThis! 1:49 PM - 4 May, 2005
er i mean the vestax channel.
s42000 2:02 PM - 4 May, 2005
Gremlins ??
chillcut 2:25 PM - 4 May, 2005
sorry spinthis, this cant be the problem. i hear the sound loud and clear with my headphones connected to the vestax. and the output of the vestax couldnt be broken either, cuz the right turntable sounds great thru the speakers...
feniks 5:06 PM - 4 May, 2005
couple of things...

--check the setup screen and see what your calibration circles look like.

--check to make sure that your needles are contactin the toneare contacts properly.

--make sure the needle itself is not damaged (just because you only bought them recently doesn't mean it is not damaged or broken. you might want to try swapping the needles from each turntable and see if it is a neelde problem or a problem with the TT itself.

try connecting the TT directly to the mixer (bypass the SL-1) and see if the problem is with the SL-1 or with the TT itself.

try a different channel on your mixer to see if it is a problem with the mixer



hope this helps.
Rane, Support
Shaun W 5:08 PM - 4 May, 2005
If you've tried swapping turntables, but still experience the same results then I'd say there is definitely something shorting out inside your mixer :(
chubbsta 9:41 PM - 4 May, 2005
I'd say... One of the typical Vestax problems: "cold" soldering points. A friend of mine had this. No other chance than getting it repaired. Sorry.
djkenace 9:57 PM - 4 May, 2005
yep getting things repaired from vestax is just never you ll be waiting years before they even consider looking at it. My suggestion get a Rane, once you go Rane you wont want to mix on anything else. :-)
chubbsta 2:11 AM - 5 May, 2005
I can attest to that :-)
chillcut 10:19 AM - 6 May, 2005
first of all, yes, i´ll get a rane (TTM56), wanted to buy it before this problem was there

feniks, did everything what you´ve written (read my post, dude)
but now i know the problem :-( my tonearm (is this the right word...?) of the left TT is broken. when i change the needles my left TT has no good right channel, with the other needle it has a crappy left channel. and the head of the tonearm, where you plug in the needle system, isnt tight as it should be...DAMNIT...gonna get it repaired...damn...
nobspangle 3:38 PM - 6 May, 2005
I think you can tighten the end of the tonearm, also if you are using concorde carts it could be the carts causing the problem they are notorious for causing this kind of stuff (dropped channels etc.)
nik39 3:59 PM - 6 May, 2005
nobspangle, (or anyone else) while you are talking about tightening the tonearm, I have one problem. On my Technics headshells I have a round rubber which makes sure that the the headshell has a proper connection to the tonearm, so that it cant be rotated any more (usually you can always rotate the headshell a little bit w/o this rubber). Now, I now I took one rubber off for my concordes, cause they had connection problems, and now the problem is, I lost the rubber, but I need it for the headshells. Does anyone know where to get these small rubber rings? (No, for the jokeheads, I wont use a condom ;) its too big, at least those that I use :-PP )
SpinThis! 5:01 PM - 6 May, 2005
any good hardware stuff might be able to hook you up with the proper size....
SpinThis! 5:01 PM - 6 May, 2005
store
nik39 5:05 PM - 6 May, 2005
Sure? I mean this ring is really thin!
SpinThis! 5:12 PM - 6 May, 2005
i know what you're talking about... it's basically washer size.
chillcut 11:14 PM - 6 May, 2005
damnit nik, why the fuck did you remove tha rubber??? damnit it :-P

iam so stoned :)
nobspangle 7:27 AM - 7 May, 2005
I don't know if this will help music.hyperreal.org
chillcut 11:02 AM - 7 May, 2005
hey nob, gonna check that out, thx 4 da link

chillcut
nik39 11:11 AM - 7 May, 2005
Thanks for the link, but it doesnt help cause on the same tt using the 2 different headshells (one with and one w/o rubber) on fits perfectly and doesnt move while the other does. :( Gotta go to a store and ask about the rubber.

What is a washer btw?
nobspangle 3:42 PM - 7 May, 2005
A washer is ring that sits between two things, they come in two main types. Typically rubber ones (Sicherungsblech
?) which are used as sealing rings on taps and plugs in tanks, and typically metal ones (Federring or Federscheibe?) that are used with nuts bolts and screws to make tight fixings. Yours actually comes under the second type because it is being used as a spacer rather than creating a seal.
nik39 4:18 AM - 8 May, 2005
Thanks for the explanation.