Question Test Record

A question.

FizzyPickles

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I'm finally going to invest in a test record, do you have any recommendations or cautions?
 

Non-Smoking Man

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Ive just acquired a vinyl collection with a variety of test records, including the Ortofon one, some on the Opus label and the bread and butter one with the picture of the cartin a headshell on the cover.
Look virtually unplayed (as you'd expect?)..

Pm me if interested Fizzy..

Jack
 
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bigrod

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I wouldn’t bother .I have several and never use them . you know when it’s not right without putting a test disc on . I can lend you one if you want to put your mind at ease …
Always listen for sibilance as that’s a good indication for poor tracking ..
 

rabski

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I agree with all the above comments. Every time I've experimented with test LPs they seem to have shown up 'problems' that never affect actual records. By far the best 'test LP' is to use a few from your own music collection that you know are difficult in one way or another.
 

FizzyPickles

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I wouldn’t bother .I have several and never use them . you know when it’s not right without putting a test disc on . I can lend you one if you want to put your mind at ease …
Always listen for sibilance as that’s a good indication for poor tracking ..
It was sibilance that started this whole journey toward a test LP in the first place lol.
I've readjusted the cart alignment (the overhang was just too short) and it has all but disappeared but you know what it's like, now I'm wondering about tracking force, left and right channels...
 

Non-Smoking Man

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Ive just had a cartridge go properly 't-ts up' on me in the record fair system. I was told they fall of a cliff and that's what this one did. It starts the LP passably and gets distorted and sibilant as you go further in.
It was a job to get through the day (I'm the DJ as all the other guys bow to my £3K system) without egg on face.
I kindof saw it coming and bagged the Goldring 2400 from Martiansunrise in't classifieds. That'll do nicely..
Jack
 

Ron.P

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I also have the HIFI news and Analogue Productions records.
They're not terribly useful without an oscilloscope.
 

Nopiano

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I do think the tracks with left, right, in phase, out of phase, white noise, blank grooves etc., all serve a purpose. The tracking tests can result in disappointment, and audio nervosa, but as long as you are realistic I still think they can be useful. I definitely acknowledge that there are arguments why high-level test tones aren’t equivalent to the demands of music. Therefore a selection of demanding and familiar tracks can be a great help too.

For decades I’ve used the long discontinued Hifi Sound with the orange cover. I see several copies are being offered on eBay.
 
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John (big)

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I agree with all the above comments. Every time I've experimented with test LPs they seem to have shown up 'problems' that never affect actual records. By far the best 'test LP' is to use a few from your own music collection that you know are difficult in one way or another.
My Musicmaster/Isolator on a Hadcock 242 Silver+ tracks all of the tracks on the HiFi News & Record Review Test Record that Len Gregory gave me in the 1990's as an aid as to what direction to go on set up, however I have a copy of the Telearc 1812 with the visible wavy cannon groves, having never tried it in 20+ years, despite tracking the test disc the Musicmaster can't track all the cannon blasts it jumps on the big one after 9 years/colder weather the suspension may have stiffened.

I agree with the erudite rabski select an LP from your own collection that you know well with a good spread of instruments in my case I use an original pressing of Sgt Peppers.
 
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audio_PHIL_e

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I agree with the erudite rabski select an LP from your own collection that you know well with a good spread of instruments in my case I use an original pressing of Sgt Peppers.
Seems quite reasonable. I found that Camel's Mirage or Snow Goose were quite likely to throw a less capable cartridge or stylus out of the groove.
 
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stylesound

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Test records can definately be of assistance and/or reassurance; they certainly won't do any harm. Over the years I have acquired approx 15no different ones and of these the one I find the most useful when setting up or performance grading of a cartridge is the Shure 'Audio Obstacle Course - Era III' (Ser. No. TTR-110). The Hi-Fi Sound Test Record (HFS75) is a good aid when setting the bias.
 

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