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sages of music. Some test records'"
feature silent grooves for checking
the possible presence of rumble in
your turntable. If you turn the volume
all the way up, even the best
turntables will transmit some noise
through the pickup. A fair test
should be made at normal setting of
the volume and tone controls.
Checking Turntables
Constant speed (i.e. the absence
of wow and Hutter) is best checked
with a constant-tone record.'" If no
such disc is handy, find a regular
record containing long, sustained
notes played on an organ or piano.
If they come through with a rocksteady
pitch, the turntable itself is
evidently steady in its rotation.
However, the reverse is not necessarily
true. If the pitch wavers,
don't right away jump to .conclusions
about your turntable. The
fault may lie in the record; it might
have an off-center hole or may itself
have been cut on an erratic turntable.
For this reason, try several
different records before fixing the
blame.
A lesser turntable problem is magnetic
radiation from the motor,
which may induce hum in the pickup.
Most quality turntables have
overcome this difficulty by shielding
the motor and locating it at a
maximum distance from the pickup.
Of course, the pickup leads should
also be shielded, and it's a good
idea to run a ground wire from the
motor housing. Most turntables
have a lug for this.
We have taken special pains to
itemize the main turntable requirements
because they are too often
overlooked even by competent hi-Ii
fans. Many hi-Ii technicians are
"electronically minded" and tend to
snub the turntable as something
"merely mechanical." For such neglect,
the little carousel at the front
end of your phonograph may take
revenge by adding its own brand
of Bronx cheers to your music. On
the other hand a quality turntable
kept in good condition can be an
immense help in coaxing all the
sonic splendor from your discs.
-END
"More to ·the Point"
A plea lor vi.sual accuracy in record album art
VERKLAERTE BACHT
by Rodrigues
o Dltbbings disc D-100 and RCA Test
Record No. 12565 contam checks for
rumble, wow and Hutter.
36
HIFI & MUSIC REVIEW