Back cueing & damaging records

[Bbrich]

I have been cueing up the next record turn it back half a turn and then it is ready to press play as the previous one is fading out or press play once i have stopped talking on the mic. However I am pretty sure I have damaged a couple of records doing this (now have hiss... both styrene). When i am at home I can pretty well see/judge the start of the record but not in the dark at an event.  I dont want silences between the dics but dont want to just talk for the sake of it between every record then suddenly stop when the next one kicks in- sometimes i want to use the mike and sometimes just transition straight to the next one.

any thoughts & advice please!

[Guest]

When I used to DJ I always used the volume controls to control the action! 

  Just wait until the record is nearly at the end , then start the other deck with the volume down.  When you are ready, fade up to match the fade out.  You may miss a little bit of the beginning, but no one ever notices!

I would never backtrack a record, it ruins them!

 

Edited January 6, 2017 by Guest

[Bbrich]

thanks for advice - i guess i was wary of missing the start of new record but probably only a few tracks where it might matter.  Would you wait to fade in until you have stopped the talk or would you fade in whilst still talking. cheers

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, bbrich said:

thanks for advice - i guess i was wary of missing the start of new record but probably only a few tracks where it might matter.  Would you wait to fade in until you have stopped the talk or would you fade in whilst still talking. cheers

Takes a bit of practice, but I would judge when to start the deck while talking, then fade up the volume after talking.  It worked for me ok!

[Mtay9778]

From my experience...

I have back cued at home on my own turntables for years which are very well looked after with new Ortofon cartridges/needles that I replace every few months and the weight and anti skate is set correctly and have never had any problems! However, having DJ'd for somebody last year whose equipment wasn't set up right and maintained I too had several records (all styrene) damaged. Having discussed this at length with many others it is frightening how many people are clueless when it comes to setting up a turntable. These records are like antiques, people's pride and joy. It's definitely put me off DJ'ing and I am very wary now. 

[Baz1]

28 minutes ago, solidsoul said:

When I used to DJ I always used the volume controls to control the action! 

  Just wait until the record is nearly at the end , then start the other deck with the volume down.  When you are ready, fade up to match the fade out.  You may miss a little bit of the beginning, but no one ever notices!

I would never backtrack a record, it ruins them!

 

Bang on  Same ere, can slip up on rare occasions but works for me  and when the beat flows it's just awesome. Baz

[Frankie Crocker]

Back-cueing really shouldn't affect the record grooves if the tracking weight and cartridge alignment are spot on. The problem is styrene records. The moment a diamond stylus lands heavily on a styrene record, it can cause a hiss. Maybe DJ with vinyl only and abandon styrene? Unless you have total confidence in a DJ deck, why experiment with expensive rarities...

[Bbrich]

When researching weight and anti-skate for my technics 1200's i settled on balance then add 1.5 gms but some advice seemed to say up to 3gms!  - any experts on this ?

 

[Premium Stuff]

10 minutes ago, bbrich said:

When researching weight and anti-skate for my technics 1200's i settled on balance then add 1.5 gms but some advice seemed to say up to 3gms!  - any experts on this ?

 

The Technics manual sets it out pretty clearly.

From memory ... set the tonearm balance weight so the tonearm is floating more or less horizontally. Set the tonearm weight to zero ... then adjust the weight to the manufacturer's specified cartridge weight (so you should use 1.5 if that's how much your cartridge weighs - or 2.5 if it weighs 2.5). The number for anti-skate adjustment should be set to match the same number selected for tonearm weight adjustment.

As I said, this is from memory, so I hope it's correct.

The thing that kills me is when you see a pair of decks and 1) the tonearm weight figures never match each other (often a couple of grams out) and 2) the anti-skate settings rarely match each other, or the tonearm weight settings.

Suggest you do a Google search for the correct model of technics manual, if you don't have one, and download it 

Hope this helps

Richard

[Still Diggin]

The reason why so many styrene copies of all those old chestnuts start with a hiss is simply because of all the dj's who actually owned them had no clue how to treat them. If you watch them 90% revolve the bloody thing back and forth at a speed 5 times faster than they were designed to play at, no wonder they suffer from cue burn. The stylus weight x friction equals disaster. Hardly rocket science.

[Geeselad]

check the link below,  in my understanding its hard to wreck a record with a spherical, though these might not reproduce as well as elliptical.

https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=21228

[Cover-up]

I've never really understood the whole "it was someone else's fault the decks were set up wrong..." You're playing records worth thousands - bring your own needles!!! 

Personally I never back-cue styrene 45s - just get the needle in the run-in groove and hope the music kicks in after a second or two. But have been left looking like an eejit after a five second gap... 

[JIMMY SOUL]

Yes totally agree it's the dreaded combination of poor quality equipment, set up badly, and used incorrectly...
If the tone arm is set to the correct weight, and use spherical stylus (like the Ortofon Concord ones marked with "s" rather than "e" which are the eliptical ones) this is a good start... I place the stylus on the run in, while the platter is stationary, and rotate it manually, slowly until I hear the slightest bit of sound that is the first beat or whatever, then slowly rotate back a couple of turns... Never had any cue burn doing it that way.

[Mark R]

9 hours ago, bbrich said:

When researching weight and anti-skate for my technics 1200's i settled on balance then add 1.5 gms but some advice seemed to say up to 3gms!  - any experts on this ?

 

The manufacturer will have a setting figure for the stylus and you hold use that.

Cheers,

Mark R

[Mark R]

8 hours ago, Premium Stuff said:

The Technics manual sets it out pretty clearly.

From memory ... set the tonearm balance weight so the tonearm is floating more or less horizontally. Set the tonearm weight to zero ... then adjust the weight to the manufacturer's specified cartridge weight (so you should use 1.5 if that's how much your cartridge weighs - or 2.5 if it weighs 2.5). The number for anti-skate adjustment should be set to match the same number selected for tonearm weight adjustment.

As I said, this is from memory, so I hope it's correct.

The thing that kills me is when you see a pair of decks and 1) the tonearm weight figures never match each other (often a couple of grams out) and 2) the anti-skate settings rarely match each other, or the tonearm weight settings.

Suggest you do a Google search for the correct model of technics manual, if you don't have one, and download it 

Hope this helps

Richard

Correct!

And it's so easy to set up....I've done it on the fly at gigs.....no problem.

Cheers,

Mark R

[Mark R]

The problem for me is......habit.

As a guy who predominantly uses 12's/LP'S when DJ'ing with vinyl, I'm in the habit of back cueing.  Difficult to remember to put yourself in a different mode when suddenly spinning 45's in a club.

So I reckon I've probably got the odd styrene 45 that's intro has degraded very slightly but nothing too rare/irreplaceable (Melba Moore "Standing Right Here" springs to mind) and I am by nature pretty careful with my records so should never be a major problem for me.

To be honest, I've got my rarer/45's recorded to CDR and play them from that media where possible (where I'm not gonna get lynched by the Soul Police).  I know this is a complete no-no on the scene here, but for when/where I play them occasionally it's no biggie.  And it's much more important to me that I look after my crown jewels than it is to have to prove to everyone that I've got them.....

Cheers,

Mark R

Edited January 7, 2017 by Mark R

[Jnixon]

How to dj with styrene 45s.

1) Cue it up in the run in grooves a quarter turn back from the start of the  music. 

2) Press start button confidently when you want to start the music. 

Technics 1200 range are made with lightning quick pick up. Even if you want to beat mix with a little practice you can confidently drop the beat precisely using this method so without manipulating the record back and forth. 

 

[Jnixon]

How to dj with styrene 45s.

1) Cue it up in the run in grooves a quarter turn back from the start of the  music. 

2) Press start button confidently when you want to start the music. 

Technics 1200 range are made with lightning quick pick up. Even if you want to beat mix with a little practice you can confidently drop the beat precisely using this method so without manipulating the record back and forth. 

 

[Andi]

10 hours ago, FRANKIE CROCKER said:

Back-cueing really shouldn't affect the record grooves if the tracking weight and cartridge alignment are spot on. The problem is styrene records. The moment a diamond stylus lands heavily on a styrene record, it can cause a hiss. Maybe DJ with vinyl only and abandon styrene? Unless you have total confidence in a DJ deck, why experiment with expensive rarities...

How can you tell if they are styrene or vinyl?

[Mark R]

21 minutes ago, Andi said:

How can you tell if they are styrene or vinyl?

Styrene less flexible feelin, flat edge to the record rather than tapered like a knife-edge...............label application can be a give away too........

Oh........and they are prone to stylus damage!  

 

Cheers,

Mark R

[Guest Ivor Jones]

2 hours ago, Mark R said:

To be honest, I've got my rarer/45's recorded to CDR and play them from that media where possible (where I'm not gonna get lynched by the Soul Police).  I know this is a complete no-no on the scene here, but for when/where I play them occasionally it's no biggie.  And it's much more important to me that I look after my crown jewels than it is to have to prove to everyone that I've got them.....

Happy New Year Mark [and everyone else ! ]. Great to see you on the boat again !

I totally agree with you on this.  This thread raises several points which are seldom discussed. For instance, I worked out in the 80s that back cueing styrene records was a no no and never even consider it these days. Vinyl is normally ok but really for me it all boils down to the availability and rarity of the record in question. For the life of me I cannot understand why anyone would be treating their rare recode in this way especially when you see the ever more eye-watering sums which they sell for these days. I can't speak for anyone else here but to me this whole ethos of "it has to be on original vinyl" only really applies to the anal  collectors. As Mark quite rightly points out, its never really a problem at most gigs we're doing,whats more important is reading the mood of the night and the crowd and keeping the floor busy. As a rule of thumb these days I too play many things from CDR rather than pointlessly wearing out the vinyl originals,however,I never play anything out that I don't actually own the original of. I have done on one occasion but thats another story. Old habits die hard I guess.

Next point is Its all very well wanting to reconfigure the settings on the turntables but in practise for example when you're taking over from someone else half way through a busy gig the last thing on your mind is messing about with the deck settings. If it aint broke don't try and fix it, it'll only end in tears !

I literally ruined plenty of records back in the 80s by back queuing them and it was a painful learning curve I can tell you. We didn't have the internet back then obviously and all knowledge had to be gradually self taught. However, even armed with this info it doesn't always work out right.For example, I remember about 20 years back at a well known all-nighter playing a brand new copy of J.Jocko "Im Getting Over" [Kama Sutra,its a styrene pressing]. I had played it once earlier at home which is why I knew it was fine. Didn't back cue it obviously, just put the needle on and let it run through. Remember thinking it sounded a bit crackly through the headphones on the night. Got home the next day and played it again at home and was horrified to hear it was ruined beyond repair and distorted horribly. Same happened with some other tunes too. So, one play on a badly worn or damaged stylus can ruin a perfect record. Nightmare…..The main problem with this is that even if you go to the lengths of taking a personal set of cartridges around with you[which is probably the best thing for concerned collector DJs], im not sure it would be failsafe if the arm is bent or damaged on the turntable. When you see the state of some of the equipment at gigs in bars,clubs etc you'll know what I mean. In essence therefore, if it looks dodgy then save your precious vinyl for anther day. Thats what i would do…...

[Baz1]

Hi everyone!!!!! We're relatively new to collecting 7yrs ish and all this talk is really worrying us,bought a copy jack Montgomery "don't turn your back on me" vg+ at Christmas, played great  by the way we don't know anything about deck set up!!!! But in only ten days and probably 6 plays it's sound quality is not as good as when first played(plays now with a hiss),some other tunes av done the same,a well known dj friend of ours set up our decks for us so our trust is in him but now you've got us really worried about the needles,weights and styrene issues that you talk about!!!!! Our records are there to play but now we're thinking different   really worried baz n shelly Xx help help

[Mtay9778]

11 hours ago, cover-up said:

I've never really understood the whole "it was someone else's fault the decks were set up wrong..." You're playing records worth thousands - bring your own needles!!! 

Personally I never back-cue styrene 45s - just get the needle in the run-in groove and hope the music kicks in after a second or two. But have been left looking like an eejit after a five second gap... 

Due to recently having records damaged I have since purchased a spare set of the Ortofons I use at home to take with me although as somebody has mentioned to have to set them up correctly and start altering somebody else's equipment is surely a bit of hard work whilst up there trying to dj. It seems to me easier said than done. Surely if you are putting an event on the least the promoter can do is ensure the equipment provided is fit for purpose. It's not like you're asking much. 

[Mark R]

34 minutes ago, mtay9778 said:

Due to recently having records damaged I have since purchased a spare set of the Ortofons I use at home to take with me although as somebody has mentioned to have to set them up correctly and start altering somebody else's equipment is surely a bit of hard work whilst up there trying to dj. It seems to me easier said than done. Surely if you are putting an event on the least the promoter can do is ensure the equipment provided is fit for purpose. It's not like you're asking much. 

Agreed, when I did "Soulful" in Bournemouth for Jason Desmond many years ago, he was the the first promoter I'd seen bring his own stylii to a gig (it was in house equipment at the club) and I was really impressed that he seemed to care so much.

To be brutally honest, in this particular respect some people should not be promoting events where rare/antique records are involved.  Not doing it correctly is completely disrespectful......and in fact unacceptable when they are trousering £££'s!!

It's also an irony that a scene where the records are so exspensive to buy pays amongst the lowest DJ wages out there.  I can understand people doing it as they love it and would buy the tunes come-what-may (wouldn't they??), but not when it's ruining your vinyl surely.........

 

Cheers,

Mark R

Edited January 7, 2017 by Mark R

[Mark R]

1 hour ago, Ivor Jones said:

Happy New Year Mark [and everyone else ! ]. Great to see you on the boat again !

however,I never play anything out that I don't actually own the original of.

 

Happy New Year Ivor, great to see you again mate...............and yes, same mantra here too re CDR/originals

 

Cheers,

Mark

[Andi]

Talking of setting up decks correctly, they were having problems with the needles jumping at the Nottingham Palais all-nighter last week, mainly because the DJ booth was on the edge of the dance floor, and the vibrations were travelling through to the decks. I think the place is set up for CD/MP3 usually.

They overcame the problem with airbags, don't know where they got them from, but could be worth the investment, they can't be too expensive. Anyone else seen these for sale?

 

[Mark R]

3 minutes ago, Andi said:

Talking of setting up decks correctly, they were having problems with the needles jumping at the Nottingham Palais all-nighter last week, mainly because the DJ booth was on the edge of the dance floor, and the vibrations were travelling through to the decks. I think the place is set up for CD/MP3 usually.

They overcame the problem with airbags, don't know where they got them from, but could be worth the investment, they can't be too expensive. Anyone else seen these for sale?

 

I have DJ'd with these under the decks......you would be able to get these from Juno etc I'm sure.

The alternative which is free, is to use two of the heavier type of breeze blocks under each turntable.............just something massive (as in weight, not size) that the vibrations can't excite.......

 

Cheers,

Mark R

[Andi]

1 minute ago, Mark R said:

I have DJ'd with these under the decks......you would be able to get these from Juno etc I'm sure.

The alternative which is free, is to use two of the heavier type of breeze blocks under each turntable.............just something massive (as in weight, not size) that the vibrations can't excite.......

 

Cheers,

Mark R

Cheers, will have a look.  Not sure that walking into a night club (which is what the Palais is now) with a couple of breeze blocks would not attract the attention of bouncers/Police  

[The Phantom Janitor]

1 hour ago, baz1 said:

Hi everyone!!!!! We're relatively new to collecting 7yrs ish and all this talk is really worrying us,bought a copy jack Montgomery "don't turn your back on me" vg+ at Christmas, played great  by the way we don't know anything about deck set up!!!! But in only ten days and probably 6 plays it's sound quality is not as good as when first played(plays now with a hiss),some other tunes av done the same,a well known dj friend of ours set up our decks for us so our trust is in him but now you've got us really worried about the needles,weights and styrene issues that you talk about!!!!! Our records are there to play but now we're thinking different   really worried baz n shelly Xx help help

As long as you've got descent decks and styluses you shouldn't have a problem, just follow the manufactures instructions. I change my stylus for a new one frequently and have the weight set quite light at about 2gms (manufacturer recommends 3gms) I have a pioneer deck with a ortofon stylus and haven't had any problems. Whenever I change any equipment (stylus etc) I always play a cheap record a few times to make sure it's set up okay and not doing any damage to the record, and from previous experience never back cue! Hope this helps.

Mark

Edited January 7, 2017 by The Phantom Janitor

[Baz1]

1 hour ago, The Phantom Janitor said:

As long as you've got descent decks and styluses you shouldn't have a problem, just follow the manufactures instructions. I change my stylus for a new one frequently and have the weight set quite light at about 2gms (manufacturer recommends 3gms) I have a pioneer deck with a ortofon stylus and haven't had any problems. Whenever I change any equipment (stylus etc) I always play a cheap record a few times to make sure it's set up okay and not doing any damage to the record, and from previous experience never back cue! Hope this helps.

Mark

Eup mark!!! Our man has set ours on 2grm, we have stanton decks, had em 12 months and still got same stylus on but they have been packed away for 6 months so stylus about 5 ish months play, how often would you change because our needles still LOOK new!!! Cheers baz

[Dave Moore]

Another way to cue on time is to abandon the headphones!  Use the lights on the mixer.  Simply set up on the run in groove, or turn the platter until you gain a flicker and stop. Technics properly set up will pick up the speed almost instantaneous the minute you start it. You can choose to speak until the lights flicker or go straight on with the next 45.

I've DJ'd without headphones for 20 years. They are the Devil's Kit used by people who mistakenly THINK they look cool! LOL! 

Regards,

Dave

 

[Daved]

20 hours ago, solidsoul said:

When I used to DJ I always used the volume controls to control the action! 

  Just wait until the record is nearly at the end , then start the other deck with the volume down.  When you are ready, fade up to match the fade out.  You may miss a little bit of the beginning, but no one ever notices!

I would never backtrack a record, it ruins them!

 

This is the right answer. If you can't DJ using this method with 45s, then you shouldn't be up there.

[Triode]

Regarding the dreaded Styrene Hiss! It does vary from record to record, I've got styrene records that have been totally abused but play fine, yet certain records such as the previously mentioned Jack Montgomery ( Barracuda ) I have had maybe 3 copies all of which deteriated over time even when carefully played,

Regarding back cueing I would suggest the speed at which you draw back the disc is important due to it causing friction and Heat on a material that is very sensitive to temperature.

Also the suggestion of adjusting a turntable prior to starting a D.J. set though valid, can be hazardous! I have witnessed a promoter go ballistic when a certain DJ attempted to adjust a turntable mid set ......no names mentioned! (LEN)

[Bbrich]

3 hours ago, Dave Moore said:

Another way to cue on time is to abandon the headphones!  Use the lights on the mixer.  Simply set up on the run in groove, or turn the platter until you gain a flicker and stop. Technics properly set up will pick up the speed almost instantaneous the minute you start it. You can choose to speak until the lights flicker or go straight on with the next 45.

I've DJ'd without headphones for 20 years. They are the Devil's Kit used by people who mistakenly THINK they look cool! LOL! 

Regards,

Dave

 

Thank you Dave - this is the way forward for me & using fade in/out (per Solidsoul). Be great to ditch the headphones!  

Not sure it is my place to start messing about with someone elses setup part way through the event and pretty sure i would struggle to rebalance the decks/weights/change cartridge/get next record ready etc...  in the 2 mins or so available !  

Thanks to all for tips & advice - I may now stick to ovo (original vinyl) events and avoid the oso (original styrene) events

[Billywhizz]

lots of djs in 70s 80s never cue in ,good eyes then lol

 

[Baz1]

5 hours ago, Triode said:

Regarding the dreaded Styrene Hiss! It does vary from record to record, I've got styrene records that have been totally abused but play fine, yet certain records such as the previously mentioned Jack Montgomery ( Barracuda ) I have had maybe 3 copies all of which deteriated over time even when carefully played,

Regarding back cueing I would suggest the speed at which you draw back the disc is important due to it causing friction and Heat on a material that is very sensitive to temperature.

Also the suggestion of adjusting a turntable prior to starting a D.J. set though valid, can be hazardous! I have witnessed a promoter go ballistic when a certain DJ attempted to adjust a turntable mid set ......no names mentioned! (LEN)

Hope I don't have to buy three copies of Jack Montgomery at the price I paid  thought this would see my days out  mmmmmm gutted.  

[Frankie Crocker]

11 hours ago, Ivor Jones said:

Happy New Year Mark [and everyone else ! ]. Great to see you on the boat again !

I totally agree with you on this.  This thread raises several points which are seldom discussed. For instance, I worked out in the 80s that back cueing styrene records was a no no and never even consider it these days. Vinyl is normally ok but really for me it all boils down to the availability and rarity of the record in question. For the life of me I cannot understand why anyone would be treating their rare recode in this way especially when you see the ever more eye-watering sums which they sell for these days. I can't speak for anyone else here but to me this whole ethos of "it has to be on original vinyl" only really applies to the anal  collectors. As Mark quite rightly points out, its never really a problem at most gigs we're doing,whats more important is reading the mood of the night and the crowd and keeping the floor busy. As a rule of thumb these days I too play many things from CDR rather than pointlessly wearing out the vinyl originals,however,I never play anything out that I don't actually own the original of. I have done on one occasion but thats another story. Old habits die hard I guess.

Next point is Its all very well wanting to reconfigure the settings on the turntables but in practise for example when you're taking over from someone else half way through a busy gig the last thing on your mind is messing about with the deck settings. If it aint broke don't try and fix it, it'll only end in tears !

I literally ruined plenty of records back in the 80s by back cueing them and it was a painful learning curve I can tell you. 

Don't worry Ivor, they were probably only '80's records anyway...

[Pga1]

Hiya,  back cueing is how it should be done, slip mats, wait for the beat and let it go, nothing worse than that horrible wwwwrrrrwurp by miscued tunes, if you ain't happy with that, don't dj .  Or alternative play cds and bring along a ring girl as per boxing etc,  you play track on cd as scantily  clad woman walks round with your original on dance foor held aloft for all to see.  Female dj's can use their own preferances for similar effect, although in my case why would my wife want to see a fat, short arsed bauldie walking round half naked with a copy of  the ' snake' and as she says ' it serpently ain't in his pants !!!!   Cheers

[Pga1]

PS. Never try to mix northern tunes, really don't  work too well. Although must say ' break out' Mitch Ryder and  just bros 'sliced tomatoes' sounds great if done well, reverbing those horns as the guitar kicks in, does sound impressive.  Cheers

[Pga1]

Hiya, by the way any dj in the seventies worth his salt would have a nice red telephone plugged in to cue the next tune in!!!  That was tammi Lynn and back in the charts with a bullet ' the tams- hey girl don't bother me'   Cheers

[Pga1]

On  a garrard deck of course, before those fancy haiwan twin decks.  Cheers

[Spacehopper]

On ‎07‎/‎01‎/‎2017 at 13:16, Andi said:

Talking of setting up decks correctly, they were having problems with the needles jumping at the Nottingham Palais all-nighter last week, mainly because the DJ booth was on the edge of the dance floor, and the vibrations were travelling through to the decks. I think the place is set up for CD/MP3 usually.

They overcame the problem with airbags, don't know where they got them from, but could be worth the investment, they can't be too expensive. Anyone else seen these for sale?

 

used these for years down here in Bristol,they were about £20 each I think...some guests have been a bit to forceful with the on button though so the record has skipped at the beginning..be gentle and no problem

[Spacehopper]

plenty of you tube clips about how to set technics up..we always take our own needles and set the skating up everytime, I  have a one sided carver which I use ...using the blank side,put the needle on somewhere in the middle,set up light! and despite not having any grooves the needle will either go into label or towards the outer edge if it isn't right so turn the anti skate dial until it sits still and youre sorted

[Jimmyjames]

Everyone has there own views on this, but I would go for a shure m44 7 over an ortofon concorde. Though the shure cart is aimed at djs these days, its roots were laid as a broadcast cart. Some people say that even a badly set up shure is better than a lot of other carts done right. Check the article...

https://www.residentadvisor.net/features/1837

 

I know alot of guys that do play Dubs /acetates  and they go for the shure. Due to minimal surface wear with back cuing

/beat mixing.

Im not saying ortofon dont mke some great carts. I use 2m series carts at home for listening that have elliptical styli. And I know that some ortofon concord dj styli also now come as elliptical. But if Im going to play out, I'll take the shures and a tracking gauge.

Other than that, ID never back cue styrene . just cue from the run in as mentioned before.

Ps I dont work for shure. 

[Polly Matthies]

On 7.1.2017 at 14:26, Andi said:

Cheers, will have a look.  Not sure that walking into a night club (which is what the Palais is now) with a couple of breeze blocks would not attract the attention of bouncers/Police  

You could use a couple of tetra paks too, orange juice cartons for instance.They should have them at the bar...

 

[Dave Rimmer]

It's heat caused by friction that causes cue burn on styrene records. The way to avoid it is when you turn a record back to cue it, do it very slowly, and allow it to come to a stop on it's own, rather than stopping it yourself. I'm not saying this will eradicate cue burn entirely, but it will go a long way towards it.

[Zed1]

Sorry people but back cueing can't damage records otherwise most of the DJ's would have to replace their entire collections every month.

[Ian Stacey]

1 hour ago, Zed1 said:

Sorry people but back cueing can't damage records otherwise most of the DJ's would have to replace their entire collections every month.

 I thought the same you can not damage them this way ! the styrene records that no longer play well is because there just worn out & the material is forty years old & the surface  tension of the material is no longer viable .If you have the back  balance weight on to high 3 should be the upper limit I've have seen them much higher on decks quite regular at different functions when filming fellow DJs.

[Dave Rimmer]

3 hours ago, Zed1 said:

Sorry people but back cueing can't damage records otherwise most of the DJ's would have to replace their entire collections every month.

So why does 'cue burn' only happen at the beginning of the record ? Surely, if you can't damage a record by cueing it in, the damage would be equally spread throughout the record, not just at the beginning ? Doh !

 

[Pga1]

Hiya, being serious for a change, regarding tracking weights- different stylus different weights, it tells you in the box they come in. Eg ortofon black s is 4 and ortofon 5e is 1.75 if I remember correctly ( 5e not for dj's).  Cheers