Skratchamental Turntablism

Turntablism Gear Tips 'n' Tricks

Here you will find some topics related to your gear that can be of interest. Some are especially useful for turntablists, others for DJ’s in general.

Marking samples

In order to be precise during scratching it’s good to have a point of reference on your record so you know exactly where a certain sound starts. Let’s say you’ve got a sound on your record (e.g. ‘fressshh’). Just before this sample starts you stop the record. Now you can place a sticker somewhere on the label of the record, this will be your reference point (it’s smart to always place it in the same spot so you get used to it. You could place it at 12 o’clock, 9 o’clock or facing the tip of the needle). Alternatively you can also draw a line on the label of the record.

Let’s say you placed the sticker at 9 o’clock. Now if you start to scratch, you always know where the sound starts, even when your fader is turned off.

Groove-finding

Have you ever noticed that turntablists hardly ever use headphones? Still they manage to find the right samples and make the beats crossover fluently. Some guys really posess the skill to needle-drop accurately but for those of you that don’t, here’s the lowdown on ‘groove-finding’.

My method works like this: stop your record about a second or so before the sample you want. Now try to place a sticker just next to your needle (this would be under your stylus) on the right side (the second between the sample and the sticker prevents the sticker from bumping into the needle during scratching. This can happen when the sticker is too thick or if it’s not placed perfectly). When the sticker is in place you have to try if it’s in the right place: place your needle just in front of the sticker and let the record play slowly so the sticker will make your needle ‘glide’ into the right groove. Let the record play for about a second and there should start your sound!

For this technique it’s best to use a circular shaped sticker so your needle can glide without to much abuse. When you’re sure the sticker is in the right place you can easily cut away the parts that you don’t need from the sticker.

If the needle doesn’t glide to the right groove you’ll have to repeat the process until you get it right. It might take a while before you get the hang of it.

Sample looping

During battles you might want to repeat a single fragment of a record over and over. You can achieve this by letting your needle ‘bounce’ back a groove.

Basically this works the same as groove-finding except you place the sticker on the left side of the stylus. Let’s say you have got a sample on your record like ‘…DJ, you suck…’ and you want to repeat this over and over. The aim would be to let the needle bounce back to the point where ‘DJ’ can be heard.
Stop the record about a second before ‘DJ’ starts. Place the sticker under the stylus on the left side. Done. For this method it’s also best to use circular stickers so the needle can glide back a groove with ease.

Vinyl Troubleshooting

Most problems involving records are due to bent/warped records. A bent scratch-record is useless. To my knowledge the bending occurs mostly due to:

the usage of shrink-wrapping
prolonged exposure to a hot sun or some other heat source

So is it possible to get a record straight again? Some solutions I have encountered are:

playing the bent record and heating it up with a hairdryer. Let it cool down, preferably while being pressed by something heavy.
placing a bent record inside a thick folded towel. Iron the towel so the record can heat up. When it’s heated put it on your turntable and let it play. When it’s cooled down it will be less bent.
placing a bent record between two glass plates (or 2 other ‘straight’ surfaces) and let something heavy rest on top of that. Wait a few hours (?) and your record will be straight.

I have been using the hairdryer method and I place a heavy object on top of the record while it cools down. Results are pretty good. The records hardly ever come out totally straight, but they do take much better scratch-abuse than before the ‘straighting’ proces.

Vinyl or the LP

In order to produce any sound on your turntable you need records! Some dudes who have got a lot of time on their hands use ‘cratedigging’ to get that different sound or just that sample that they were looking for. Luckily for the most of us somebody came up with the idea to put a lot of cool parts (samples) from loads of different records together on one record: the Battle Break was born. Battle breaks are made especially made for turntablists to make scratching, juggling and turntablism in general a little more pleasant.

To be able to ‘make’ music you have to know where a specific sound is located on your record. When using multiple sounds, most sounds won’t be close together, or even on the same record. In this case you will have to move the needle from groove to groove, or change records. In the Tips ‘n’ Tricks section you will find some tips on how you can do this quicker in a variety of ways. Some other things you can do with your records will also be discussed there.

Turntable Troubleshooting

There are several problems you can run into that relate to your turntables. Here I will discuss the most common ones that you might encounter as a (starting) turntablist.

Needle keeps skipping

A few reasons that could cause your needles to skip:

Using needles that are not sufficiently ‘broken in’
Applying too much tracking force
The spindle hole in your record is too big
Your record is warped

Most of these ‘problems’ are easily solved. Here’s how you do it:

Breaking in needles

A good thing to know about needles is that skip resistance improves with use. When your cartridges are brand-new out of the box they will skip noticeably more than a set of old ones. This is because your old needles are ‘broken in’.
So how do you ‘break in’ a needle? You do this by using it. You can speed up this process by letting your needles rest in a groove from your records each day for a few hours. After about two weeks your needles should be ready for heavy duty scratching.

Too much tracking force

As I already mentioned when I discussed the Balance weight, too much weight is never good. Not only does it wear out your records and stylus faster, it can also be the reason why your needle won’t stay in the groove. If you’re not sure how much tracking force you applied, calibrate your tone-arm and put it within factory recommend limits. A rule of thumb is that a tracking force of about 3-3,5 grams should be enough.

A big spindle hole

It could well be that your problem is due to a spindle hole that’s too big. This causes your record to move in all directions when you scratch. If this hole is too big (it’s ok if your record fits snug around your spindle) use some tape to make it smaller.

Warped records

It’s always a bugger when you got a warped record. Read more about warped records and ways to make them usable again over here.

Fast backspin problems

Every time you try a fast backspin either your needle skips or your platter comes to a complete stop. Of course this is not what you want. Make sure you adjusted your gear the right way and you are using a good slipmat.

Record doesn’t slip

Your slipmats should allow you to hold the record idle without slowing the platter down. If this does happen, or your record just doesn’t slip good enough, something’s wrong.

Bad mats

Look at what kind of mats you are using in the first place. Get your hands on some genuinely good DJ mats, most Technics ones are alright. In addition, use some extra material to increase slip-action. If you feel creative, you can make yourself some butter rugs as well :).

Warped record

Warped records have the annoying side-effect that one side will slip way too much and the other side will hardly slip at all. Read more about warped records and ways to make them usable again over here.

Basic Techniques on handling the Turntable

It is important to remember that even the best adjustment tips will not make a difference if you do not have a good ‘feel’ for the record. Every needle will skip eventually if you are banging away on the vinyl. I normally use two or three fingers to control the vinyl: ring, middle and index finger. Experiment with different variations. You’ll notice that with some variations you are able to control the vinyl more precise whereas other variations allow you to be faster. The hand that controls the vinyl is referred to as the vinylhand.

In the end it doesn’t really matter how you do it but keep in mind that you are trying to move your record back and forth under your needle. Do not press down on the record more than necessary as this will cause your needle to skip more easily.

Fast backspin

In the beginning you might experience difficulties pulling you record back to the beginning of a beat (when beat-juggling), when this has to be done quickly. I used to grip the record in the middle near the spindle and pull it back to the beginning of a beat. This can only be done at a moderate speed

A better technique is to rapidly pull back on the record causing it to spin back even when you’re not touching it anymore (back-spin). When the beginning of the beat comes into place you quickly take hold of the record again, this allows you to control when the beat starts again in a tight way. Because these are 2 fast movements you can juggle faster if you practic

Turntable Terminology

Because there is a lot to know about a turntable I have made a list of the more common parts. They are accompanied by a brief description and tips for adjustment or usage.

Tone-arm

In general we can distinguish 3 different tone-arm models:

The S-shaped tone-arm
The J-shaped tone-arm
The straight tone-arm

The S or J-shaped can be found on most turntables and also needs the most adjusting when you want to scratch.

The great advantage of the straight tone-arm is that it hardly generates sideward forces which in turn makes your needle skip much less than e.g. a conventional S-shaped tone-arm. Disadvantage however is a loss of sound quality. Personally I must say that this can be hardly noticed.

The hereafter mentioned adjustments are mainly for S or J-shaped tone-arm turntables.

Anti-skate control

The small round dial next to your tone-arm is the Anti-skate control. In combination with your other adjustment possibilities you can adjust your turntable so the actual sound will be the best possible and your wear will be minimal. The Anti-skate together with the Balance-weight can help to do this. It is a bit of a technical story and in my opinion it is a bit far fetched to get into it any deeper. For we want to scratch and Hi-fi talk doesn’t apply to that.

To make a long story short:

Do you want to scratch? Turn your Anti-skate dial to zero
Are you going to listen and mix records? Turn your Anti-skate dial to the same digit as your Balance-weight

Tone-arm height ring

This is the big ring that is positioned under your tone-arm. By turning this (be sure to unlock the ring with the small lock-lever!) you can adjust the height of your tone-arm. Normally the product information that came with your needles tells you what height is best for those needles. E.g. with Shure M44-7 it’s best to have your tone-arm parallel to the platter.

There is equipment that actually measures the best height for your tone-arm with a specific needle. Mortals like me can’t afford those machines. A rule of thumb is to have your stylus as much parallel to the platter as possible (with Stanton AL needles this can be a small blue or white block). If you’re not entirely sure about the proper height for your tone-arm it is best to set it a bit lower rather than higher to avoid higher record-wear (this is because the height of your tone-arm affects the angle in which the needle lies in the record groove).

Note: even with cheaper turntables that don’t offer a way to change the tone-arm height you can sort of adjust the angle of the needle in the groove. You do this by carefully bending the small ‘block’ of the stylus until it’s parallel to the platter.

Before we continue I will explain some terms that are often used as if they were the same thing, but they are not!

Headshell = can be screwed into the tone-arm and has a grip that allows you to take hold of the tone-arm. Your cartridge gets attached to the headshell
Cartridge = the part that you screw under your headshell and were the stylus can be fitted
Stylus = the part that can be fitted in the cartridge and which physically houses the needle
The cartridge and stylus together are sometimes called the element

Note: Some cartridges screw into your tone-arm directly, thus making the headshell obsolete.

Cartridge

Some turntablist mount the cartridge in the headshell at an angle. Normally this is 23 degrees away from the spindle. You can do this by loosening the screws that hold your cartridge in the headshell and turning the cartridge outward, then fasten the screws back up again. This causes your needle to skip less, the outer groove wall will wear somewhat faster than the inner one. In effect you’re emulating a straight tone-arm by using this technique.

Needle

In general there are two different kinds of needles (styli):

Elliptical
Spherical

The name refers to the shape of the diamond tip that is used. Elliptical needles give better sound quality but will wear out your records quicker because the tracking force is spread out over a smaller surface. Since you would normally use a bit more tracking force when scratching it’s best to stick with the spherical needles.

Balance weight

On the back end of your tone-arm should be a weight, the Balance weight. Often this weight gets turned in all the way so you get maximum tracking force for your needle. However, it is a wrong assumption that more tracking force (more weight) means less needle skipping. Each cartridge and stylus has its own recommended stylus pressure setting. This can be for instance from 2.5 – 5.0 grams. This means that the needle can take this much tracking force and still function properly.

The Balance weight should have a small dial fitted on it which shows some numbers. This dial is not fastened so you can turn it around. So if it’s not fastened how can you know how much weight you’re applying to your tone-arm? To know this you have to calibrate your Balance weight. This is how you do it:

Make sure your Balance weight is fitted to your tone-arm and that your headshell, cartridge and stylus are also in place (you are able to play a record). Also remove the plastic stylus cover if your stylus has one.
Turn the Balance weight in the right direction (more or less weight) until your tone-arm floats freely (O in the picture). Be sure to not drop your tone-arm during this process because a damaged stylus is no good.
When it’s floating take hold of the arm carefully and dial the ring on the Balance weight to zero. The zero should be facing upwards.
Now you can turn the whole Balance weight inwards until the dial shows the desired pressure, 2,5 for instance. With some extra pressure your needle will skip less but keep the recommendations of the manufacturer in mind. You’ll find that a too high pressure setting will make the needle ‘dance’ when you scratch, causing it to skip more easily.

Tip: If you are in need of more weight you can try putting the Balance weight on backwards. This will give you a little more weight because the physical point of gravity lies in the back of the weight. You can’t calibrate correctly anymore when doing this. Mostly this is only necessary on some SL1200 models because they only allow you to put about 3,5 grams of weight in with the Balance weight (notice the link with 3,5 Anti-skate). Most other turntables allow you to easily utilize up to 7 grams of tracking force by using the Balance weight.

Shell weight

Most turntables come with extra Shell weight. Try not to use this unless really necessary (i.e. already turned Balance weight backwards). This extra weight (you can use a small coin as well) can be mounted on top of the headshell and van give you just that little extra tracking force that you were looking for. Keep in mind that you should add the weight of the Shell weight to the weight you already put in with the Balance weight!

At first I thought that it couldn’t hurt to use the Shell weight. However, after talking to some experienced people and technicians in this field I understand that any extra weight near your stylus is not wanted. In short: if you don’t need it, don’t use it!

Platter

The big disc that has a lot of dots (strobe-dots) on the side. The platter is basically placed on top of the motor and makes your records turn around. Of course a slipmat should be put between the platter and the record first.

Spindle

The protruding pin in the middle of your turntable that is connected to the motor. When the platter is fitted the spindle sticks out of the middle.

Cueing lever

The small lever next to the tone-arm is the cueing lever. As a turntablist you never use this. It is imperative that you practice picking up your needle and placing it on the record (cueing) without ruining your needle or fucking up your records. During a scratch routine you have to be able to switch between records. To do this quickly, precise cueing is important.

Check the Tips ‘n’ tricks section for more info related to fast-cueing.

Dust cover

Turntablist never scratch with the Dust covers fitted. The things get in the way! Take of the hinges so you can easily take them off or put them back when you’re done scratching. You can use an old shirt or towel to cover your mixer.

Position of the turntables

Often you can recognize a turntablist by the position of his gear. Often you’ll see the turntables placed 90 degrees counterclockwise. This results in the tone-arm being placed at the back and gives you more space to work with your hands (especially nice when beat-juggling). Any vibrations resulting from your hand touching the vinyl are also situated further away from the needle. Another advantage is that your turntables are a bit closer to each other. The mixer is usually placed in between the two tables. However, some DJ’s like it better to put the tables next to each other and the mixer on the left or right.

Slipmat

Something that’s absolutely essential to be able to scratch is a slipmat. Most turntables come with a thick rubber mat. These are useless for turntablists. Get yourself 2 slipmats and place them on the platters. To get an ever better slip-effect you can cut up a piece of wax-paper, or even better, the plastic inside sleeve that comes with some records, and put it under your mats.

The Almighty Turntable

One of the key things that you have to keep in mind when you do your turntablism stuff is the adjustment of your gear. Especially the turntable that you’re using has to been tuned perfectly. If this is not the case than you’ll encounter all kinds of unwanted things, mostly being skipping needles.

A regular turntable is meant to treat your records as good as possible. In effect prolonging the lifespan of your vinyl and your needle. If you’re a turntablist it’s better that you put these ideas aside. Think about the race-car driver who will not be to worried about his tires getting worn out either.

Getting a good turntable that will live up to your needs means that you have to be willing to pay the cash! Most cheaper models do not let you adjust the tone-arm or it is not rigid altogether. Furthermore the torque will probably not be high enough to let you scratch without worries.

A turntablist tries to create a new sound by using the turntable. Usually you will use a specific part of your record from where you use the sound (a sample) and manipulate this sound by employing for instance scratching. To do this it is imperative that your needle stays in the right groove of your record. In the Terminology section I will describe how you can achieve this.

Gear 4 us

To most of you it will be clear by now that in order to be a DJ or turntablist you need a few things to get started.

Just to remind you, here’s a quick list:

2 turntables
1 mixer
A few records
Headphones

As a turntablist you can’t just use ‘any’ turntable or ‘any’ mixer that’s out there. Much like a race-car driver can’t race in ‘any’ car on the circuit. As a scratch-DJ you expect a good performance from your gear. More information on this subject can be found in other ‘gear’ sections of the site.

I would like to note here that some turntablist prefer not to use headphones, that it’s sometimes handy to have 2 copies of the same record (when you’re beat juggling for instance) and that you might as well practice with your headphones on instead of banging it out of your speakers (people living with you will like it :).

Butter Rug D.I.Y.

If I remember correctly some guy posted this on the old Scratchcon boards. A couple of years ago they went offline but I kept this, it is a description on how to make your own Butter Rugs. I have never tried it, but if you fancy a little arts & crafts, have a go.

Prototype of the Butter Rug (quoted)

“Here is the information for the original design.
The original name for these were belated scratchmats (maybe a little un-b-boy hip but that’s what best describes).
The idea is to build up the middle area so that it’s a little lower than the outside silver ring on the edge of the platter, – 0.010 – 0.012 inch. This will distribute some of the weight towards the centre making it easier to turn more torque. These mats should last you a lifetime, mine have lasted me 2 years and the spindle area is still tight.

Go to the fabric store. Buy:

nylon organdy at about $3 for a square yard
some of their lightest weight ‘felt interlacing’, black or white, you should be able to see through it
some spray glue
a rotary razor-blade
clear postal regulated packaging tape (make sure the roll is clean and has no bumps)

Cut two pieces of tape, 6 inch long each. Cut the nylon and felt into square-foot pieces. Assemble the pieces of tape into a cross pattern onto the felt interlacing. Be sure to be gentle and don’t stretch the tape. Bow a strip of the tape and line it up with the centre of your square-foot piece of felt, then carefully press and lay-out its ends. Do the same with the other strip of tape but cross the two. Make sure you get most of the big air bubbles out from the overlapped area.

The ends of the cross keep the mat from flapping over when removing records. The centre of the cross is double up for spindle strength.

Next you want to build up the centre of the cross a little more. Cut a circle about the size of a quarter and place it in the middle of the cross (you can even put two pieces if you like). This will make the centre a little higher than that bump of a ring around the outside of the inner record label. It should be a little lower than the ring on the outside of your platter though. Whether your record’s label area is flat or has that ring, more weight will be distributed in the middle (easier to turn more torque, more level record, less skipping).

Put a quick, light passing of spray glue over your work. No more than two passing, just make sure it’s a little sticky. Lay the nylon on top of your work and press it with your hands, or use a dough-roller. Find a record with an outside-diameter of 11 ¾ inch, no more than that (it will be hard to find a record, or something else, of this size but it’s worth the look). Make it so it stays inside the silver ring on the technics platter. If it’s any bigger you will end up pinching the mat between the edge of the record when removing a record off the platter.

Go around your 11 ¾ record (or other object) with the rotary blade for a clean cut.

Find UHMV for the mat to ride instead of the platter, it helps covering the holes on the platter too. UHMV is the same material used on the bottom of ski’s/snowboards. 3 mil. Antistic black seems to be the best. If you want a very slick mat try it or at least get your nuts on some UHMV…

The inside diameter is ¼ inch. Us the inside hole of the metal 45-filler from the technics or go the hardware store and get a spacer of that size. Heat a nail very hot (wedge it between a stove’s top grill). The nail works but it needs to be very hot, it’s way easier to use a soldering iron. Be patient if you are using the nail. Centre the ring in the centre of the mat and use the soldering iron or the nail to burn out a hole (the 45-filler is the perfect size and is wide enough so you won’t burn yourself). This should stay nice and snug around the spindle for a very long time

— that butter rug idiot”

Autobahn scratch

Since Scratchlopedia Breaktannica came out this scratch has undoubtedly been the most discussed. How does it work? What is the pattern? It didn’t really help that the doubletime pattern on the DVD was actually a different pattern than the ‘regular’one. In any case, below my example of it (regular speed…) and I’ve added the transcription for it as well.

Transcription of Autobahn Scratch

Transcription source: Johnny1move

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