Christmas tree and lights

[phillymatt53]

Matt, do you use sorbothane pads under your turntable to prevent the cartridge from picking up vibrations/feedback from the cabinet? In all the consoles that I have had, I trade out the ceramic cartridges for a magnetic cartridge + preamp and with the lower tracking forces they often skip or pickup feedback. I use sorbothane, but only get moderate attenuation of the vibrations. I am wondering how you solved the problem.

Well, Barry!.... I had no idea that you were/are into such console stuff too.
OK, here's the thing about consoles, and what I did to modify mine....

Yes, modifying the changer, and thus making it sensitive with a magnetic cartridge takes some design work.
My console's Garrard 3000 is a nice changer, and was designed with a light-tracking Pickering/Stanton magnetic cartridge, has a synchronous motor and a heavy cast platter.

The speakers, particularly the woofers, are in close contact with the changer and are going to be prone to feedback/distortion from cabinet vibrations.
That sorbothane isn't the answer in that case, because woofer vibrations travel all through the cabinet.

The answer to this problem is electronics...
Here's the only possible and effective solution....
There is a relatively simple electronic circuit called a Sallen-Key filter, installed after the RIAA preamp, and the main control preamp of the system.
It uses a pair of TL072 IC chips, one for each channel, for stereo.
A handful of small capacitors, and a couple resistors, built in a shielded little box the size of a pack of smokes, and of course using a small DC power supply.
This filter sharply filters out any frequencies below a given/designed frequency.
In my console, I designed it to "kill" or block any audio below 27Hz, which is just above where the annoying woofer vibrations start to shake the console and changer.
Because there's really nothing worth hearing "down that low" in frequency to worry about in the first place.
And the results are, absolutely no more feedback, even at loud volumes that shake the house windows.
It doesn't have any sonic effect on the music you would hear, there is still plenty of bass above 27Hz, because most bass that songs have is above that, around 30-40Hz and up to150Hz.
Initially, before I built the filter, the changer would visibly start shaking on it's spring mounts at fairly loud levels, skipping grooves, and those 12 inch woofers would "bottom out" and distort.
The additional benefit of the filter is eliminating that nasty rumbling, popping, and overloading the amplifier, which actually robs the amp of its power due to the stress on it.
So it's a win-win success and I'm pleased with the results.
I've even made another the Sallen-Key filter for my custom jukebox stored out in my garage. - the vintage "Golden Oldies 45" changer needed it.
That juke's got FOUR 10" woofers and a 200 watt amp!
It's used for outdoor BBQ's and neighborhood gatherings and gets cranked up sometimes. The neighbors a block away heard that thing during the 4th of July BBQ's.
That Jukebox was a labor of love, took me 3 years to finish from scratch.
I've got pics of it if anyone is interested.

 

[vacerator]

Yes Matt pic's please.
Many old consoles and receivers had low and high filter switches. I didn't like using them. Either too much treble filtered or bass.

 

[vintageteddy96]

Sirius XM watercolors channel and other Christmas music too . Wouldn't Sorbothane be considered snooty and snobby?
My sister and husband have two rooms of LP records and an inexpensive system. She says I'm a fidelity snob. McIntosh is out of my budget league.
My system is half new and half vintage.

The only time I'd talk crap about someones system was if it was a suitcase record player. They had they're time and place but were never Hi Fidelity by any means and usually have a crazy heavy tracking force.

 

[vintageteddy96]

Yes Matt pic's please.
Many old consoles and receivers had low and high filter switches. I didn't like using them. Either too much treble filtered or bass.

I agree, I'd like to see pics as well

 

[phillymatt53]

The only time I'd talk crap about someones system was if it was a suitcase record player. They had they're time and place but were never Hi Fidelity by any means and usually have a crazy heavy tracking force.

Ah, but there were a few "HiFi" portables that produced respectable performance.
I've serviced a customer's Sylvania portable that really impressed me for a portable.
It was a Sylvania "Exponent" model 440-2.
Garrard record changer w/magnetic cartridge, similar to the one in my console, fine quality robust amplifier, and air suspension speaker systems.

 

[phillymatt53]

Pics of my "homemade" custom jukebox - roll around casters - 200 watt amp - 4 10" woofers - 4 tweeters - CD player, - customized 1950s RCA Victor "45" player - sequential pilaster lights, 4-color frequency-activated lights - remote control of record changer and CD player, and a microphone input for making announcements or "sing along" sessions once the booze kicks in.

That large illuminated white panel across the front is for the list of 45's by number, stored in the numbered upper rack behind the turntable.. Pick 10 or 12 records, stack 'em on the changer, and let 'er rip!
Hold My Beer!

My neighbors at the 4th of July 2022 neighborhood BBQ


And shots during the building of this.....

 

[vacerator]

Very cool Matt

 

[phillymatt53]

Very cool Matt

Thank ya very much!

 

[reactor]

Ah, but there were a few "HiFi" portables that produced respectable performance.
I've serviced a customer's Sylvania portable that really impressed me for a portable.
It was a Sylvania "Exponent" model 440-2.
Garrard record changer w/magnetic cartridge, similar to the one in my console, fine quality robust amplifier, and air suspension speaker systems.

View attachment 321783

I have had two Sylvania consoles and both were probably the best built, quality-wise, of all my units (RCA, Westinghouse, and GE). Both were 1968 TOL, had air-suspension speakers with dome tweeters, a separated amplifier from the conttol panel, and came equipped with TOL (then) Garrard SL-95 record changer and magnetic cartridge...can't recall the brand cartridge, unfortunately. I eremver in the early nineties I had my fraternity brothers over to the house and many of them were commenting how cool the console was, especially the control panel. I thought it was great that these young guys appreciated technology that was about 25 years old at the time and console stereos were long a thing of the past.

 

[reactor]

Pics of my "homemade" custom jukebox - roll around casters - 200 watt amp - 4 10" woofers - 4 tweeters - CD player, - customized 1950s RCA Victor "45" player - sequential pilaster lights, 4-color frequency-activated lights - remote control of record changer and CD player, and a microphone input for making announcements or "sing along" sessions once the booze kicks in.

That large illuminated white panel across the front is for the list of 45's by number, stored in the numbered upper rack behind the turntable.. Pick 10 or 12 records, stack 'em on the changer, and let 'er rip!
Hold My Beer!

My neighbors at the 4th of July 2022 neighborhood BBQ
View attachment 321784

And shots during the building of this.....
View attachment 321785View attachment 321786View attachment 321787

How cool! What a great job on your jukebox, Matt....very impressive!!

 

[phillymatt53]

How cool! What a great job on your jukebox, Matt....very impressive!!

Thank you sir!

 

[phillymatt53]

I hope this quick jukebox video is viewable to others.
It doesn't do justice, since it was taken with a "smartphone" in my garage.


View attachment JukeMod.mp4

 

[vintageteddy96]

Pics of my "homemade" custom jukebox - roll around casters - 200 watt amp - 4 10" woofers - 4 tweeters - CD player, - customized 1950s RCA Victor "45" player - sequential pilaster lights, 4-color frequency-activated lights - remote control of record changer and CD player, and a microphone input for making announcements or "sing along" sessions once the booze kicks in.

That large illuminated white panel across the front is for the list of 45's by number, stored in the numbered upper rack behind the turntable.. Pick 10 or 12 records, stack 'em on the changer, and let 'er rip!
Hold My Beer!

My neighbors at the 4th of July 2022 neighborhood BBQ
View attachment 321784

And shots during the building of this.....
View attachment 321785View attachment 321786View attachment 321787

That's awesome!

 

[phillymatt53]

That's awesome!

And I thank you too!

 

[circlew]

Most of the Christmas albums I have are compilations, mainly on CD. On vinyl I have the Brady Bunch Christmas, one with various seasonal hits from Decca and Capitol. The most unique is the 1958 Ruth Lyons "Ten Tunes of Christmas", that my mom bought when I was 3 years old. I also have the CD version issued about 25 years ago, which also includes the contents oh her 1962 album.

Strangely enough, we never had the Bing Crosby recording of "White Christmas" when I was a kid. My mom had bought the 1944 Frank Sinatra version when they bought a record player in 1947, as she liked Frank better. I also have it on a Sony Columbia CD. After I got out of school, I bought a 45 of Bing's 1947 recording. Several years ago I bought his "Voice of Christmas" CD, which includes both the original 1942 hit, plus the later rerecording. It has every Christmas and Winter season record he made on the Decca label. A few others I have are on 45s and 78s.

 

[phillymatt53]

Most of the Christmas albums I have are compilations, mainly on CD. On vinyl I have the Brady Bunch Christmas, one with various seasonal hits from Decca and Capitol. The most unique is the 1958 Ruth Lyons "Ten Tunes of Christmas", that my mom bought when I was 3 years old. I also have the CD version issued about 25 years ago, which also includes the contents oh her 1962 album.

Strangely enough, we never had the Bing Crosby recording of "White Christmas" when I was a kid. My mom had bought the 1944 Frank Sinatra version when they bought a record player in 1947, as she liked Frank better. I also have it on a Sony Columbia CD. After I got out of school, I bought a 45 of Bing's 1947 recording. Several years ago I bought his "Voice of Christmas" CD, which includes both the original 1942 hit, plus the later rerecording. It has every Christmas and Winter season record he made on the Decca label. A few others I have are on 45s and 78s.

Tom, I have a download of Ruth Lyon's "Have a merry merry merry Christmas"
Partly because it's a campy old tune, and it's also featured in John Waters cult movie "Female Trouble" with "Divine" after "she" beats up her parents on Christmas day and runs into the woods getting molested by a stranger.
John Waters loved his "vintage" music in a lot of his movies.
In fact, I have his CD "A John Waters Christmas"!

 

[circlew]

Tom, I have a download of Ruth Lyon's "Have a merry merry merry Christmas"
Partly because it's a campy old tune, and it's also featured in John Waters cult movie "Female Trouble" with "Divine" after "she" beats up her parents on Christmas day and runs into the woods getting molested by a stranger.
John Waters loved his "vintage" music in a lot of his movies.
In fact, I have his CD "A John Waters Christmas"!

View attachment 321796

I have "Merry, Merry Christmas", which was recorded by Ruby Wright in 1957, on a 45, a 78, the 1958 album, and the CD. The other side of the single is Ruby's recording of "Let's Light the Christmas Tree". She was the best singer on the "Ruth Lyons 50-50 Club" show. For those not familiar with Ruby Wright, she was married to bandleader Barney Rapp. Rapp performed at the Pavilion Nightclub in Cincinnati's Netherland Plaza Hotel, and Ruby was his singer. When she was expecting their daughter in 1939, he hired 17 year old Doris Kappelhoff as her replacement. Her last name didn't fit the marquee well, so he suggested she use the name Day instead. So he was the person responsible for her famous name.