Is there anything more annoying than your record skipping? I hate it and I mean hate it when I am listening to a record and it skips. I hate it for two reasons. One is that it is so jarring when you are trying to listen to some of your favorite tunes, but also, I know that I might have a problem on my hands!
When your turntable skips on the inner tracks, you do not want to just throw it in the trash! We have looked before about what you can do when your turntable skips however, it never hurts to revisit this situation and see if we can get your record player working as smoothly as possible.
These are a few basic tips and tricks that you can try and do to stop your record player skipping so you can rock on the way that God intended!
Check Your Turntable Is Level!
You may think that ensuring your turntable is level is not that big a deal and what difference can have your turntable not be fully flat really make? Well, it can cause all kinds of problems and it is always the thing that I will suggest people try and look at before they start doing anything more drastic. Thankfully, this is something that is very easy to check.
If your turntable is drastically not level, chances are you will be able to see it with your eyes and not have to really use any “technology” to check. If your records are skipping, getting a cheap spirit level and placing it on the actual turntable will let you know how level it is. If it is really unlevel, play around and get it as level as you can do. It is pretty easy to do and playing with the feet or using something to prop up the unit it is standing on can make it easy.
The Sensitivity Of your Anti-Skate!
Next up we are going to look at anti-skate! You may think that anti-skate sounds like it would only be on the more expensive record players, but most record players have anti-skate. Even those such as this ION Audio Max LP – Vinyl Record Player which is only about 100 bucks has it. Usually, the anti-skate is a little dial that is located near where the arm is. You can play around with this to see if the anti-skate is causing any kind of issue that is making your records skip.
Some record players do have anti-skate built in without a dial so that might be something to watch for. It is also worth noting that I have seen more than a few record players over the years that refer to it as simply “arm adjustment” either way, have a mess around with it and see if that fixes any issue it is having.
Is The Cartridge Aligned Properly?
If the cartridge on your turntable is not aligned properly then it very well could be what is causing your records to be skipping on the outer tracks. I know that to someone rather new to the hobby, aligning your cartridge sounds like it would be a nightmare and very complicated, but it is not too bad. There are many video guides that will take you through it, each step of the way.
Also, if you are getting into vinyl one accessory that I highly recommend you add to your “collection” is some kind of alignment protractor. If you have a look on Amazon there is a great selection, I found this Hudson Hi-Fi Turntable Cartridge Alignment Protractor Mat which is currently being sold for under 15 bucks, but if you shop around you can find them cheaper. Hell, you can even download them online and print them off, but I am not sure how great that would be.
Do You Need A New Cartridge?
Ok, so as we are talking about the cartridge, it is worth mentioning that you need to make sure you have attached it correctly and securely. If the cartridge is connected securely and you have made sure that it is aligned properly, you will then want to consider that it could be time to look into getting a new cartridge.
To be honest, I know this sounds like you are going to have to spend a lot of money, but getting a new cartridge can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. We have looked at many different turntable cartridges on the site and they are at all ends of the pricing spectrum. It could also be a case where it is the stylus has worn down, so getting a replacement stylus may be something to consider.
Are Your Records Clean?
I am pretty OCD when it comes to the condition of my vinyl and something, I love to do is spend ages making sure they are clean all the while listening to some tunes of course. Well, if your records are dirty, this dirt can get on the stylus and this can be what is causing your record player to be misbehaving!
A device such as this Anti Static Carbon Fiber Vinyl Record Brush is a great way to keep the grooves of your records nice and clean and it only costs around 15 bucks. You can also get stuff like this Record Roller by Vinyl Vac Complete 4-in-1 Record Cleaning Kit! which gives you many different items to help you keep your record collection clean.
A Strong Foundation
We already talked about making sure that your turntable is nice and level. The place that you have your record player sitting can actually make a pretty big difference to how level it is. My brother in law who I purchased a turntable for just slapped his down on a shelf which looked like it had been put up by a drunk dude it was so unlevel!
You can get some pretty cool record player stands such as this 2-Tier Modern Matte Black Lattice Style Metal Turntable and Vinyl Record Storage Organizer Table Stand which gives you a flat surface to put your record player on and it also gives you a little bit of storage to store some of your records to which is pretty cool.
