There is no need to desolder the wires coming from the tonearm. You also don't have to remove the height adjustment assembly. You can remove a couple of screws inside the tonearm assembly and only the tonearm assembly will drop out from the turntable. The braided wire coming from the tonearm has enough slack once you remove a screw holding it to the inside of the tonearm assembly, so that you can remove the small metal cover that is over the anti skate spring that needs to be replaced. Just be careful not to snap the thin wires by supporting the tonearm assembly once it comes loose. Also, don't cut or reshape the spring that is in there as a fix. It's too thin and weak and will simply fail again. Audio Technica is aware of this issue and can sell you a new, thicker, shorter spring for $1 plus shipping. I've done this and my anti skate now works perfectly.
I just remove the parts for easy doing my videos...about the spring I'm using the spring of the anti skating of my garrard... and one thing I've noticed is that the tone arm is not perfectly align that one of the problem that the anti skating is not working properly. I have CEC bd6000 and Pioneer pl-41a turntables anti skating set to zero still the tone arm is perfectly stable without movement I test it in a lazer disc very precise. thanks for the advise
@@lamkwokho6628 no specification on this one any anti skating spring of any turntables will do EXCEPT audio technica, as long as the spring will fit to the audio technica anti skating spring hub. and always take note this kind of troubleshooting is a " TRIAL AND ERROR". hope it helps you good luck....
@@lamkwokho6628 no specification but there are some who sells a spring in the internet just check ebay. But you can salvage a spring from any turntable as long as it fits there.
Woody, First of all, thank you for making this video. Your replacement spring is too long. You should not find necessary to move the adjustment knob all the way to the last number to make the tone arm stay still. Your cartridge tone arm weight is probably supposed to be around 2 to 3 and the anti-skate knob setting should be approximately the same value. In other words the tone arm should remain still when the anti-skate knob setting number matches the weight setting at the back of the tone arm. The right size spring will cause the anti-skate mechanism and knob adjustment to function properly.
yes some adjustments do like that the tracking force and anti skating has the same value example like tracking force at 1.5g so on the anti skating is at 1.5 settings...but some I do the adjustments in an actual observation I do the cantilever alignment to adjust my anti skating. my stylus cantilever is at center not to the left nor to the right...
For anyone watching this video now : If you purchased this turntable in 2021 or sooner, you have like a 95% chance that the problem is fixed. They changed the spring causing this problem years ago and newer models don't have this issue anymore. That is why all of the threads pertaining to this issue are from 2018 or older
@@Woodys_Hobbies Np woody, I actually read a little more into it, and my previous info could be more accurately explained. Any model with an "X" in the name is the updated version. (you can also check serial number if it starts with a 17 then it is the updated model) - they fixed the anti skate problem completely (I tested mine with an anti skate record) and they improved the pre-amp greatly. It'll be a nice peace of mind for anyone purchasing this great turntable now and seeing all of the older threads. Cheers!
Informative video. I just purchased a AT-LP1240USB-XP Edition. Anti-Skate appears somewhat weak on these units as well. I also have two AT/LP120x-USB decks. They have very strong anti-skate. One, I am selling on eBay, and the other, I’ll keep for parts. You wouldn’t happen to reside in the Southwestern section of IL? The rooster crowing in the background sounds identical to my neighborhood. :-)
Thanks a lot for this video! I managed to finally fix my audio technnica at 120 lp. I'd like to make a suggestion: it is not needed to unmout the heigth adjustment mecanism, and also it is not needed to unsold the wires. It you put the turntable over a box (like in the video) you will have ebough space to reach the spring and do the job.
Thank you for the video! I have always had the same problem with my anti-skate on my AT-LP120-USB turntable, and I thought I was doing something wrong. This is my first turntable and I'm still learning. I had people tell me that all sorts of things like my setup was not level, or my tonearm was at the wrong angle. I would double check all those things, and I still had problems with the anti-skate. Thank you for your video! I hope this will solve my problems once and for all!
Welcome you can try Ebay some guys there sell for parts. By the way I read a chat from a forum years ago if I'm not mistaken the audio-technica sell a spring for anti-skating try also the audio-technica site.
Thanks for the video, however, the best way to make an anti skate adjustment is to balance the arm in a horizontal position so _it doesn't touch the platter at all_ and then, adjust the anti scating setting. Ideally you will have the arm hovering in a horizontal plane and not moving inwards or outwards at all. This method eliminates any kind of friction that might affect the setting. In my LP120 the anti skate works perfectly since I bought it.
I tried it your way and i think you are correct. With the tonearm balanced and floating there is no resistance and the anti skating is reflected more accurately.
That is so much more work than someone should have to put in. Also, how many people have soldering skills and the tools to do it? I wouldn't think many. You couple that with having to properly mount and disassemble the rest of the table, and I just don't think a lot of kids or even young adults are going to do this process correctly without messing something up. It's just not worth it. Buy a used SL-1200 on EBay for about 50 to 100 dollars more.
Testing on a laser disc is "safe' for the stylus? I don't have any laser discs. I've seen videos where they use the back of a CD?? This is also safe for the stylus?
It is safe as long as you don't let the stylus run off the CD when the tonearm is being pulled inwards or outwards, otherwise when the stylus reaches the edge and the mat it will definitely damage it, so be ready to use the tonearm lifter before that happens
How long was this turntable on the market before Audio-technica realised they had a problem? Nearly all the reviews I've looked at have said the same thing, so this isn't just a one off with model!
Monty Dodge they fixed in 2017 and they sent new springs for the people who had that problem and they released the lp120x to fix all the problems that plagued the original.
@@demarcusp359 Then how is that classified as fixed??? It's not. They haven't fixed it. There's more videos surfacing about this problem. 10+ years, and they still haven't resolved this. What does that say about the company?
I always love when the force of the groove called skating which is supposed to be compensated by the anti skating device is calibrated by the means of a groove-less surface... what you get is a perfectly set anti skating for the groove-less LPs.. how many of those do you listen to...? :)
I just make an adoptor for lazerdisc.. lazerdics hole is smaller about 1mm. You can fabricate an adoptor or just use a dremel to sand off the hole of your disc.
I think the new spring you put in is still long because you need to move the knob almost as far as it will go (6 or 7). The correct thing is that the arm is not going to the center or to the outside edge at the 2 or 3 position on the knob. I had to do it several times, until the spring nu was so long.
Let this video be a lesson, a good technician doesn't need a fancy bench and all the expensive tools. Just a block of wood and a rooster is all that's needed !
I don't have a specific measurements of the spring. But the spring I'm using is salvaged parts from other turntables. I do some adjustments in the spring to fit and to have a right tension of the spring. Anyway you don't need to worry about spring I think the Audio-technica already selling anti skating spring. Try to search in online stores.
Just check on "online stores" I saw some articles saying that the replacement spring is now available. Because mine is just a salvage spring from my other turntables.
I've set everything up as its supposed to be. Tone arm balanced, weight set to 2, and then set the anti skate to 2 and then the tone arm swings outward when I lower the tone arm. What do I do? Very new to record players and records.
when it swings outward then adjust the anti skating...if your antiskating is 2 then adjust it to 1.5, 1, .5 or zero...Note that it doesnt mean if your tracking force is 2 do not set your anti skating to 2 adjust it to its desired position you can use lazer disc to adjust the anti skating...it must be stable at all points of the lazer disc maybe it swing to inner or outer a little bit but not all the way.
Right. AT no longer routes the Phono line through the internal pre-amp. My anti-skate also works fine. However, the turntable still drops the needle way too fast and I have to manually drop it.
I don't know the exact size buddy what I'm doing is just an eyeball technique I just compare the original stock spring and my replacement spring salvaged from other TT.
Interesting... apparently this works significantly different from Technics 1200 turntables... Inside the 1200 tonearms, there is a gear on the knob that turns a second gear, that turns a third gear at the center of the tonearm (vertical axis). Attached to the third gear is a spring that pushes against a vertical metal pin.
@@MrJake41234 It's a completely different pricerange, a new Technics is about 6 times as expensive, so it better be 6 times as good and durable! But the atlp120 is clearly an sl1200 clone, so I'd thought that they would've copied the internal components as well, but just made of cheaper polymers and with less precision casting instead of high precision lasercutting.
@@QoraxAudio Did I say anywhere that it wasn't? I simply said build quality is a huge difference, but 6 times as pricy???? What fantasy, candy land are you living in? Go to EBay you lazy, lazy, LAZY embarrassment of a thing, and take 10 minutes to scroll. What SL-1200 do you see that is 6 times as much? All I see is 350, 289, 450, 325, 500, 550, 330, and the vast list goes on, and many of those don't have one scratch, AND numerous listings are FREE shipping..... I really hate lazy, moronic trolls like you who give false information, to misdirect others to buy cheap Chinese crap that doesn't work right. Go join the midsommar cult, your brain is as wasted as theirs is.
@@MrJake41234 "All I see is 350, 289, 450, 325, 500, 550, 330" Let me guess, those are second hand units...? A second hand lp120 is about 40 to 80 dollars, so that's about 5 to 10 times cheaper. A new SL-1200 is at least 1k and above, depending on the model, except for the MK7. For example, I have an SL-1200G which is about 3 to 4k dollars depending on the retailer. A new MK2 is about 2k dollars and a new M5G is about 2k dollars as well.
@@QoraxAudio not all SL-1200's are 3, to 4k even new! The G series was a very limited edition. When you speak of the SL-1200 whether you mean the G series or not, people aren't going to read that, and they will automatically think SL-1200. It's the same table as the old ones, just modernized. Stop trying to find merit in your joke of an argument. "Ohhhh uhhhh I meant this one, not _second_ hand decks!!" What a dumbass.
thanks. about the spring i can't pin point exactly the spring specs I do this in a trial and error method. the only thing i can tell is where you can get a spring you can get it in some turntables with anti skating. but i think these days it has now an available market in this kind of turntable. i think audio technica these days are now selling this kind of spring just check on ebay and amazon or any online stores. hope it helps goodluck.
@@jsngallery Basic phono is two channel. Left and right. However, depending on the capabilities of your equipment, it will make some sort of surround sound. In order to achieve surround sound you must also have more than two speakers. I have a 5.1 receiver and 5.1 speaker system. 5.1 speakers consist of two front speakers, two rear speakers, a center channel speaker and a subwoofer. If you just want to listen to "old fashioned" vinyl records on a turntable then I recommend just a two speaker system with a subwoofer. Look all around the internet and you can find all kinds of speakers and receiver/amplifiers.
just go on ebay or audio technica sites. I just heard some of them can buy online but I don't know the specific site. But mine just salvage a spring from other turntables and just do a trial and error method that's what I do.
@@leandrodantasargentini626 no if you can buy it is always called replacement parts. no brand. But maybe but not quite sure if it has, I remember some post in online that audio technica has an available spring but sorry i forgot the link of it but maybe it has a brand its audio technica replacement spring.
What! You get zero anti-skate with the dial at maximum but your tracking weight is at a fraction of that reading. Clearly a very poor anti-skate design. Almost useless in fact. But then, behind the Audio Technica badge, is a very low price generic product.
Consider this, the stylus is intended to ride in the groove centered. If the anti skate is set either too much or too little then the stylus is going to put more pressure on the one groove wall and less on the other..
