STANTON ST.150 Super High Torque Turntables

BRAND NEW DESIGN FOR 2005!!

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Tone Arm & Cartridge Settings

The major cause of problems in sound and skipping on the vinyl is the lack of proper set-up of the needle and turntable adjustments. The needle is designed to operate at a specific angle to the vinyl. The commonly used 'S-Arm' turntable has several adjustments to correctly position the needle to the vinyl.

1. The first adjustment is the correct installation of the cartridge. Your Stanton cartridge is to be mounted into the headshell as per the mounting instructions included with every cartridge. The 500, 680 and 890 series of cartridges require the use of the two screw mounting into the headshell. For your convenience, these products can be purchased already mounted and per-adjusted from your local Stanton dealer. If you are using these 1/2" mounted products with a headshell in a mobile application or you are doing heavy scratching, you might benefit by using the extra shell weight provided. Once you have installed your cartridge into the headshell. The Master series of products are designed with their own mounting that eliminates the need for a separate headshell and the wiring to the cartridge. The body of the cartridge should be parallel with the centerline of the headshell-tonearm, when viewed from the front to the back.

2. The second adjustment is at the installation of the cartridge-headshell assembly into the tonearm tube lock. Holding the tone arm tube in one hand, insert the cartridge-headshell into the tube lock with the other hand. Turn the lock ring clockwise (when viewed from the rear) until the headshell is locked tightly into the tonearm. Remove the needle protector from the cartridge and place the needle on a record. View the needle from the front and insure that the needle is perpendicular to the record surface. If some adjustment is needed, simply loosen the lock ring and rotate the cartridge-headshell until the needle is perpendicular to the record surface. Then re-tighten the lock ring. See fig. 1

3. The third adjustment is the needle (or stylus) pressure. Start with the cartridge-headshell assemble mounted into the tone arm. Remove any needle protectors provided. With the tone arm free, adjust the tone arm counterweight by rotating the rear section until the tone arm floats in a balanced condition above the record or mat.See fig. 2 and 3.

    

Do not allow the needle to drop onto the mat or the turntable platter during this adjustment. You might damage the needle tip. Now, carefully hold the tonearm in one hand while rotating the numbered ring on the front of the counterweight with the other hand to the "o" setting. Next, without touching the numbered ring, rotate the rear counterweight until the desired needle pressure reading is next to the line on top of the tonearm tube.See fig. 4.

4. The forth adjustment is the anti-skate adjustment. If you are using the turntable for playback or recording only, then set the anti-skate adjustment to the same number as the needle pressure setting. If you are using the turntable for back cueing, scratching or other record manipulation, then set the anti-skate setting to "0".See fig. 3.

5. The fifth and last adjustment is that of the tonearm height. This will set the tonearm pivot and needle relation with the vinyl. Unlock the tonearm base located in the base of the pivot assembly. Rotate the height adjust ring in the pivot base to read the correct setting for the height of the cartridge that you are using. Check the cartridge/arm height table for the correct setting. Be certain to re-lock the pivot base when adjustment is completed. See fig. 5.

The above are correct tone arm settings when using a Stanton cartridge on a standard 'S-Arm' turntable. Please make certain that the tone arm is balanced to float horizontal above the platter at "0" setting before dialing in the desired correct stylus pressure.

Note ://STR8 Series TT

Settings for Stanton STR8 series of Turntable

The Stanton STR8 series of turntables are designed specifically for the scratching DJ. Due to the special straight line tone arm, they do not have an antiskate control setting. They do not have a tone arm height adjustment. You do not have to make any settings for antiskate or tone arm height. Please follow all other instructions as below.

Manufacturer recommended settings for optimum performance with Stanton Cartridges:

500 series:
500.V3, 505.V3, 520.V3

"0" antiskate setting
"1" tone arm height setting without headshell weight;
"2" if using extra weight
2 to 5 grams stylus pressure setting.

600 series:
680.V3, 680E.V3

"0" antiskate setting
"4" tone arm height setting without headshell weight;
"5" if using extra weight
2 to 5 grams stylus pressure setting.

890 FS

"0" antiskate setting
"4" tone arm height setting without headshell weight;
"5" if using extra weight
2 to 5 grams tonearm weight for SA
1 to 3 grams tonearm weight for RM

Master series:
Groovemaster.V3

"0" on the antiskate
"0" on the tonearm height adjustment
2 to 5 grams on the stylus pressure adjustment

Trackmaster.V3

"0" on the antiskate "0" on the tonearm height adjustment 4 to 5 grams on the stylus pressure adjustment

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The following is a list of frequent problems regarding turntables, their possible causes, and solutions.

No Power
Motor or platter not turning
Hum in output
Audio output level is very low
Audio output level is ver high
No audio output, audio cuts in and out or only audio from one side
Digital output not working
Cartridge Skipping
Audio feedback

Problem: Audio output level is very low.
Possible Cause: Incorrect output connections.	Solution: If an analog turntable is being used then make sure that it is connected to the PHONO input on the mixer or stereo system. Use a pre-amp to connect the turntable to, if no PHONO input is available. If a digital turntable is being used then check that the PHONO / LINE switch is set to the LINE position if connected to the LINE input on the mixer or stereo system.

Problem: Audio output level is very high.
Possible Cause: Incorrect output connections..	Solution: If a digital turntable is being used then check that the PHONO / LINE switch is set to the PHONO position if connected to the PHONO input on the mixer or stereo system.

Problem: No audio output, audio cuts in and out or only audio from one side.
Possible Cause: Dirty stylus, worn or faulty stylus or cartridge.	Solution: Try cleaning stylus tip with a stylus cleaner (such as Stanton's SC4). Isolate and replace the defective stylus or cartridge
Possible Cause: Loose cartridge or headshell connections.	Solution: Check cartridge connections to headshell wires, making sure that the colored wires don't have any breaks and are connected to the respective cartridge pins
Possible Cause: Oxidation or dirt build up on 4 pins in the toneam that make contact to the headshell.	Solution: Clean the 4 pins using a pencil head eraser and then with some rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip

Problem: Digital output not working.
Possible Cause: Incorrect output connections.	Solution: Make sure to connect the turntable's SPDIF digital output to a computer sound card or stand alone CD recorder that has the same single SPDIF or coaxial input.
Possible Cause: Digital recorder or sound card spec don't match.	Solution: Make sure the recorder or sound card specs match the specs of the turntable's digital output: 44.1kHz sampling rate, 16 bit word size, PCM format.
Possible Cause: Wrong digital cable used.	Solution: Only use a SPDIF or coaxial type digital cable with a 75ohm load.

Problem: Cartridge skipping.
Possible Cause: Incorrect tonearm and cartridge setup.	Solution: Properly setup tonearm and cartridge settings as specified in turntable owners manual or cartridge setup instructions.
Possible Cause: Worn out or damaged stylus.	Solution:Replace the defective stylus with a new one.
Possible Cause: Dirty, worn or scratched records.	Solution: Clean records using a vinyl cleaner (such as Stanton's VC1). Use records with little or no wear or scratches
Possible Cause: Turntable not level.	Solution: Make sure turntable is placed on a sturdy and flat level surface.

Problem: Audio feedback.
Possible Cause: Turntable to close to speakers.	Solution: Face speakers away from turntable or move turntable away from speakers signal wave path.

REVIEWS:

BY JASON BLUM

Remix, Feb 1, 2004

With the number of turntables hitting the market these days, you'd think that garage bands have been replaced by bedroom DJs. The old adage “Everybody wants to be a DJ” has never been more true than it is now, and old-school jam sessions are rapidly giving way to 21st-century journeys by DJs in bedrooms around the world.

Although some who grew up playing in garage bands may chafe at the idea of DJs as musicians, you'd have to be blind not to notice the meteoric rise of vinyl jocks in the music industry. This new breed of artist is here to stay, and DJs have at least one undisputable trait in common with traditional axe grinders: an insatiable lust for hot new gear. Just a few years ago, when DJing was a fledgling science, many choices in gear were clear for DJs — but none was so crystal as which turntable to buy. It was hardly even a question: Technics SL-1200MK2 decks have been the standard since their introduction in 1978, and there's scarcely a club open in the civilized world that doesn't have at least one pair in the booth. Conventional wisdom said buy them; practice on them; you can't go wrong with the best.

At least, that's what everyone used to think. Manufacturers sniffing out profits in this burgeoning sector of the music industry flooded the market in the late 1990s with hundreds of new models. This made the deck-buying decision far more difficult for the average DJ. Technics 1200s were often terribly expensive in comparison to these new turntables, but they managed to easily hold their own against early knockoffs by manufacturers like Numark, Vestax and Stanton. It didn't take long for those latecomers to get their ducks in a row, though, and now Stanton has upped the ante for pro DJs with the introduction of the STR8-150. This baby sports all of the basics of the classic 1200 along with a grip of nifty extras, and although Stanton's new flagship turntable probably won't defeat the inertia that's kept Technics at the top of the heap for years, it trumps the SL-1200 in just about every department.

THE FIRST SPIN
One of the most telling factors about a turntable's quality is weight. A heavy, solid turntable is generally more resistant to feedback and offers durability in the less-than-optimal conditions that usually exist in nightclubs (and many aspiring DJs' bedrooms). The STR8-150 tips the scales at a hefty 36 pounds — a full 10 pounds heavier than the Technics SL-1200M3D. With that kind of weight, you won't want to haul this deck around too much, but I was left with the feeling that if it were used in a mobile situation, its solid construction would hold up beautifully.

The turntable's all-steel construction is clad in a sleek graphite-gray enamel, and all of the LEDs are that cool, deep blue that's becoming popular on gear these days. The tonearm is straight, a feature that reduces skipping during scratching and back cueing. I was a bit disappointed to find that the STR8-150's tonearm is fixed and can't be swapped for an S-shape tonearm. However, Stanton does offer the ST.150, which has essentially the same guts as the STR8-150 with an S-shape tonearm attached.

The STR8-150's rear panel sports a wide range of connectors that are rarely seen on the average turntable. As expected, a pair of standard RCA phono outputs is provided for basic connectivity to DJ mixers. But the similarities end there: Also included are a pair of RCA line outputs for connection to inputs that don't have phono preamps, as well as a S/PDIF jack for hooking up the deck to digital mixers or directly into digital recording devices like DAT players and computer soundcards. A switch between the phono and line outputs selects which output is active. There's also a power switch on the back panel; this is a bit of a departure from the top-mounted rotary on/off switches on other decks. All of the STR8-150's cables, including the power cable, are removable and replaceable — a major improvement upon fixed cables.

Included in the box along with the turntable is one slipmat and a bag containing the detachable power cord, RCA audio cables and a removable target light. I was pleasantly surprised to find a 680HP cartridge in there, too. The box literally contains everything you need — sans mixer — to get up and running right away.

TONEARM GEOGRAPHY
Anyone familiar with the average DJ turntable will immediately feel at home with the STR8-150. Standard features are located in their usual positions: pitch control at the far right, platter speed and start/stop on the left and a target light to the bottom right of the platter to provide stylus illumination. The similarities end there, though, and that's where the fun begins.

The STR8-150 sports three extra buttons and two tiny dials at the bottom right that control pitch range, key correction, platter reverse and platter start/brake time. The usual round on/off switch present on other decks is here on the STR8-150, as well, but on this unit, it's solely used to control the motor. Switching this off won't kill the deck — a good thing because the STR8-150's line output requires constant power — rather, it simply turns off the motor, allowing the platter to spin down naturally.

Scratch artists will be pleased to find a second platter Start/Stop button located at the top left of the STR8-150. Club DJs probably won't get much use out of this, but it's perfect for battle setups, as the button is at a far more accessible location when rotated 90 degrees to battle style.

The buttons are all logically placed and well-spaced. I occasionally brushed over them with my wrist while riding the pitch control, but I never inadvertently triggered one, and before long, I was accustomed to their location. The two dials for start and brake times are a little small and difficult to manipulate on the fly, but the fact that this parameter can be accessed quickly from the front panel and not through some digital display is a bonus in itself.

READY TO PLAY
Hooking up the STR8-150 was simple, perhaps even more so than with other turntables. There's not much to do: Plug in the power, connect the outputs and go. The turntable is self-grounding, so there's no flimsy ground wire to fumble with. This is great in principle because those ground wires tend to clutter things and seem to get chewed up awfully easily, but you'll have to take care where you plug in the STR8-150. When I first set up the turntable, I connected the power to a different circuit than my mixer and was greeted with a nasty hum. Bummer! For days, I thought I'd have to send the deck back, but I experimented a bit more and found that the hum disappeared when I plugged it in to the same outlet as my mixer. That's not a big deal, but something to be aware of when planning your setup — and something that could have been resolved with a simple ground wire.

Aside from that minor issue, the STR8-150 is an absolute pleasure to use. The turntable boasts one of the most powerful motors in the industry, spitting out a whopping 4.5 kg of torque per centimeter. What does this mean to you? It means that this table has raw power under the hood — it starts and stops on a dime, and the platter's speed is far more resistant to finger pressure than other turntables. Speeding up and slowing down the platter manually takes a little more effort than with a 1200, and the platter snaps back to speed rapidly. I found that this quick response enabled me to be more detailed and accurate with my mixes. This deck is so powerful, you can stop the platter with your finger, release it and then watch it zip back to full speed immediately — incredible. Sonically, the deck is clean, and I wasn't able to detect any noticeable difference between the sound quality from the line and phono outputs. The signal path is top-notch throughout.

SKIP RESISTANCE
The sheer power and control offered by the platter is a boon for scratch DJs, but add the virtually skip-proof straight tonearm, and you have a dream machine for jocks who like to handle their vinyl. Having used and abused this turntable for nearly a month with heavy and lightweight vinyl, I can safely say that short of knocking it over, the deck is nearly skip-proof. Of course, there are always extenuating circumstances that can cause skippage — groove damage, unstable surfaces, warped records and so on — but when it comes to scratching, the STR8-150 took everything I could throw at it like a champ and asked for seconds.

The STR8-150's skip resistance is particularly noteworthy to scratch DJs who add extra weight to their headshells. Although that extra stylus pressure certainly does help keep the needle in the groove, it also drastically increases cue burn and wears out records quickly. The STR8-150's straight tonearm goes a long way toward helping to alleviate this problem. Even with the needle set to the manufacturer's lightest recommended tracking weight, I was still hard-pressed to skip it under even the most demanding circumstances. This is good news for your favorite records!

BONUS FEATURES
As a club DJ, I didn't find myself using the STR8-150's extra features too extensively; nonetheless, I was happy to have the tools there. The adjustable start and brake times were particularly fun to play with. Each can be set between 0.2 and 6 seconds, offering lightning-fast response at the bottom of its range and slow, smooth pitch bends at the top. They are both analog controls, so figuring out exactly how to dial in the right sound takes a little practice, but it didn't take me long to work both into my mixing.

The key-correction facility is showing up more and more on modern turntables. It's a bit of a misnomer — it doesn't really correct anything at all; rather, it just keeps the pitch of the record constant while adjusting the tempo. The pro-audio world calls this time compression/expansion or time stretching. The basic concept is chopping audio into thousands of little pieces and moving them closer together or farther apart, depending on whether the tempo is increasing or decreasing. This is tricky business, and it's hard to do well, so it's no surprise that the time stretching in the STR8-150 isn't exactly world-class. It's passable when working with pitch ranges of ±3 percent or so, but when I pushed it beyond that, the timing of tracks became unstable and the result was unmusical. The coolest way to use key correction is as an effect: Set the pitch control to ±50 percent, and kick the pitch all the way down for some interesting sounds.

The other features are nice additions to a DJ's arsenal of effects. The Reverse switch does exactly that, toggling the direction of the platter in about a third of a second. A 78 rpm mode can be accessed by depressing the 33 and 45 buttons together, which is perfect if you're keen on dropping any vintage Johnny Cash in your set or when +50 percent at 33 or 45 rpm just isn't enough!

CLOSING TIME
The STR8-150 is a sweet deck, but is it worth the eye-popping $999 list price? That, of course, is up to you. Luckily, however, street prices have been clocking in at a little less than half that, which puts it directly in competition with the Technics SL-1200 series. If you can score one for that price, you'll be getting a turntable with superior features for a comparable price.

As a die-hard 1200 user, I really wanted to find fault with the STR8-150, but there just isn't much about the unit to dislike. It has a few annoying quirks, like the lack of a ground wire and no dust cover, but neither affects the performance of this rock-solid workhorse. The sound quality is great; the construction is top-quality through and through; and it takes virtually an act of God to skip the tonearm. The multitude of benefits offered by the STR8-150 makes it a superior choice for professional DJs and club installations alike. If you demand nothing but the best and can afford top-of-the-line gear, the STR8-150 fits the bill and won't disappoint.

Product Summary STANTON STR8-150
Pros: Solid construction. Virtually skip-proof. Powerful high-torque motor. Adjustable start/brake times. Three selectable pitch ranges as high as ±50 percent. Phono, line and S/PDIF digital outputs. Reverse button. 680HP cartridge included.

Cons: Fixed tonearm. No ground wire. Time-compression algorithm a bit sketchy. No dust cover.

Broadcast with the prior written permission of PRIMEDIA (www.remixmag.com)

DJ MAG REVIEW:

The predecessors to Stanton’s new ST.150 series decks (the ST-100s) were pioneering products and amongst the first turntables to offer a decent challenge to the ubiquitous Technics 1210s. However, they lacked the sturdy build quality of Technics and fell behind the competition quite quickly. Stanton quickly focussed their energies again, and have returned with a ‘no nonsense’ update to the original design, aiming this time to create the sturdiest, most durable and powerful product available.

In the competitive high-end DJ turntable marketplace, it’s only been a matter of months since Citronic released the PD45 Ultima, which featured the highest strength motor in the business. But these new models from Stanton have already caught up and are offering the same; a massive 4.5 kilograms of torque per square cm.

This is combined with a new heavy-duty steel construction, a highly stable platter and tone-arm design and improvements to the digital innovations found on the previous range. So, yet another contender for the coveted honour of top dog?

Design

The ST.150 and STR8-150 (the difference is only in the choice of a straight or traditional s-shaped tone arm) come in either blue or grey enamel finishes. The top of the unit is very clean and free of clutter. No internal parts, apart from the motor magnet, can be seen with the platter off. It’s also immediately obvious from picking the deck up that it’s made of some pretty tough materials. The top case is solid steel and the base is made from an extremely tough rubber. The enamel finish is very en vogue these days, it’s similar to that of the new Technics Mark 5G and looks pretty cool. The brake and start adjustment dials could have used better, more attractive dials, but the way all the controls are laid out is discrete and not too confusing. The lack of any display or excessive controls purposefully allows the DJ to concentrate on the performance rather than the set up. The buttons on the Stanton feel like they will last and look good with their accompanying blue light. There are duel start/stop buttons for convenient use in both the traditional and battle positions.

The tone arm construction actually looks sexy, (sorry, but it’s true). Comparing it next to other decks highlights the fact that there have been some serious efforts put into this series. The base of the arm sits firmly in the body of the deck and can be fully adjusted in all the ways DJs are used to. Plus, with a choice of either s-shaped (ST.150) or the more scratch-friendly straight design (STR8-150), all styles of DJing are covered.

Most DJs seem to stick to a certain playing style, even when using different music, so with the right choice of model made, you have a deck for life. It is however a shame that-unlike with Numark ’s TTX1 model-club owners or DJ collectives do not have the facility to interchange between straight or traditional tone arms on the same unit.

Torquing Sense

Even for pro DJs, using a new deck can take a bit of getting used to. For example, playing for the first time on a pair of 1210s after learning to mix on a cheap pair of belt drives can almost be like learning all over again. But for most DJs, an increase in quality and motor strength is the logical progression for better and more accurate mixing. So with this theory on board, Stanton and Citronic have chosen to take this approach when designing their ultimate decks. The motor on the 150 is extremely powerful, almost three times as strong as the 1210. This makes using features, such as reverse, and performing some complicated or rough scratch moves far more accurate.

Key Correction

For those who are unfamiliar with this digital feature, the key correction facility locks the musical key of both line and phono outputs to the zero percent mark. Therefore vocals and melody don’t change key as the DJ increases or decreases the pitch to the right speed for a mix. The quality of this facility has been notably improved over previous attempts (both by Stanton and other companies), but make no mistake, this process still degrades the sound at extreme pitch bends. It is currently difficult to produce realistic results at extreme pitch percentages without the use of technology in the range of £4000. However, the on-board facility is certainly usable to a certain extent within the standard 8% range.

Key correction works by basically chopping up the sound into thousands of pieces either spread out or squashed together depending on direction of the pitch adjust. This causes some short sounds to appear doubled up, at sub 12%. On the other hand, taking the pitch higher produces more natural sounding effect to pitches as high as 14%, which is still the most that anyone is generally likely to need.

Outputs

After testing some of the other new high-end turntables recently, we have become used to the convenience of non-grounded turntables. The Stanton is another example of this new breed and can plug straight into a mixer without needing those nuisance little grounding wires that always seem to be braking and getting lost if you move the decks around a lot. This also brings us on to the joys of detachable cables. The back of the ST/STR8-150 houses a small recess for power and audio connections and a switch to select either the standard phono level (straight from the needle) or the amplified line level output (as on CD players). The key correction facility only works with a line level connection. There is also a digital output (S/PDIF) for handily plugging straight into your CD-R or computer sound card.

Extra Features

The two dials for brake and start adjust are located at the front of the deck and stick out slightly from the unit. They are not retractable by pressing, but are low enough to avoid an accidental adjustment. The less moving parts there are, the less there is to go wrong, so this is a good thing.

Turntablists are the most common DJ to use this feature to its full extent. Used carefully it can add a very subtle trademark to a performance and can make new and interesting scratch moves possible. Reverse play is also engaged from a button on the front, as is pitch select to +/-8%, +/-25% and +/-50% and a new, removable target light. Curiously though, the pitch bend buttons from the earlier 100 models have been removed from the new design.

Both new models come with a Stanton 680HP cartridge mounted on a headshell included as standard. This is very handy for getting up and running with the minimum of fuss.

Conclusion

The overall design is very clean and we challenge anyone to find a heavier and more feedback-resistant DJ turntable. The motor is as powerful as it gets today and, regardless of what anyone says about different torque levels, we find the step up in torque reassuring and easy to get used to (stepping down in torque is another story). Any DJ worth their salt should really be able to adjust to the new feel before bringing in their first mix.

The tone arm is one of the most highly engineered and well-structured designs we have seen, but it does seem a shame to restrict the user to making a decision on straight or s-shaped tone arms at the time of purchase. For the scratch DJs, we have found no sturdier deck for the abuses of our enthusiastic scratch test.

The ST/STR8-150 is undeniably a superior turntable to the recently upgraded Technics Mark 5G, while attractively also costing around £50 less for a pair. Every major DJ equipment manufacturer now has some serious contenders in their range to take Technics’ scalp, but 1210s remain notoriously enduring and popular. It will be interesting to see if this new offering from Stanton is the one to finally change the status quo.

STANTON WARRANTY INFORMATION:

To initiate a warranty repair, you must contact Stanton directly at www.stantondj.com

Stanton assumes no risk and shall be subject to no liability for damages or loss resulting from the specific use or application made of the merchandise. Stanton's liability for any claim, whether based on breach of contract, negligence, infringement of any rights of any party, or product liability, and relating to the merchandise shall not exceed the price received by Stanton from your purchase of such merchandise. In no event will Stanton be liable for any special, incidental or consequential damages (including loss of use, loss of profit and claims of third parties) however caused, whether by the negligence of Stanton or otherwise. To the extent permitted by law and except as otherwise provided above, Stanton disclaims any express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

Please register your product online at www.stantondj.com or mail your completed warranty card to:

Stanton Magnetics, Inc, 3000 SW 42 St. Hollywood, Florida 33312.

To request a Return Authorization/Repair:
Email: returns @ stantongroup.ws
Fax: 954.316.1590