CLUELESS yet ECSTATIC!!

[HML]

I FINALLY got my gear all set up! Got the cartridges mounted into the headshells. Had a fit trying to get those tiny-ass wires onto those itty-bitty pins! :( Never realized how thick my fingers are, until now! lol... :rolleyes: Eventually got 'em all on without breaking anything. Double-checked to ensure I had the right color wires hooked to each pin. Made sure the cartridges were perfectly centered on the headshell. Adjusted the stylus overhang, using the gauge. Balanced the tone arm. Tracking force for my cartridges is 1 - 2 grams, so I set the stylus pressure control to 1 gram just to be on the safe side... Whew!! Nothing too complicated if you're good at following directions.

Hooked up the tables to the mixer, plugged my CD player to one of the mixers AUX inputs. Hooked up everything else. Plugged all components into a power strip. Rechecked all connections... Applied power. Turned everything on. No smoke or crackling noises. ;) Pulled my first record. Put it on the slipmat. Moments later I'm rockin' the hell outta my basement apt!!

Played with the mixer controls to get familiar with the different functions... Broke out my headphones to attempt my first blend!! :eek: You'll get no details from me... Let's just say it wasn't very pretty, let's say it was awful!! I have no idea what I'm doing!! LOL!!! icon_rofl.gif I have an even deeper respect for all the deejays because YO, this sh*t is not easy to do!! I couldn't even differentiate the cue/headset beats from the beats coming out of the speakers!! graemlins/conf44.gif Couldn't figure out how to match the pitch of the current record to the upcoming record. And I have no clue how to back cue to find the one count! graemlins/mecry.gif As the Isley Brothers said it "I Got Work To Do..." and plenty of it!!

On the positive, I was blown away by the sound fidelity of my turntables & records! Also, I'm very happy with most of the cuts I bought. There were a few "what-was-I-thinking-here" tracks. But, maybe they'll grow on me. graemlins/grinyes.gif I had fun setting everything up, and I'm excited to learn how to do this thing the right way...

Peace,
HML

[ September 21, 2003, 08:14 PM: Message edited by: HML ]

[däp]

interesting. congrats.

[JMJ]

Glad to hear you got everything set up OK. Now just take your time, learn your music, and HAVE FUN. All the technical stuff is gonna take awhile to learn. Try not to get too frustrated. Rome wasn't built in a day, you know. Enjoy......JMJ ;)

[HML]

Originally posted by t o r i n:
interesting. congrats. Thanks t o r i n! smile.gif

-HML

[HML]

Originally posted by JMJ:
Glad to hear you got everything set up OK. Now just take your time, learn your music, and HAVE FUN. All the technical stuff is gonna take awhile to learn. Try not to get too frustrated. Rome wasn't built in a day, you know. Enjoy......JMJ ;) Sincere thanks JMJ. I am having fun and it is very exciting to experience the music I love in a new way. You're right, I'm gonna have to find some patience. Its unrealistic to think I could mix perfectly after a few hours on the decks. I guess, because this is something I really want to be good at, I'm putting undue pressure on myself. I've gotta loosen up a little... http://deephousepage.com/smilies/coolgleamA.gif

-HML

[JMJ]

Originally posted by HML:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by JMJ:
Glad to hear you got everything set up OK. Now just take your time, learn your music, and HAVE FUN. All the technical stuff is gonna take awhile to learn. Try not to get too frustrated. Rome wasn't built in a day, you know. Enjoy......JMJ ;) Sincere thanks JMJ. I am having fun and it is very exciting to experience the music I love in a new way. You're right, I'm gonna have to find some patience. Its unrealistic to think I could mix perfectly after a few hours on the decks. I guess, because this is something I really want to be good at, I'm putting undue pressure on myself. I've gotta loosen up a little... http://deephousepage.com/smilies/coolgleamA.gif

-HML </font>[/QUOTE]True. You've got all the time in the world to learn. Put the music first......JMJ smile.gif

[kelvy]

What's going down! it sounds like you had major first-time jitters going down, but that happens to a lot of us including myself. and i especially hear you on matching the colors on the cartridge pins....i recently had to do that and i was so dumbfounded thinking that the cartridge i got would not fit....it took me an hour to get the cartridge somehow fitting right but it was done....

don't worry about getting the blends right...it will come with practice (nothing beats practice in all of this) before you go out spinning, get yourself in a relaxed mood where you're hungry for music..anything that will get you feeling relaxed as simple as smelling lavender/citrus scents, whatever works for you.

when you blend, you might want to precue the next record by setting the pitch control just a bit faster than the record currently playing and then make adjustments backward. once you're ready, let it go....for me, the golden rule is NEVER, NEVER let go of the pitch control! as you practice, you will start picking up when the incoming record starts "slipping away" and then you can adjust accordingly to keep the blend going...

enjoy the setup! take care:)

[HML]

Kelvster! Whaddup baby bruddah? :D Thanks for the solid advice and encouragement! Both are appreciated. smile.gif I can see its gonna take lotsa time and practice for me to make sense out of my new hobby... ;)

Peace,
HML

[AK]

Congrats HML. You have the spirit and the passion, the rest will come easily in time.

[HML]

Originally posted by AK:
Congrats HML. You have the spirit and the passion, the rest will come easily in time. Thanks a bunch for the kind words AK... Props to you for the way you work the wheels! Hoping someday to hold it down almost as well as you do! ;)

Peace,
HML

[ September 21, 2003, 08:44 PM: Message edited by: HML ]

[Daniel S]

Hey there Big Bruvva

It was about time you got to hit the decks... graemlins/respekt.gif A word of warning though; Turntables and mixing are highly addictive. Don't forget to spend some time with your friends and family once in a while, or else you might become as isolated as us computer geeks ;)

As far as I can tell you're very devoted to house music and you know what a mix should sound like, so there's no doubt in my mind that you'll be able to learn the basics pretty easily. I'm truly looking forward to hearing your first mix CD as well.

Take care and keep on rocking the decks

[Bill Blake]

I thought messing around with records would be an easy way to stay in touch with music when I quit playing bass.

I was wrong, tis just as hard, only in different ways.