5 Tips For No Skips | Skratch School

Having trouble with needles skipping while you're rocking your DJ sets?
In this video, Skratch Bastid shares his top 5 tips to prevent your needle from skipping while you're DJ'ing.

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Needles skipping is a problem all DJ's have to deal with. In order to prevent skips from interrupting your set, Skratch Bastid has outlined his top 5 tips:

1) Start by using a SOLID table. Make sure your turntables are also solid, with no loose parts.
2) Set your anti-skating to zero.
3) Find the correct tracking force for you and your setup.
4) Practise having a light touch on the platter.
5) Get to know your records: the physical differences & limitations of vinyl and how it affects scratching

[jmcjose]

another thing to mention which makes a big difference is to make sure your cartridge isn't sticking too far out from your headshell

[jorgegauthier]

Learned these things the hard way. Wish I had this video 25 years ago. Subscribed

[bboymac]

Wow thanx I was always told anti -skat at 3. No wonder my needle skips. Thank you scratch bastid!

[theadityamehta]

Thank you, Skratch Bastid!! So well explained and covered all points!! I now understand anti-skating. I've ensured a bunch of stuff you've covered here. The main takeaway for me is 3:25 onwards, i.e. having a light touch and not being heavy-handed at faster scratches. I'm gonna be mindful of keeping it light, easy and steady here onwards!!

[MsDJDaze]

I love your tutorials. lol. Thanks. I've been having trouble with skipping needles myself, so will definitely check to make sure all the above are covered.

[BocaNejra]

I'm curious on going deeper on the anti-skating to zero advice. You've mentioned you do that because you don't want any forces to affect the needle, but in fact when the anti-skating is to zero, you eliminate the counter-force that balances the natural tendence of the needle to travel towards the centre of the record (because of the inertia from the spinning record). So when you callibrate the anti-skating with a CD or blank vinyl record, you try to find the exact adjustment where the needle DOESN'T have any forces affecting the stylus and preventing it to move inside or outside the record. When you set the anti-skating to zero, you are favoring the inertia force and the record to travel into the centre, isn't it?

[djdeemz]

Best thing for center hole is a skin for rolling joints, cut them in half across the middle so it's not so long then use the sticky as a folding line and just fold them into a strip then use a bit of clear tape to tape each side down, these work perfectly and they pack down tight and don't wear away and you can customise thickness with folds

[jtoots]

Thanks SB, the sticker trick just solved my new dirt styles record. For the win!!

[musicforce]

Thank so much this I being looks fir a longtime

[upbeatoffbeat]

1000th like! This is amazing info! Thank God for Skratch Bastid!

[taurus_]

5:38 i had that issue with Shortkut's Training Wheels. I had to use the weighted 45 adapters on top

[reyzuna]

I use Audio Technica Stylus and i found it most stable when scratching even with vibrations. No skipping even with the hole on the vinyl is large making it to shake everywhere, it keeps track in the groove no matter what you do with your scratch and it's cheaper than m44-7

[Darksaige]

someone has finally abetted my question about the tone arm lol I had to just mess with it and figure it out in my own.

[kiddo]

Awesome tips. Thanks bro. Keep them coming.

[barrywatts]

Real enjoyed that video. I always have as much weight as possible. Taking my hand off the record for drops I sometimes make the needle jump. Thanks for the tips

[jasonkuy]

I normally use a blank record to set anti skate

[nankduggets]

You always have very helpful tips. Big up. Was wondering what stylus n cart you use now that shure is out of the market. I’m about to buy the jico versions, but was wondering about your and anybody else’s input. Ortofon?

[shemmy]

awesome video, the pressure on the vinyl has been giving me trouble. now i have an idea on how much pressure to put on the records when scratchings.

[vincestyles]

Hey is a great tip stop using needles and use phase most DJ’s don’t use vinyl anymore. I remember carrying crates into clubs what a nightmare I could never go back to that.

[nstokes]

yes I've started back to djing this year and I got one old school stylus that's never been used. Its sturdy but I scratch fast as hell and it skips. That annoys the hell out of me. I've had one needle that lasted a long time for years and it could take a pounding but its gone now. I might have to try that 23 degree angle next.