Unipivot vs Linear Tracking

loved the "Versa" It sounded very good, but it almost never got through an LP without sticking, or something like that.

Humidity in the air would condense due to the high pressure in the Gast aircraft compressor used in the Versa pump. When this humidity filled the air lines it clogged the bearing and sometimes (literally) even dripped condensation (water drops) onto the LP from the air bearing surface. Obviously this is when it would stick.

The Air Tangent did not have this problem, nor did the Walker. Lots of factors go into each of these designs and even though I can still "hear" each one in my head, there are good and bad about each.

THK has a patented linear motion slide that is the perfect size for a linear tracker, has low sticktion and guaranteed no bearing slop. All one would have to do is put gimbled bearing and an arm tube, and...

I've stayed in the amp side of the business for a reason :)

08-01-08: Atmasphere
THK has a patented linear motion slide that is the perfect size for a linear tracker, has low sticktion and guaranteed no bearing slop. All one would have to do is put gimbled bearing and an arm tube, and...

Last year, I spent a lot of time researching the new air bearing materials like the micro-porous blocks used in precision automated linear slides. Never could get around the noise effect of high-pressure air in a quiet listening room. Low pressure system have their own drawbacks.

These precision roller slides by THK look really nice. I wonder what their lateral friction or resistance is like? Seems to me that their servo actuator systems would have to be highly precise and smooth in order to be used in precision optics grinding and semiconductor fabrication.

Oh, and back to SPL's original question:

1. Do you consider linear Tracking superior to Unipivot?
2. Which would you say is harder to set up properly?

As a novice vinyl fan, I found my Cartridge Man Conductor linear air bearing tonearm to be easier to setup and fine tune than my Scheu Tacco sapphire unipivot.

I think it's impossible to separate the turntable from the arm, particularly when some of the best turntables (Kuzma Stabi, Rockport, Walker, Versa Dynamics) all come with linear arm fitted during assembly and there is typically no way to fit a pivot arm on one of these to make a comparison.

A clarification. That may be true of Rockport, Walker, and Versa Dynamics but is not true of the Kuzma Stabi XL and Stabi Reference turntables, which may be fitted with the Airline, 4Point, Stogi Reference, etc. as well as third party arms, and the XL can accommodate as many arms as desired and practical.

Dealer disclaimer.

I've had a THK slide sitting around for a while. Its low sticktion and lack of slop makes it an ideal candidate for a proper TL arm. Its also an ideal size.