VPI Speed Problem

It could be your phono stage or preamp also. Check this by letting your turntable run for a while then play the record if it still happen then it is else where in your system and not your TT. This happened to me in the past and found I had a problem in my phono stage.

Okay, I took all the belts off, and took the spindle off of the motor and the platter off the TT base. Everything appeared in good working order, so I put it all back together. I tried another album and it sounded much closer to right, though still not quite right.

So, apologies for basic questions - I am pretty new to this - but what oil or grease would you use to re-lubricate the spindle the motor pulley goes on and/or for the center of the turntable platter? I think the combination of lubrication of both places may fix the issue, but don't want to put something incorrect on the table.

I don't have a strobe to check speed, but ordered one today and will be able to check speed later this week.

Thanks again to all the help - I really appreciate it.

VPI sells the proper lubs Call them, they are very nice.

If you have the VPI Strobe disc alls’ you need is a regular light that would be plugged into an AC outlet. It cycles at 60 Hz. Maybe not as accurate as a strobe you ordered, but will surfice until that one arrives. The TT bearing grease recommended to me by HW of VPI is white lithium grease. You can get it at any auto parts store for a few bucks. Clean out the old grease before putting in this fresh dose.

If you bought the tt new, it should have a strobe disc-with that, you don't need a 'strobe'-a fluorescent, or even an incandescent light, held over the strobe disc, will 'flash' at 60 cycles to make the scale on the disc appear to stabilize when the speed is correct. If you don't have one, they're available at VinylEngine (free) to download and print.

Not to keep flogging this point, but until you have a way to check the actual speed of the platter, you can't make any assumptions about speed inaccuracies with your deck, or make a meaningful correction to the speed. Unless there is something horribly wrong (unlikely) your SDS will be able to produce a dead-accurate 33 1/3 (and 45) rpm.

As an aside, an idler drive is no more speed accurate, without correction, than any other type of turntable drive-the ability to hear Van Morrison farting during a recording session doesn't mean that the fart is exiting his buttockial area at the correct speed.