A strobe device may miss what you're trying to identify. The other devices mentioned would be even less likely to catch it, in my opinion. Best would be a Phoenix Engineering Roadrunner but that's too costly for this use. Your ears are free.
Measuring Turntable Platter Speed
I have an older Rega P2 that seems to warble (for lack of a better word) when playing. It's not that it's fast or slow, but I can hear slight, quick, pitch changes when playing a record. I put a new belt on, but no change.
Is there a method or relatively inexpensive instrument that I could use to monitor small fluctuations in platter speed?
Thanks in advance - Jim S.
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- 22 posts total
Your trying to measure WOW. A strobe test will tell you speed only.. Blow all the dust and crap out of the motor first. Remove the belt and spin the platter. If you see the platter come to an abrupt halt after a spin you found your problem. If not it’s the motor and it need to be lubed and cleaned. Make sure the bushings are not wore out and the armature is making contact with the field coils or to much end play. It’s only one or the other. The motor or the spindle. If the spindle well is full of crap, clean it out service the shaft and change the oil. It should spin for 100 years when it’s clean AND burr free. OH WOW, NO WOW... Boo Boo. Just a guess though.. :-) |
Get the ap "RPM" on your phone. It measures platter speed and wow +flutter. It will definitaly tell you if you have a problem. @lewm , The Roadrunner is excellent. You can see exactly what your turn table is doing as far as speed is concerned but, It will not give you a wow+flutter spec. It measures speed based on one entire revolution. You might see it if the wow + flutter is really bad. |
KAB, the folks that cater to the Technics SL1200 crowd with parts and accessories sells a very nice strobe disc and lazer light. Amazing just how still my rebuilt Victor TT71 platter looks when using it. Anyway, disc and lazer is $109.00 https://www.kabusa.com/strobe.htm The phone apps have plenty written about them, not super accurate but a good comparative tool. I use one as well, the RPM Speed and Wow app.
BillWojo |
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