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TriPlanar Tips

The manual that comes with the TriPlanar Mk VII tonearm is fairly complete, but there are a few things I’ve learned only by living with the arm. Note: I do not know which if any of these would apply to previous versions of the arm. My only experience is with the Mk VII.

1. NEVER raise the cueing lever while the arm is locked in the arm rest. This pressures the damping cylinder and could cause a silicone leak. For this reason and also for safety, whenever the arm is in the arm rest the cueing lever should be DOWN. This is backwards from most arms and takes some getting used to.

2. If your Tri-Planar doesn't cue straight down there's a quick fix, which may be included on some new arms. The problem is insufficient friction between the arm tube and the hard rubber cueing support bar. Just glue a bit of thin sandpaper to the underside of the arm tube. Make it big enough and position it so it hits the cueing support bar at all points across the arm’s arc. (Note: after doing this you will need to adjust the cueing height, see Tip #3.)

3. When adjusting cueing height (instructions are in the manual) always do so with the arm in the UP position. This adjustment is VERY touchy, since the cueing support bar is so close to the pivot. Be patient and be careful of your cartridge. (Note: after doing this you may need to adjust the anti-skate initiation point, see Tip #4.)

Chris Brady of Teres told me of a way to improve cueing even more by re-shaping the cueing support. Moving the cueing support point farther from the pivot improves its mechanical advantage and makes the cueing height and speed adjustments less touchy. This mod is easier than it sounds and requires only a length of coat hanger (!), but I don’t have pix and haven’t yet done it myself.

4. Changing the cueing height affects the point where anti-skate kicks in. (Yes, it's weird.) Once cueing height is satisfactory, adjust the short pin that sticks out of the front of the cueing frame. That pin controls where the anti-skate dogleg first engages the knot on the string.

5. The Tri-Planar comes with three counterweight donuts of differing masses. Many cartridges can be balanced using either of two. The arm usually tracks best with the heaviest donut that will work, mounted closer to the pivot. Of course this also reduces effective mass, which may or may not be sonically desirable depending on the cartridge. It also leaves more room for Tip #6.

6. For fine VTF adjustments don’t futz with the counterweight, there’s an easier way. Set the counterweight for the highest VTF you think you’ll need (ie, close to the pivot). Pick up some 1/4" I.D. O-rings from Home Depot. To reduce VTF a bit just slip an O-ring or two on the end stub. Thin O-rings reduce VTF by .01-.02g, thick ones by .04-.05g. Quick, cheap, effective. (For safety, always lock the arm down while adding or removing O-rings.)

7. When adjusting VTA, always bring the pointer to the setting you want by turning it counter-clockwise at least ¼ of a turn. This brings the arm UP to the spot you've selected, which takes up the slop in the threads. You can easily feel this happening.

Hope someone finds these useful. If you know any more, please bring ‘em on!
dougdeacon
dougdeacon OP
3,338 posts
 
Hodie,
In the right circumstances coathangers can be formidable devices. Remember, 'Mommy Dearest'? The current maker is certainly aware of problem #2. I told him myself and the dealer I installed an arm for also brought it to his attention. A lower durometer sleeve on the cueing support would be a more elegant solution for him to adopt.

Despite these unresolved eccentricities, if you're comfortable with your VI I think you should consider upgrading it to a VII. Two well-eared audiophiles who've heard both the VII and previous versions were thoroughly surprised at how much better the VII sounds. In my own experience it comes very close to matching the finest arm I've heard, and actually beats it in a few areas. Frank Schroeder himself was surprised at how close the Mark VII came to his Reference, and has been very complimentary in several internet postings.

Sirspeedy,
I have to concur, sadly, on your view of Herb Papier's successor. He seems to view his role as curator of a museum piece and has been quite uninterested in making any refinements.

My arm (dealer demo) came with the finger lift firmly attached to the headshell. I've tried to remove it but the screw was fastened with Loktite or something. It won't budge. I'm all for tweaks but I draw the line at hacksaws!

John_Tracy,
Thanks for tweaking my sloppy terminology. You'll get no backlash from me. Of course idea #6 will work on any arm with an exposed end stub. I used it on my OL Silver for a while. IMO this is actually superior to VTF fine-tuning mechanisms, not to mention less expensive. Who knows what sonic baggage all those springs and screws and dials may carry? An O-ring on the end stub is just as easy to use and shouldn't contribute to any resonance problems.
sirspeedy70680e509
1,064 posts
 
Doug,I think Herb Papier's sucessor simply does not want to mess with a good thing,and is not the original designer,anyway.Let's face it,the arm as is,as you know,is a fabulous piece of ergonomic engineering.It also,IMO,looks incredible, on some tables(imagine it on a BRINKMAN).Sadly,and I mean this,in my case,my dealer screwed up,BIG TIME,when recommending the arm,for my SOTA COSMOS,which did not have enough room in the arm well,to support proper adjustments for the arm.Herb Papier was a PRINCE,and was so distraught,that he made(machined) a special adaptor for my arm,to fit between cartridge and arm.Unfortunately this did not stand the test of time,and I was forced to move on,but was TRULY not happy about it!!!

I have always loved the Triplaner,and really believe that had Herb been around longer,I could have solved my problem.Herb was the kind of guy that would actually call me,at my business,at times,to recommend some new mod to the arm,and offer to do it at his cost,because he was SO PASSIONATE about keeping some customers at the cutting edge.I REALLY loved the guy!I no longer do business with the dealer,though,he'd rather support(ha)digital,and video!

On a final note(well if you know me,that's never the case)the hobbyists,like yourself,who hold onto quality products long enough to solve their specific needs,are,to me,able to get the best sound from their set-ups.I know more than a few heavily bucked hobbyists that have pricey,and laughably bad sounding systems.To my little group of friends it sems to be a case of "Latest isn't always best"syndrome.Though our MEAN equipment dollar average is considerably higher than a German auto,so who am I kidding? Let's face it,if you have the dough to keep buying the latest stuff,you are NOT going to make the mental,and physical effort(updating,and modding can be quite physical)to extract the most from your stuff.You know what I mean.You seem to have solved the finer points of this perplexing,yet fascinating hobby!!

OOOPS!!Got to go.The French Open just started on ESPN.Have to study the Federer backhand.
thomasheisig
568 posts
 
Hello Doug,
very good info.
I have another one :
The plastic tube in the heaviest donut is normally cut a bit too long ( that means, the heaviest weight isn't really at the closest point to pivot ).
Shorten it with a sharp knife that the length is identical with the drill or move it back with gentle pressure.
With that "mod" this weight will be mounted closer to the pivot and the next one of course, too.
From my experience this is specially for heavier cartridges a superior solution.
dougdeacon OP
3,338 posts
 
SirSpeedy,
Great story about Herb Papier and your arm. I wish we'd gotten ours before he passed on. I'd have loved to correspond with him, if only to say "Thank you." Sorry you had to get rid of yours.

Obviously we're from the same school when it comes to maximizing our gear. Those of us trained by Twl know that the striker from a matchbook or two lead weights from Kmart's fishing dept. can sometimes do more for a rig than a $1,000 upgrade. The opportunity for effective user involvement is one of the coolest things about vinyl.

Hello Thomas,
Many thanks for that additional idea, which shall be officially known as Tip #8. I'm aware of one person who had to trim the plastic lining in the bevelled donut just to balance his cartridge. I should have mentioned that.

Thanks to all. Hopefully some new user will stumble across this thread and find something useful.
sirspeedy70680e509
1,064 posts
 
Doug,actually I've had a ball using various types of Ceramic tiles,that I've married into differing low resonance,and cheap,equipment supports,and shelves.All sourced from Home Depot,bonded with Silicone,and various spike/type configurations.These are mega cheap,and look really great,also allowing for some artistic(layered)effects.Smart mods,like this allows the "chosen" few to accumulate enough spare dough to possibly save for the elusive ZYX UNIVERSE!!Which ain't cheap,as you know!!
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