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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
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
Dear Lewm/Atmasphere, I am even more puzzled with this anti-skate enigma as before.It looks as we are talking Unified Field Theory and I thought it is about friction.
I perceive some kind of attitude, by some members,to protect Tri from 'onjust arguments'. To my mind Tri is better 'served' by critical feedback from his customers.
According to Atmasphere he is aware of the problem. But the fact is:he is still producing this to heavy AS.
And then the dramatic exaggeration:'if manufactures had to account for all the crazy things we do...' + searching for
our own 'competent machinist'. My God. All I, and I assume other,want is an smaller AS.
To my mind it is CRAZY to pay 5000 Euro for an tonearm and
then search for an 'competent machinist'. I will then rather search for an other tonearm.
Regards,
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
Nandric, you have crossed into the realm of "what I prefer", not what is necessary to produce music. I don't know Tri and have no interest in protecting him or anyone else. I don't give a crap what tonearm you buy and you are certainly entitled to your opinions, but your agenda is beginning to show.

You keep repeating this 5000 Euro price, but the Triplanar can be purchased for less than $4K US. The last time I checked that is about 2800 euro. Who is exaggerating?

You will never get a satisfactory answer from any tonearm or cartridge manufacturer about what the proper amount of AS is for any given arm/cart/table. There are just too many variables and you have mentioned the most important one. That is how do you, or I, prefer the sound. Very subjective indeed and it is no surprise to me that few tonearm makers provide multiple AS weights. They simply allow you to chase your own tail if you prefer. Some provide no AS adjustment at all. That is not my preference but it does not make them wrong or non-responsive to their customers.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,953 posts
 
I like the arm because it works- one of the very few that does. I like Tri because he can deliver.

I don't even have the AS weight mounted on my arm. It tracks anything I can throw at it effortlessly: Black Sabbath Paranoid, Decca's Ring Cycle conducted by Solti, Verdi's Requiem (Dies Irae) on RCA's Soria series- all some of the most dynamic recordings made. Other cartridges seem to prefer using the weight from my understanding. I'm not protecting Tri, its simply that there is no good way for a manufacturer to forecast what setting will be right.

I myself would not be blowing off any high end tone arm over the perceived lack of 30 cents worth of O-rings... that is a situation that is too easily solved :)
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
Dan_ed, My 'agenda is beginnig to show'. My God I had no idea that I have one. What can this agenda be? I am from the former East block so I am probably an KGB member. End then I mentioned the 5000 Euro price twice in what I thought to be the right context, so you are entitled to call this 'keep repeating the price' because it was more then once.Then it is very interesting for us in Europa that the Triplanar is $4K in the USA. Alas you forget to mention: 12%import duty,19% VAT,30% importer fees and 30% dealer-fees.
What I forget to mention in my former contribution was that
even Tri himself don't use the AS weight he produce.
But then I am 100% sure that my my FR-64 had two bias-weights because I was able to get this 90mu that I mentioned with the small one.So even in the 80 one could get more AS weights. As Dertornarm stated before those are
mechanical matters and mechanics don't care about our subjective preference. But according to you and some others it is nearly impossible to get AS right. But whay bother then?
Regards,
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
As Dertornarm stated before those are
mechanical matters and mechanics don't care about our subjective preference. But according to you and some others it is nearly impossible to get AS right. But whay bother then?

Ah, then it is perhaps Dertonearm's agenda that you project. We get that you, he, and a few others don't like the Triplanar and prefer another arm. If I had to guess I would say it is the Phantom II, based on Dertonearm's postings. You need to understand that we really do not care what you people think and we are quite happy with the Triplanar.

Nandric, this is a thread about ways to possibly get a Triplanar working better for its owner. It is not about you getting a platform to tell us what you don't like about the Triplanar and what other arms you do like. There are plenty of other threads where that is discussed.
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