Shelter and Triplanar matching ?


HELLO

I have problems to match a shelter 901 with a tri planar VII.

Lot of records ( above all piano LP ) are playing tremulous and I can see the tonearm CLEARLY SHAKING on the record while playing it as if it could be a problem of resonance between the cartridge and the tonearm .

I have seen here and there that the Shelter was a LOW COMPLIANCE cartridge (I don't know the exact value).Its weight is 9,5 g.

I have choosed the maxi VTF : 2 g.


I am afraid that the TP is too light for the shelter.Its effective mass is 11 g,
Is it enough for the Shelter 901 ?

I am surprised because the Shelter 901 / Tri Planar seemed to be a combination used buy some audiophiles...without modification .

Could someone give me some help...

Thank you

Tenmus
tenmus
Hi DOUG HI RAUL

I completly agree about the idea that the TP increases the problem because of its performance rather than because of any damage on it (we will see this next week).

Doug : thanks for the Teres motors idea ( I have soon sended an E- mail to have details).

What do you both think about the idea that the stiffer the cartridge is the most perfect the records must be ?

Thanks

André
Andre,

I think your idea has merit, and it's consistent with my theory.

If stylus drag is slowing the platter and causing your tremolo, anything which alters the amount of drag could alter the amount of tremolo.

We've established that the tremolo is worse after a large dynamic note or a warp. What is similar about these two events? Answer: both of them are trying to deflect the stylus. This requires some force. If the motor/belt aren't stable enough to overcome the resistance of the stylus/cantilever/suspension, the platter may slow.

(Bad tonearm bearings could increase the arm's resistance to rising freely over a warp. This would increase VTF and drag, which is why I thought of it. But since both your arms have the problem to some degree this seems unlikely.)

The amount of stylus drag will vary with cartridge and with setup. Here are some of the factors I can think of:

VTF - higher VTF = more friction (pretty obvious)

Compliance - the stiffer the cartridge suspension the more it resists deflection, greater resistance to deflection = more friction

Stylus profile
- fine line and micro-ridge styli cause the least friction
- elliptical styli cause more
- conical styli cause the most
This is simply a function of the contact area of each stylus type.

Anti-skate - the higher the AS setting, the more friction

Arm height
- arm tube level = normal VTF = normal friction
- arm down at stylus end = higher VTF = higher friction
- arm up at stylus end = lower VTF = lower friction
This ignores changes in VTA/SRA and any effects they may have on friction, but it might explain why you have less tremolo on 200g records than on thin ones. If you haven't raised the arm by the thickness of the record, VTF will be *slightly* reduced and therefore friction will be reduced. (I admit, this is really a stretch.) If those 200g records are less warped than the lighter ones, that would have a larger effect.

Doug
HI doug and Raul

I have a new element:

I have found two screws to set up the AUDIO NOTE IQ 3 again with the rega turtable and the rega tonearm

I finally can also hear that the sound is no as straight than I thought before. It is MUCH MUCH lighter than with the Shelter or the DL 103 but it also has a tendency to produce little vibrations on the tonearm and to spoil the sound a little .
It sounds now ( with the IQ3) sometimes like" old records " what I thought normal before using the shelter .

To summerize my observations after one week

With the rega turntable / rega tonearm

The best ( the less bad ) combination to minimize the problem of vibrations is with the AUDIONOTE cartridge

Then comes the Shelter

Then the DL 103 wich is the worse

The combination Verdier/ TP / Shelter is worse than each combination above to avoid vibrations ( certainly due to the qualities of such an equipment) when records are not perfects .

Of course the Shelter is far better than both the AN and DENON in all other considerations when it is matched to the REGA .

Dear Andre: In essence my answer is: yes, but in practice if that low compliance cartridge is matched with the right tonearm almost never will have any problem with trackin a record.

One of my lowest compliance cartridge is the Ikeda with 5 cu and other than the Telarc 1812 I never had any tracking problem with any of the 3-4 tonearms where I try it.

It is curios that both tonearms: Rega 900 and the TP had the same problem and not with the Audio Note. It could be that both tonearms are out of specs, who knows. We have to wait for the new one.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Hi Doug and Raul

At last I have received my new TP for two days.

Every thing looks OK .

Doug.

Your advice about CW works perfectly ...still just some problems with bad records but 90 % of my collection are listenable.

Could you please tell me what kind of wire is mounted with the TP ?
Many thanks to you.

Raul

Thanks to you also for your participation ...

The combination Verdier /Tri planar/ Shelter is technically OK and really great musically ... even if there is still a lot of possible progression .

André