SSM w/Rim Drive - Cloud 11 Vibration issues?


I was wondering if any other members have run into a vibration problem. I upgraded my SSM with the Rim Drive. I also use the the Cloud 11 vibration control system. The Rim Drive is creating vibration to the 11 platform. This creates a slight wobble to the tone arm. VPI was extremely helpful and they are sending new motor mount feet. They aren't sure that this will fix the problem. But they state that the new feet will give a little to the vibration control. Has anyone else experienced this problem? If so, what coarse of action did you take to compensate? Thank you in advance for your input!
zenieth
Hi Zenieth,
I also have recently changed to the rim drive and formerly used a cloud 11. Mine was called the cloud 11 when I bought it but now is called the Cloud 12. It is the two piece model with separtate motor platform. This two piece definitely won't work with the rim drive. If yours is a single piece it may work better but I suspect there will still be to much movement. Better to have a more solid and well leveled foundation. My solution was to order the master platform from Critical Mass Systems. Less expensive would be a three inch thick Maple platform. Chris at Timbernation.com makes these at very reasonable prices. As much as I like Vinh and his Gingko products, I don't think they were designed with anything like this rim drive in mind. I highly reccomend his dust covers if you don't have one already.
The softer feet that VPI will send will likely make a big differnce. I'm waiting for mine too. In the meantime on a reccomendation from Stringreen, I have attached adhesive felt pads to the motor housing feet to gain similar effect. This has helped already with mine as well as just giving the unit some run in time. I think the drive belt smooths itself out with use.
Mike at VPI told me they're working on a softer drive belt as well which will be available in a couple months at no cost to rim drive customers. This should make things even smoother. So for I am impressed with the grip and control the drive provides. Its more work to implement than the belts but I think it will be worth the trouble. I haven't enen been able to play music with mine yet because my GCPH is out being modified by Cullen Circuits.

Good luck and be patient.(The rim drive likes to barely touch the platter for best results. I've found that if my super platter spins just slightly longer than the flywheel on shut off but still starts up smoothly it work the best)
Agreed, the rim-drive motor/flywheel assembly and the TT plinth should rest on one slab in order to fix the geometry between the two. Any play between the motor/flywheel assembly & the platter will compromise speed stability.

You could fix things and preserve the benefits of decoupling from earth via the Cloud platform, by elevating an oversized wood or slate slab on top of your existing Cloud base. Slate would do the best job of absorbing motor vibration. Cones could be used for elevation, or perhaps the new slab could simply replace the top of the Cloud.
This is an E-mail I sent to VPI with Harry's answer regarding the rim drive

Date: Fri, 30 May 2008 10:50:55 -0700
From: vpi_help_4u@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Suggestion
To: sgreenp@msn.com

Hi Stan, it's interesting that with the belts you need everything solid but with the Rim Drive you need a small amount of lossiness on the feet of the motor assembly. If you have any sorbothane or thick felt or anything that has a bit of give put it beneath the feet, it will solve any problem like this. Try it, you'll see.

HW

Stanley Green wrote:
Hi - I have a Superscoutmaster, 10.5i, with a new Rim Drive that you helped me with. I'm hearing a speed inconsistency now that I never heard with the belt drive. I lubricated the motors and the turntable, but that didn't seem to help. The numbers in the SDS don't seem to be inconsistent. The out of tuneness is a slow kind of wavering. Do you have any suggestions?? Thanks Stan Green
Stringreen,
It sounds as though the felt or sorbothane has pretty much smoothed your SSM out. Did you order a set of the softer feet or are you satisfied with what your using. Mike at VPI told me this week that they are designing a softer O-ring to use as the drive belt that should smooth out the drive even more with or without softer feet.