2008 RMAF – – – all things analog.

Quiddity, take another look at my post. I merely pointed out that a lot of belt drive machines get away with using weaker motors, not that **all** of them do.

The motor I use in my machine has a lot of torque and behaves very much like a second flywheel in the table. It is the Pabst motor from 40 years ago- one of the better motors to be installed in a turntable. FWIW the l'oiseau lyre LPs sound great on it- despite being belt drive.

Doug, if you really want to get the inside story of what sounds right on an LP, I strongly recommend that you take a recording from the mics right to the finished LP. Do it with a 2-mic recording of natural instruments, like you mentioned. This is very handy for developing a reference because being at the session itself, you will know exactly what the recording is supposed to sound like.

BTW although we have sold a number of our 'model 208' turntables (http://www.atma-sphere.com/products/208.html), its not a regular production thing for us by any means nor have we any intention of making it so. It just seemed an obvious update path for the original machine.

Doug...just a comment on the elasticity of the belt...I guess thats why the rim drive makes the VPI's sound so much better.

Ralph

Sorry for jumping on you but this keeps coming up and it's just not true. The Papst motor ex the empire TT has less than 2 watts of output power. Even the small Hurst motor and the Airpax (Linn etc) have more power (and therefore more torque) than that motor, the motor ex the Garrard etc etc.

Whatever you are hearing it's not motor torque that's causing it.

Hello All,

I'd like to correct one misnomer regarding the OMA room at RMAF this year. The Schroeder tonearm on Saskia was not a Model Two. It was a Reference SQ that Frank built specifically for Saskia.

Jonathan Weiss
OMA

Hi,

The arm model error was an easy oversight, so it is entirely acceptable in my mind. What is important to me is that a conversation has been spurred on regarding the merits of the frontend of any system. It will always be a "different strokes for different folks" deal, but at least people are beginning to consider the topic on a different plane. That's the key. If I have managed to develop a turntable that can illustrate the difference, I am thrilled. If not, I'll just try harder. In any event, the passion of the music is the driving force.

As far as drive systems go, I am perfectly willing to concede that a fantastic turntable can be built using any of the available means, and perhaps some we haven't thought of, yet. The trick here is to avoid the mistakes of the past, and improve upon what we already know. Of course, it helps to have a few new ideas spring up along the way.

By the way, Doug, I am ecstatic that you and Paul like my turntable, and that you went to the trouble to tell the guys here!

Win