2. analog
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VPI Speed Problem

I have a VPI Super Scoutmaster with SDS. Fabulous sound, had it for about a year. I moved to a new place about 5 months ago and have had it set up and working well for about 3 months in the new location.

Recently, I thought the first song on some album sides sounded slow, but as the album played a minute or two, all sounded right again. Now, everything sounds slow all the time, both 33's and 45's. I tried bypassing the SDS, though there is no speed setting on the motor assembly, so I don't know if that should sound right, but it sounds very slow and muddy as well.

Any thoughts on what might be wrong or how to troubleshoot? Any insight would be appreciated.
kthomas
tfkaudio
591 posts
 
Geez, kids. The guy is trying to troubleshoot a problem. He didn't open by saying "I'm having trouble with my VPI TT which beats the pants off those crappy Lenco rebuilds." or "I'm having trouble with my VPI TT so please tell me which table I should buy instead."

Try to help here. Argue with your spouse if you've got one, which I would doubt.

Cheers.
dopogue
1,773 posts
 
Okay, mea culpa (my wife says hi). Your own recommendations up top seem sensible, though I would replace the white lithium grease with a drop or two of Mobil 1. Yeah, I know Mike used to recommend the grease, but they also recommended Slick 50 for a while and that stuff turns to GOO.

Another recommendation, straight from VPI, is to clean the belt and then boil it (no kidding) for 30 seconds or so before putting it back on the table. I've heard various boiling times; Mike told me 30 seconds.

Frankly, though, the OP reminded me of what a lack of pitch stability sounds like. My SDS appeared to be dead-on, speedwise, winter and summer, as tested with a KAB strobe, but there was still something wrong. It didn't bother others and I tweaked the hell out of the TNT. I've already mentioned what "fixed" the problem for me.
oregon
822 posts
 
Kthomas,
I wish I knew the answer to your problem. My guess it is a bearing or belt issue. A drop of oil and or grease? Perhaps a stretched belt.
Tfkaudio,
You're right.

Enjoy...
kthomas OP
911 posts
 
Thanks very much for all the helpful responses. I'll have to get it working perfectly again before I could sell it to get a Lenco in any case, so thanks especially for the troubleshooting tips :-)

New belt didn't change anything. I'll have to get a strobe to check the speed - I have the speed disk, but not the strobe. And my motor is the dual wheel (600 rpm?), not the direct wheel.

I'll check into putting drops of oil in the right places. It really fell off from sounding great to sounding terrible pretty quickly. Bummer, too, as I just got the new Van Morrison remasters :-)
johnbrown
195 posts
 
Agree with you 'Tfkaudio', and I feel shame. Even though 'Oregon' initially jacked the thread, I should have taken the high road and let it slide.

Still, as I first posted, we have yet to know if the OP has checked the actual platter speed, which would be the first step in diagnosing the problem.
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