Why three motors?

Hello Jea48, these motors in the TW Raven are so good, that they won't have any problem with one dead fellow (which in turn would have no friction if he should ever fail - which I can't believe would happen anyway). If one dies indeed, I am sure that this would literally went unnoticed.
It is typical german (over)-engineering.
That strange arrangement with the one side belt in tangent contact only must have a sonic benefit.
I am sure and confident, that this is a feature of the original design.

Ok, my understanding in layman term, the belt will somehow suck the life out of the music. So the least the contact of the belt with the platter, the better. I owned Raven AC with one motor and in the process of ordering the 2nd motor.I also believed the two motor setup is more balance.

Regarding the Black Knight, the position of the motors have better grip with the belt. Who knows, Mr Thomas might come up with another set of motors on the other side of the plint in the future.

I have a Transrotor Apollon with three motors but the arrangement is different. The belts actually fit on a grooved slot on each motor that corresponds with a grooved slot on the magnetic bearing assembly on the bottom of the platter. My platter is really heavy, 80mm thick polished aluminum and three motors helps in regards to maintaining speed accuracy, timing and just the sheer grunt to move such a heavy platter.

Onhwy61 said it best: "Whatever variations, irregularities, etc. in one motor are averaged or even canceled out by the other motors."

It should lead to better speed stability, both long and short term. Never had any noise or vibration issues from the three motors. All I know is that with one belt, the platter spins up to speed a little longer with a nudge, but with all three belts, the platter is under absolute control of the belt grips and they belts take control and you KNOW there is more torque grabbing the platter.

I think it would be the difference between a kid spinning a "merry go round" versus Hulk Hogan, Mr. T and The Hulk, yeah that is it.

Anyway, voiding any disparaging comments from the technical aspects concerning pros and cons of having three motors; the three motors I have work great for me and the sound is incredible.

Thats my story and I am sticking to it.
Ciao,
Audioquest4life

T_bone: "Any idea what the tonearm with the wooden armpipe is?"

It's a German tonearm made of ebony.
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One of the explanations about the belt arrangement I read is that it simulates an idler wheel with low contact area. If that's the design intention I found that unconvincing. The three motor set up with such belt arrangement has been discontinued by the manufacturer so I have to assume the designer no longer endorse such approach.

Here's a lively discussion about the design.

Again, I found the belt arrangement to be half-baked until someone can explain it to me otherwise.

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Various three motor turntables in different belt arrangement, either single belt or triple belts and all of them have the platter touching THREE sides of the belts.

Audionote

Transrotor

Clearaudio

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