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Do you use variable speed on your turntable?

My turntables JVC TT101 and TT81 both have elaborate speed controls which allow quartz controlled accuracy when the speed is changed in small controlled increments, faster or slower than the selected 33 1/3, or 45 rpm speed.

Many turntables allow this controlled speed variance but besides dj's looking to match beats, who ever uses this very expensive feature? When my tables were made no one was beat matching as far as I know so dj's needs didn't drive this design. I can understand this on 78's because of inaccurate recording technology, but there isn't a 78 speed on these turntables and modern records are probably 99.9% accurate so that wasn't the consideration either.

So what is the point?
aigenga
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,482 posts
 
Audiofiel...thanks for the chuckles..very good.
hifihvn
943 posts
 
Also, a lot of DJs at radio stations play the music a lot faster that normal. This way, they could fit more ads in during the day. This has been done for years, and probably at the request of the owners and managers.
learsfool
1,215 posts
 
To add to Halcro's post - most American orchestras are actually playing at 442, many of them stating this to their applicants when they have openings. The San Francisco Symphony and the Pittsburgh Symphony are two current examples. In Europe, the average is usually a little higher yet nowadays. My orchestra is one that does still try to keep the pitch down at 440. Almost never will you hear an orchestra below that anymore; most orchestras around the world will be somewhere between 440 and 444.
cocoabaroque
36 posts
 
One of my tables is an older Rek-o-Kut CVS-12 circa 1950s, mounted in solid ply base. The only way to engage the motor to the idler and platter is through a variable speed lever. Sometimes, I adjust the speed slightly to match the pitch of the instrument in the recording (music in key of A should match my tone generator tuner set to A. There is some variablilty in LPs--especially with older recordings. Of course, we don't always know if the musicians were perfectly tuned to a stable reference or if they used a cold brasswind horn-- but many classical musicians have perfect pitch, or at least good relative pitch and would want accurate tuning. This is a better method than a visual strobe representation of 33.3, in my opinion.
nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
Cocoabaroque, I'm not sure I understand you clearly when you say
This is a better method than a visual strobe representation of 33.3, in my opinion.
If I DO understand you, you are saying to adjust the TT speed until an "A" on the recording matches a tone generated "A", which makes perfect sense to me. But then I have a few questions:
Do I need a tone generator? (Suggestions for a cheapie?) Or even better, is there a website that provides accurate tones through your PC's speakers? (wouldn't that be great?!)
Second, finding a sustained "A" in most recorded material doesn't seem all that easy. Any tips?

thx
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