Turntable speed accuracy


There is another thread (about the NVS table) which has a subordinate discussion about turntable speed accuracy and different methods of checking. Some suggest using the Timeline laser, others use a strobe disk.

I assume everyone agrees that speed accuracy is of utmost importance. What is the best way to verify results? What is the most speed-accurate drive method? And is speed accuracy really the most important consideration for proper turntable design or are there some compromises with certain drive types that make others still viable?
peterayer
Dear Lewm,
the Allnic SpeedNic is battery powered and not so bad as you think...
also it allows adjusting during play.
I am not selling this product :-)

Rugyboogie,
you are in very comfortable situation with one running turntable ;-)

best @ fun only
Runout is the measurement of the eccentric motion in a rotating body. What I have been talking about in terms of a record is that the center axis of the record grooves are not matched precisely to the center axis of the platter. (Shaft runout would normally be measured in V-blocks in a lab and would consist of a combination of roundness as well as straightness of the shaft.) Additionally, the platter can have some runout- hopefully that is nearly unmeasurable considering the cost of some of these platters. The best way to measure the runout of a record would be to measure the swinging motion of the tonearm when it is playing a round groove at the inner diameter of the record. It would be difficult to measure while playing in the music groove since the tone arm is continuously moving inward towards the center of the record. The OD of the record is likely not that round and not necessarily tied dimensionally back to the music groove. I would say that if you can discern a swaying motion in the tonearm with your eyes as it is running in the music groove, then the runout is probably high. This was the case with my test record. But even then, I could hear the Wow only when playing pure test tones.
My mistake, Thuchan. So therefore the allnic and the timekeeper would be about the same. I thought I had read elsewhere that the allnic light needs to be plugged in to AC.
Thanks Rugyboogie,
The video was very amateurish but I think....made its point.
Hollywood has not been ringing though which is puzzling?
You are one of the 'brave' ones amongst us....having purchased the Timeline only to find disillusionment with the macro accuracy of most belt-drive turntables.
However I believe the truth can help you.....and you happily have plans to correct the situation with the Verdier.
I certainly wish you luck.

Pryso,
Yes you are misunderstanding the principle of the Timeline as also Lew continues to do despite me trying to explain it on 2 or 3 occasions?
A turntable......any turntable......will not 'make up' for lost speed.
If a turntable did this......it would simply be unlistenable as it would never be revolving at the correct speed. This is a common misconception about servo-controlled DD motors.
A turntable must revolve at a 'constant' speed. If that 'constant speed is not exactly 33.3rpm......it is only a matter of 'pitch'.
When something occurs to 'alter' that speed momentarily.......it will almost always slow it down (stylus drag). When the motor detects that 'slow-down'....it will compensate to regain its 'correct' speed. It will NOT 'correct' that slow speed to another 'incorrect' FAST speed?
Thus the original 'altered' speed (due to stylus drag)....is a historical event that the turntable motor does not 'remember'.
The Timeline however.......will keep the record of that altered speed as long as it keeps revolving and thus the laser line will NEVER 'recover' to once again hit the mark on the wall.
This is the difference between a strobe and the Timeline. With a strobe....any speed change is so quick that a blink of your eye will simply miss it and the strobe has regained its 'correct' speed before you ever see it. With a strobe....there is no 'record' of the speed change.
With the Timeline.......a 'running' record is automatically kept and cannot be erased.
I hope this is somehow clearer........but the way many here are discussing the accuracy of different strobes to the way the Timeline is designed to function......simply leaves me open-mouthed :^O